During an appearance on “Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen” on Thursday, renowned producer and songwriter Mark Ronson shared some behind-the-scenes details about the creation of the “Barbie” movie soundtrack. He disclosed which artist he contacted first and discussed the soundtrack’s impact on Billie Eilish’s creative process.
The “Barbie” soundtrack boasts a star-studded lineup of artists and features a score crafted by Ronson and his frequent collaborator, Andrew Wyatt. Together, they have worked with industry heavyweights like Bruno Mars, Miley Cyrus, Lady Gaga, and Dua Lipa.
Interestingly, it was Dua Lipa who received Ronson’s first call when he was tapped by director, writer, and producer Greta Gerwig to produce the soundtrack.
“The first song that we wrote was ‘Dance the Night,’ because the first thing that Greta had told me about was a big dance number that they were doing,” Ronson explained. “So I instantly thought of Dua because she’s fantastic, and we’ve worked together before.”
Ronson also shed light on the creation of the reimagined version of the iconic “Barbie Girl” song, titled “Barbie World,” which features Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice. Given Minaj’s dedicated fanbase known as the Barbies or Barbz, Ronson emphasized that she played a crucial role in keeping the Barbie brand relevant.
“We knew she had to be on it, and Ice Spice was just blowing up as well,” Ronson noted. “And we managed to get them. I mean, the fact that we have them over this ‘Barbie Girl’ thing is… it’s just insane.”
Host Andy Cohen inquired about Ronson’s thoughts on Billie Eilish’s involvement in the soundtrack and how it influenced her creatively. Eilish contributed the song “What Was I Made For?,” produced by her brother, Finneas O’Connell.
“Greta and I played different versions of the movie for all the different artists. Billie and Finneas saw about 20 minutes of the film and seemed to be really inspired,” Ronson shared. “A week later, Billie sent us one of the most gorgeous ballads we had ever heard. So I think the movie really inspired her emotionally and creatively.”
Finally, Cohen asked Ronson about a notable negative review of “Barbie” from Bill Maher, who described the film as “preachy” and “man-hating.”
“I just thought, ‘chill out, it’s a movie,'” Ronson responded.
