Kenergy levels were through the roof at this year’s Oscars ceremony, thanks to Ryan Gosling’s electrifying performance of Barbie ballad I’m Just Ken.
Clad in an all pink suit alongside an ensemble of fellow Kens Simu Liu, Ncuti Gatwa and Kingsley Ben-Adir, complete with appearances from Mark Ronson, Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash and Wolfgang Van Halen, the performance was an undisputed highlight of the 96th Academy Awards.
Anticipation for a Hollywood-sized production of the Best Original Song nominee was high, and it certainly delivered thanks to the help of choreographer Mandy Moore.
As it turns out, she also worked on Ryan’s other Oscar-nominated film La La Land along with the biggest pop concert of the last year: Taylor Swift’s Eras tour.
The So You Think You Can Dance choreographer and Dancing with the Stars guest judge previously praised Taylor’s incredible work ethic on the Eras tour, which journeys through all of the musical chapters of the Midnights singer’s career.
“Well, first of all, you’re like, are you, what? Taylor Swift wants me?’ she recalled of her initial involvement in the show with Entertainment Tonight.
“I was like, wow, you know, that was a huge honour first and foremost,” she added. “I appreciate Taylor for so many reasons.”
She went on to describe the Karma star as a “hard worker” who “cares so much about what she’s doing”, and that she “wants the fans to have the best show possible, and she stops at nothing to get that done”.
She continued: “And I appreciate it because I like to work hard too, and we are really alike. We had a really good working relationship; it was awesome.”
As for the show-stopping Oscars performance, the goal was to make attendees feel like they were at a rock concert with “hundreds of Kens”, but they settled on 62, as revealed to The Hollywood Reporter.
With only a week to rehearse and one full run-through, they pulled out all the stops for the tight turnaround.
The production also paid homage to the iconic ‘Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend’ from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes starring Marilyn Monroe.
Every small detail was pre-planned, from the involvement of Barbie ladies Greta Gerwig, Margot Robbie and America Ferrera, to Emma Stone’s cameo and bringing the cameraman up on stage.
Ultimately, Billie Eilish and her brother Finneas won Best Original Song for their contribution to the Barbie soundtrack with What Was I Made For?