He’s Kenough to perform at the Oscars. Ryan Gosling will perform “I’m Just Ken” at this year’s Academy Awards on March 10.
Industry watchers had been speculating about the performance for months. Even Gosling hesitated when asked about it in an interview earlier this month.
“It might be too much of a risk to have me do it,” he told Variety. “I don’t know how that would work. But I’m open to it.”
The Daily Mail, followed by Variety,first confirmed the news, although the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has officially declined to comment.
The “Barbie” movie tune was nominated for best original song and will be competing against another song from the movie soundtrack, Billie Eilish’s “What Was I Made For.”
“I’m Just Ken” is an earworm that has grown in popularity beyond the movie, making it onto the Billboard Hot 100 list this past summer and inspiring those who embrace their “blonde fragility” to declare themselves “Kenough” and able to “feel the Kenergy.”
Back in August, Atlantic Records released a behind-the-scenes music video of the song that gave a glimpse into what looked to be a very fun process of rehearsing and recording the movie power ballad.
Capitalizing on the success of “I’m Just Ken,” Gosling and the song’s writers, Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt, released a four-song EP in December that had three different versions of the song (Christmas, acoustic and disco) and a rerelease of the original.
Gosling, who also received an Oscar nomination for best supporting actor, championed his co-star, Margot Robbie, and director, Greta Gerwig, when they did not receive nominations for the best actress or best director categories, respectively. (As a producer of “Barbie,” Robbie did receive a nomination for best picture and Gerwig got one for best adapted screenplay.)
Besides its Oscar nomination, “I’m Just Ken” also won best song at the Critics’ Choice Awards in January. It also received a nomination for best song written for visual media at the 2024 Grammys and a nod for best original song at this year’s Golden Globes.
We’re not sure how they will stage the showstopper for an Oscars audience — but here’s hoping there will be flying beach balls and that mink coat. You can watch the 96th Academy Awards on March 10 at 7 p.m. ET on ABC.
This story originally appeared on Simplemost.
'No Ken without Barbie': Ryan Gosling reacts to Oscar snubs
The actor who played Ken has spoken out after Margot Robbie, who played Barbie, and Greta Gerwig, the film's director, were not nominated.
