Rating: 7/10
Greta Gerwig’s long-awaited film, Barbie, hit theaters on July 21st, accompanied by an iconic soundtrack, Barbie The Album. Curated by Mark Ronson, this album captures who Barbie is and delivers it through a variety of upbeat, funky pop songs. The album also features numerous celebrity singers, including Lizzo, Dua Lipa, Nicki Minaj, Ice Spice, Billie Eilish, Sam Smith, and many more. Aside from the surrounding glitz and glamor of the movie, a substantial portion of the collection of songs have the potential to stand on their own.
The first two tracks are “Pink” by Lizzo and “Dance the Night” by Dua Lipa. Both are fun, energetic bops that automatically put you in a great mood from the very beginning of the film.. “Pink” is catchy and amusing. The lyrics introduce you to life as Barbie and make you feel like the main character. I found the rhythmic flow and lyric delivery to be very enjoyable and well-blended. Meanwhile, “Dance the Night” is a song to party and dance to, with its upbeat track upholding Dua Lipa’s “signature” sound. I enjoyed the funky disco beat, and this song is one that I would definitely add to a summer pop playlist.
Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice, in my opinion, created the most iconic track on this album. The super hyped “Barbie World” radiates confidence. It also includes a throwback to the famous “Barbie Girl” by Aqua. I’m very impressed by how these artists were able to remix the 90s song, turn it into something original, and add in their own personal touches.
With another reference to an older song, “Speed Drive” by Charli XCX incorporates Toni Basil’s “Oh Mickey, you’re so fine” lyric and rewrites it as “Oh Barbie, you’re so fine.” The electronic rhythm in the beginning gradually becomes faster, as if you were in an accelerating car. The song is exciting and is sure to take you on a speed drive.
The next few tracks are “Watiti” by Karol G, “Man I Am” by Sam Smith, and “Journey to the Real World” by Tame Impala. While they are all unique and entertaining, they didn’t stand out to me as much as the previous songs. I believe they were meant to be played as background music for the movie. On their own, they sound like fillers.
“Hey Blondie” by Dominic Fike and “Home” by HAIM are where the album starts to slow down to the soft-pop genre. Dominic Fike’s repetition of the title is soothing, and the medium paced drum beat mixed with the softer vocals of “Home” is an interesting mix.
“What Was I Made For?” by Billie Eilish is the only ballad on the album and the most meaningful song in the movie. It depicts the existential crises of the characters, along with the struggles of being a woman. As the outlier, it serves as a break from the previous happy songs, bringing us back to an unwanted reality.
The remainder of the album features a variety of songs by various of artists, including “Forever & Again” by The Kid LAROI, “Silver Platter” by Khalid, “Angel” by Pink Pantheress, “butterflies” by GAYLE, “Choose Your Fighter” by Ava Max, and “Barbie Dreams (feat Kaliii)” by FIFTY FIFTY. These songs were not bad, per se, but I did not enjoy them as much as I did the previous tracks. Like some others, I saw these songs only as fillers. Compared to the beginning of the album, I was much less interested towards the end.
Overall, Barbie The Album had a great blend of tracks, genres, and artists. Each song was distinctive and reflected how versatile Barbie is as a character. I enjoyed the more upbeat songs and believe that regardless of their ties to the movie, “Dance The Night”, “Barbie World”, and “Speed Drive” would succeed the most on their own. Listening to the Barbie soundtrack is an experience in itself, perfect for when you just want to have fun and enjoy a summery, upbeat vibe.
