Billboard Hot 100-charting musician and occasional actor Ryan Gosling hasn’t tied a bow on his time as Ken just yet.
To celebrate the holidays, the star temporarily stepped back into his role for a festive performance and music video of his hit Barbie ballad “I’m Just Ken” alongside Mark Ronson, with whom he also released a four-track project titled Ken the EP Wednesday (Dec. 20). In the video, Gosling sports a dark green suit while drinking from a Santa Claus mug in a studio decked out with Christmas lights, while Ronson — who oversaw the Greta Gerwig film’s soundtrack — directs the show with a large candy cane in hand.
Putting on his sunglasses just before diving into the song, Gosling jokes, “The world can have Ken’s voice, but only Barbie can have his eyes.”
One of four versions of “I’m Just Ken” on Ken the EP, the Christmas remix incorporates a symphonic arrangement of festive-sounding instruments including “Carol of the Bells”-esque chimes. “Merry Christmas, Barbie,” Gosling says at the end.
The 43-year-old actor’s portrayal as the under-appreciated sidekick of Margot Robbie’s Barbie, as well as his performance of “I’m Just Ken” in the Barbie movie, were a cultural phenomenon upon hitting theaters in July. Soon after the film’s release, “I’m Just Ken” debuted at No. 87 on the Hot 100.
The ballad is also one of three Barbie soundtrack pieces nominated for best original song at the 2024 Golden Globes, with Dua Lipa’s “Dance the Night” and Billie Eilish’s “What Was I Made For?” also in the running. All three songs are also being considered for the best song written for visual media category at next year’s Grammys, as is Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice’s “Barbie World [From Barbie The Album].”
Watch the “I’m Just Ken – Merry Kristmas Barbie” music video above, and stream Ken the EP below:
