Ryan Gosling is set to perform “I'm Just Ken” live at the 2024 Oscars on Sunday, March 10. Variety was the first to report the news.
It was uncertain whether Gosling would agree to perform the song, which is a comedic point Barbie. He and Emma Stone refused to perform “City of Stars”. La La Land on the Oscars telecast seven years ago — and “City of Stars,” a charming ballad with an easy tempo, is a much easier song to sing live than “I'm Just Ken,” a buoyant, comedic showcase.
When Gosling and Stone passed on their performance of “City of Stars,” Oscar producers enlisted John Legend, who also appeared in La La Land, to perform the song – and also a second nominated song from the film, “Audition (The Fools Who Dream).” “City of Stars” won the Academy Award for Best Original Song.
Gosling is nominated for Best Supporting Actor Barbie. Robert Downey Jr. widely expected to win in this category for his performance in Oppenheimerbut Gosling has a chance to bring the house down.
In a Variety cover theme in early February, Gosling said the Academy had not yet asked him to act. “It might be too much of a risk for me to do that,” he said. “I don't know how this is going to work. But I'm open to it.”
Mark Ronson, who wrote the song with Andrew Wyatt, said Variety at the Grammys that he wasn't interested in any other singer submitting Gosling for the Oscars. When asked if he would consider a sub, Ronson said, “No. I think if Ryan doesn't do it, then we won't.”
“I'm Just Ken” is one of the two Barbie songs nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song. The other is “Why did I make?” by Billie Eilish and Finneas. Barbie might well have received a third nomination in that category for “Dance the Night,” which Ronson and Wyatt co-wrote with Dua Lipa and Caroline Ailin, but Oscar rules limit films to two nominations in this category.
In a conversation about Billboard The Pop Shop podcast, Ronson agreed that the exclusion of “Dance the Night” made his nod to “I'm Just Ken” feel “bittersweet”.
“It's because Dua's song is still the biggest song from the soundtrack and Dua was really the first artist of her stature to commit to the film. It really set the bar for what the whole soundtrack could be,” he said. “So Dua definitely deserves all the credit for that, and it would be great to have her as well.”
The 96th Academy Awards will be broadcast live on ABC and broadcast worldwide on March 10 at the new, earlier time of 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.
Jimmy Kimmel hosts the show for the fourth time. It will be held at its usual home, the Dolby Theater at Ovation Hollywood.
While the Academy has not officially confirmed Gosling's booking, it has announced the first presenters for the Oscars telecast, including Zendaya and Jamie Lee Curtis.
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/music/awards/ryan-gosling-perform-im-just-ken-2024-oscars-1235615169/
