Ah, 2023, the year where Barbie became the highest-grossing movie of the last 12 months and gave us an earworm for the ages with Ryan Gosling-led ballad 'I'm Just Ken'.
It's been five months since one of this year's hit new movies landed in theaters as part of the cultural phenomenon known as Barbenheimer. But, while that film extravaganza is now a mere speck in the rear-view mirror of Barbie's pastel pink Corvette, Gosling's megahit song is still going strong on the likes of Spotify and Apple Music.
Indeed, there's been enough Ken-ergy to keep it top of our playlists for almost half a year – little wonder this popular ditty has been nominated for seven awards so far, including Best Original Song at the 2024 Golden Globes. I wouldn't be surprised (and neither would you, dear reader) if it received an Oscar nomination and/or won that gong, either.
But I digress. Following Barbie's official streaming debut on Max – it debuted on one of the world's best streaming services in the US on December 15 – we've been given another Barbie-centric gift in time for the holiday season. The present in question? A festive-themed, live recording of 'I'm Just Ken'. Check it out below:
If the original version was starting to grate on you (and why would it be?), this re-recording – or one of the other three versions, which are all part of Mark Ronson-produced 'Ken: The EP' (per Variety) – will be right up your alley.
Not only do you get to hear Gosling's dulcet tones in a live capacity, but the song has also been given a Christmas glow-up, with jingle bells and the percussive strains of a xylophone adding to the mood. Gosling even ends the live session with a tribute to Mud's 'Lonely This Christmas' as he rounds out the track with a Barbie-themed take on that song's iconic "Merry Christmas, Donna, wherever you are" line.
The studio where the performance is recorded has also been decked out in festive fare, too, with Christmas lights and tinsel everywhere you look. And, to top this unexpected gift with the customary bow, Gosling delicately sings the "Can you feel Ken-ergy?" breakdown part of the original song over the YouTube video's end credits. A heart-warming and cozy way to close out the year, this most certainly is. Make sure YouTube's ambient mode is enabled, throw your pick of the best wireless headphones on, stick it on repeat – I've listened to it three times while writing this article – and enjoy.
Given Barbie's dominance of the worldwide box office this year – only The Super Mario Bros. Movie ($1.36 billion), Oppenheimer ($951 million), and Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy 3 ($845 million) came close to matching its $1.44 billion haul – it's predictable that the Warner Bros. megahit movie has topped (or come close to topping) many outlets' end of year reviews. We'll be posting our best movies of 2023 round-up soon, so keep an eye out to read about the other flicks that – spoiler alert – joined Barbie on our list.
In the meantime, find out if Barbie has made it into our best Max movies guide yet and why Barbie's eventual launch on Max couldn't have come at a better time for the beleaguered streaming giant.
