Mark Ronson clears up confusion over "greatest living artist" on Barbie soundtrack

Barbie
(Image credit: Warner Bros.)

Mark Ronson has cleared up confusion over his recent comments on the Barbie soundtrack. Last week, the producer had movie lovers speculating as to the record's final mystery name, when he claimed that "one of the artists is obviously one of the f**king greatest living artists" in a new TIME interview.

Turns out, though, Ronson wasn't teasing the fantasy comedy's secret singer, he was hyping up Billie Eilish, who had not long confirmed she had a track in the film.

"Hi. I lve all these artists being thrown around," he tweeted, presumably after seeing people loudly claiming that he must have meant Britney Spears, Kylie Minogue, or any other pop icon. "But was specifically referring to Billie."

Alongside Eilish, Barbie: The Album also features Ava Max, Charli XCX, Dominic Fike, Fifty Fifty, Gayle, HAIM, Kali, Karol G, Khalid, Lizzo, PinkPantheress, Tame Impala, The Kid Laroi, Nicki Minaj, Ice Spice, Slash, and Ryan Gosling, who offers up an '80s-style power ballad about being 'just Ken.'

"I went into the studio one day, and I got the idea for the line, 'I'm just Ken, anywhere else I'd be a 10,' and I thought: 'That's his whole life,'" Ronson said of Gosling's solo. "I hadn't also figured that, of course, he would sell this song better than anyone because he is Ken."

Directed by Greta Gerwig, Barbie sees Barbie booted out of Barbie Land for not fitting the mold of what a typical Barbie should be. In the real world, the plastic gal sets out to discover what true happiness is – and finds her independence along the way. Emma Mackey, Ncuti Gatwa, America Ferrera, Issa Rae, Simu Liu, Kate McKinnon, Michael Cera, and Will Ferrell round out the supporting cast.

It releases in US and UK cinemas on July 21. While we wait, check out our list of the most exciting upcoming movies heading our way in 2023 and beyond.

Amy West

I am an Entertainment Writer here at 12DOVE, covering all things TV and film across our Total Film and SFX sections. Elsewhere, my words have been published by the likes of Digital Spy, SciFiNow, PinkNews, FANDOM, Radio Times, and Total Film magazine.