Barbie Land taught us that Ken comes in all shapes and sizes — and, it turns out, they also come in all genders.
This weekend, country singer Lainey Wilson proved her Kenergy by taking Ryan Gosling’s place in a performance of his dream ballet ballad, “I’m Just Ken.”
This was no casual Barbie Land open mic either: Wilson took the stage during music mogul Clive Davis’ annual pre-Grammy gala, where she performed alongside the song’s writers, Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt. Other performers at the event included Green Day, Noah Kahan, Ice Spice, Josh Groban, Stevie Wonder, and Gladys Knight.
Ryan Gosling and Lainey Wilson.Dale Robinette / Warner Bos. /Courtesy Everett Collection; Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times via Getty
Introducing the trio before their performance, Davis explained that though he originally hoped Gosling would be present to sing, the final team-up was a happy surprise.
“I got an idea last week,” Davis said. “I want this night to be different from any music night of the year, so I called [Ronson] and I’m like, 'Mark, would you and Ryan Gosling consider performing ‘I’m just Ken’?'”
While Ronson was more than interested, Gosling was away with family and unable to participate. So instead, Ronson suggested a gender-reversal, leading them to offer the spot to Wilson.
Rising to the occasion with enough charisma to make Barbie proud, Wilson took to the stage in a mink coat befitting a true Ken.
Lainey Wilson.FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty
The song from Greta Gerwig’s Barbie has taken the world, social media, and awards season by storm. After winning Best Song at the Critics’ Choice Awards, the tune is currently competing for Best Song Written for Visual Media at the Grammys and Best Original Song at the Academy Awards. Prior to their performance, Ronson joked that Ken’s theme song has provided him the perfect mindset for navigating awards season.
“This is a song we wrote for the movie Barbie about the beauty of being a runner-up,” he said. “Which is a lesson I’ll try to remember tomorrow [at the Grammys].”
On the bright side, even if Ken loses, there’s a good chance Barbie still wins. The song is competing against multiple other tracks from the film, including the Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice remix of “Barbie World,” Dua Lipa’s “Dance the Night,” and Billie Eilish’s “What Was I Made For?” The only non-Barbie nominee is Rihanna’s "Lift Me Up" for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Elsewhere, Wilson is competing for Best Country Album.
You can see Wilson, Ronson and Wyatt join forces for “I’m Just Ken” in the video above.
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