For those who can’t get enough of Ryan Gosling’s “I’m Just Ken” song from the Barbie movie, the actor released three new versions on Dec. 20, including one Christmas-themed one just in time for the holidays. The three new versions include “Merry Kristmas Barbie” (the holiday version), “In My Feelings Acoustic” (an acoustic version), and “Purple Disco Machine Cover” (dance version).Â
The “Merry Kristmas Barbie” version comes just in time for the holidays and features Gosling’s vocals over a cheery Christmas-themed beat, making it a bit more upbeat than the original, but not too much. Gosling’s voice also echoes along with the beat production and some newly added background vocals. Ryan Gosling and Mark Ronson, the producers of the Barbie soundtrack, shared a video teaser of the holiday version on Monday, Dec. 18, as both are seen in the studio with Christmas decorations, including a sparkly lit tree. In the teaser, Gosling is seen fiddling with the soundboard, insinuating that he is working on something — and that “something” is the Christmas version of “I’m Just Ken.”
Just when you thought the song couldn’t get any better, the “In My Feelings Acoustic” version was released and is even more emotional than the original. This version is represented with soft guitar strings and an upbeat tempo that starts quietly and slowly but gets louder as the song progresses. Lastly, the “Purple Disco Machine Cover” version is precisely how you may picture it; the upbeat style is more suited for parties, making it the most fun track out of the three new versions. The “Purple Disco Machine Cover” version is also low on words so that fans can enjoy the song’s disco production more.Â
The original track, “I’m Just Ken,” was officially released on July 21 when the Barbie movie premiered in theaters. Surprisingly, the song took off, becoming one of the album’s many hit songs, earning Gosling his first Billboard Hot 100 entry at No. 87. The song debuted in its first week with 5.2 million streams and over 2,000 downloads. The song became commercially famous on social media platforms, including TikTok and Twitter, and even garnered its own merchandise that read “I am Kenough” on a spiral tie-dye designed sweatshirt. On the EP that was just released, the original track is placed as the last song, which is a great way to end it. The original version takes us back to when we heard this song for the first time, and the new versions make us love the original track all over again.Â