Andrew Wyatt and Mark Ronson at the Critics Choice Awards in Santa Monica, California, on Jan. 14, 2024.Photo:Kevin Winter/Getty
Kevin Winter/Getty
The Critics Choice Association is singing their praises of“I’m Just Ken”!
WritersMark Ronsonand Andrew Wyatt took the stage to accept the award, where Ronson, 48, addressed Gosling, 43, as he was seated in the audience.
“Ryan Gosling, this is as much your award as ours,” Ronson said. “You made the audience fall in love with this song with your matchless performance, so thank you.”
Ryan Gosling inBarbie(2023).Warner Bros. Pictures/YouTube
Warner Bros. Pictures/YouTube
Ronson went on to thank directorGreta Gerwigand her co-writer, husbandNoah Baumbach, as well as star/co-producerMargot Robbie.
“The fact that you carved out 11 minutes for this prog-rock, power-ballad, dream-ballet, shred fest so the boys could cry and hold hands a little too, we’re really forever in your debt for that,” Ronson said of Gerwig, 40.
The Critics Choice Award marks the second major trophy this awards season that music fromBarbiehas picked up. At theGolden Globeslast Sunday, sibling duo Eilish, 22, andFinneaswon forbest original song award, as well.
In their acceptance speech, the “Happier Than Ever” singer opened up about how writing “What Was I Made For?” “kind of saved [her]” after feeling “very miserable and depressed at the time” — which is asentiment she had sharedin interviews upon the song’s release.
Several hits offBarbie: The Albumare up for major, coveted awards as well, like record and song of the year, and many are competing in genre categories, as well.
The “Houdini” singer’s nominated track, “Dance the Night,” reached the Top 10 of theBillboard Hot 100, and she previously opened up about how it was “an absolute no-brainer” when Ronson reached out to her to write a disco-pop song for a big dance number in the film.
“[Mark] was like, ‘I’m working on this film with Greta Gerwig and it’sBarbie, and it’s possibly the funniest script I’ve read, and I really want you to write the song for the big dance scene in the film,'” Lipa, 28, recalled duringThe Hollywood Reporter’s Songwriter Roundtablein November. “I was like, ‘This is an absolute no-brainer. One thousand percent yes.'”
“I’m Just Ken,” meanwhile, which was featured during a major musical number where Gosling’s Ken takes center stage, has become a pop culture phenomenon of its own — alsocharting on the Hot 100and inspiring aSaturday Night Livesketch.
In a July interview withVanity Fair, Ronson (who co-wrote the song with Andrew Wyatt) explained that theLa La Landactor’s love for the song compelled Gerwig to torewrite an entire scene in order to fit in the performance.
“He really got [that] it had to walk this line of not being funny or parody,” the record producer told the outlet. “But obviously, the song is also kind of ridiculous at times. So he was really amazing, and when he really did start hitting the big notes, I was like, ‘This dude is a vocal powerhouse!’”
“This Wish” is another song from an animated film that’s received acclaim and a nod in the best song category.Ariana DeBosesings the ballad in Disney’sWish, which tells the origin story of the iconic wishing star from House of Mouse movies, as a witty teenaged girl named Asha.
Upon the film’s release, the “This Wish” songwriter, pop singer Michaels, 30, spoke to PEOPLE aboutthe pressure she felt to write a “great” Disney song.
“I think a lot of the challenges came from me,” the “Issues” artist shared. “Just Disney’s legacy is music and so the expectation to create something as great as what’s come before me was very overwhelming.”
She added, “I had so many people on this film that were so supportive and believed in me and it really got me through the process.”
As for “Road to Freedom,” rock star Kravitz, 59, lent his talents to theColman Domingo-led biopic about Civil Rights activistBayard Rustinand his efforts to organize the 1963 March on Washington. The powerful track, which also features musicians likeTrombone Shorty, plays duringRustin’s end credits.
“I really didn’t know that much about Bayard Rustin, which in the end proved to me that his story needed to be told,” Kravitz said. “The goal was to make a song that evoked the struggle and the triumph of the civil rights movement, as well as paying homage to Bayard Rustin.”
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SeePEOPLE’s full coverageof the 29th annual Critics Choice Awards as they’re broadcasting live from Barkar Hangar in Santa Monica on The CW.
source: people.com
