The world is waiting in anticipation for the release of Barbie, a live-action movie about the iconic Mattel doll, directed and co-written by Oscar nominated Greta Gerwig.
And with less that a fortnight until the UK release, Barbie has to be the most talked-about film of the year already.
This is in part down to the film’s star-studded cast, with Ryan Gosling, the Ken to Margot Robbie’s Barbie making the most news.
Today, the latest trailer for the Barbie movie dropped – a music video starring Ryan Gosling called “I’m Just Ken” – and unsurprisingly, it has now gone viral.
The music video sees Ken (played by Gosling) struggling in Barbie’s shadow, alongside emotional lyrics and some choreographed dance numbers.
“Doesn’t seem to matter what I do, I’m always number two,” sings Gosling in the exclusive video. “No one knows how hard I’ve tried, oh I have feelings that I can’t explain, driving me insane.
“All my life been so polite, cause I’m just Ken. Anywhere else I’d be a ten. Is it my destiny to live and die a life of blonde fragility?”
The song continues: “I’m just Ken. Where I see love she sees a friend. What will it take for her to see the man behind the tan. And fight for me?
“I’m just Ken, I am enough. And I’m great at doing stuff. So hey check me out, yeah I’m just Ken. Baby I’m just Ken.”
(Image credit: Getty Images)
This is not the first time that the 42-year-old has spoken out about Ken’s struggles, opening up about the character in response to the #NotMyKen backlash earlier this year.
“If you ever really cared about Ken, you would know that nobody cared about Ken. So your hypocrisy is exposed. This is why his story must be told,” Ryan Gosling told GQ, explaining how Ken has often been overlooked.
In an interview with Jimmy Fallon, he later added: “Nobody plays with Ken, man. They never played with Ken. He’s an accessory and not even one of the cool ones.”
This includes Gosling’s daughters, whose disrespect for their Ken doll was the final push that prompted the actor to take the role.
“I walk out in the backyard and, do you know where I found Ken, Jimmy?” Gosling recalled to Jimmy Fallon of the moment after Gerwig had offered him the role. “He was face down in the mud next to a squished lemon.”
He went on to explain that he took a photograph of the scene and sent it to Gerwig as his acceptance, with the message: “I shall be your Ken, for this story must be told.”
Barbie is set for release on 21 July 2023.
We officially cannot wait for this.