My Top Five Songs on “Barbie the Album”
Written by Jamie Thornton on August 9, 2023
After seeing the Barbie movie in theaters, I realized the soundtrack is a pop girl’s dream summer playlist. Here are my top five songs on Barbie the Album:
1. “Speed Drive” by Charli XCX
I went into this movie expecting Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice’s remix of “Barbie Girl” to be my favorite song on the soundtrack, but “Speed Drive” is the perfect hyper-pop summer song. Charlie XCX combines an infectious beat with with the famous pop song “Mickey”. This entire soundtrack has a surprising number of bangers, which is why “Barbie World (With Aqua)” is actually so far down on this list. “Speed Drive” is a song that will be scream-sung in cars far past the Barbie hype.
“Barbie you’re so fine, you’re so fine you blow my mind.
Jump into the driver’s seat and put it into speed drive.”
“Speed Drive” by Charlie XCX
2. “What Was I Made For?” by Billie Eilish
This song encapsulates the message of the movie so well. Billie Eilish is known for her alternative style, so any time she sings a ballad is a treat. Eilish’s voice is so melodic and beautiful as she goes into her upper register. This song really demonstrates her growth and range as an artist.
The lyrics in this song are so soul-crushing, yet relatable to anyone who is trying to find their purpose in life. As college students, many of us have undoubtedly felt the feeling of not knowing what our future holds.
“I’m sad again, don’t tell my boyfriend.
It’s not what he’s made for.”
“What Was I Made For?” by Billie Eilish
3. “Choose Your Fighter” by Ava Max
Not being a huge Ava Max fan, it surprised me how often I found myself jamming to this song. Being a pop girl through and through though, I loved this song. The message is basically to be whatever you want to be, which is Barbie’s slogan. Max’s voice is so interesting as she has a bit of a grunge sound, bringing some vocal variation to the soundtrack. Generally, the soundtrack has a good mix of artists from all different genres and blends them together perfectly.
The chorus is so well written, telling the listener that they have the “wings of a butterfly” and the “eyes of a tiger.” This song is such an incredible self-positivity anthem.
“Life is like a runway and you’re the designer. Wings of a butterfly,
eyes of a tiger. Whatever you want baby, choose your fighter.”
“Choose Your Fighter” by Ava Max
4. “Barbie World (With Aqua)” by Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice
This song being so low on this list is by no means knocking it because I am first and foremost a barb. However, the other songs on this album are tough competition. The verses in this song are so fun and flow so well with the original version by Aqua. This remix was everything I could’ve wanted from the mashup of the iconic song and Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice. I only wish this song were a bit longer, as it’s just shy of two minutes long.
5. “Hey Blondie” by Dominic Fike
Having never really listened to Dominic Fike before, this song definitely made me want to listen to more of his music. His voice has such a melodic singer-songwriter feel that, again, brings more vocal and genre diversity to this soundtrack. This song is describing Ken’s feelings in the movie, but it can definitely stand on its own from the album as a great song as well.
Honorable Mentions:
It was very difficult to narrow this list to my top five, so here are a couple of other songs that really stood out as well. “Dance the Night” by Dua Lipa is, as always, an iconic dance hit from her. “I’m Just Ken” by Ryan Gosling is such a great song and adds a humorous touch to the movie. This soundtrack is one of the features a good mix of genres and artistic styles, and it is clear that it was done intentionally. Be sure to watch the Barbie movie before it leaves theaters.
