Published by Cel Manero from Global One Media, Inc.
The singer discussed the creation of the ‘Barbie’ soundtrack hit during a songwriter roundtable with ‘The Hollywood Reporter.’
Dua Lipa eagerly embraced the opportunity to contribute to Greta Gerwig’s film “Barbie,” expressing her enthusiasm in The Hollywood Reporter’s Songwriter Roundtable. The 28-year-old pop star shared insights into the creation of “Dance the Night,” her Grammy-nominated track featured on the blockbuster’s soundtrack. Despite being on tour when producer Mark Ronson reached out on Instagram, Lipa was excited about the collaboration.
Lipa recounted the initial contact, stating, “Basically, the way it came to be was Mark Ronson DM’d me on Instagram, which is weird because we’re friends, so we text. He was like, ‘I’m working on this film with Greta Gerwig and it’s Barbie, and it’s possibly the funniest script I’ve read, and I really want you to write the song for the big dance scene in the film.’”
She added, “I was like, ‘This is an absolute no-brainer. One thousand percent yes,’” emphasizing her wholehearted commitment to the project.
While on tour, the Grammy-winning artist shared that despite her busy schedule, she made a point to travel to New York City after being contacted by the 48-year-old record producer. In the city, she collaborated in the studio and had discussions with the 40-year-old writer/director, Greta Gerwig, to align on their creative vision.
Lipa elaborated on the inspiration behind “Dance the Night,” noting Gerwig’s enthusiasm for disco. “Greta was saying how inspired by disco she was,” Lipa explained. “I just thought about disco and the community it brings, and the way it brings people together. It was always a genre of music that was such a release when things weren’t going well in the world.”
She continued, “And so ‘Dance the Night’ was created specifically for Barbie’s best day ever, which then results in her thinking about death. So it’s really about those dualities of life and being able to merge the two together.”
Lipa expressed her satisfaction with the creative outcome, stating, “And that’s what I love the most. I love dance-crying.” This sentiment reflects her appreciation for the emotional depth and artistic fulfillment that the project provided.
“Dance the Night” not only took center stage during a crucial dance sequence in the Margot Robbie-starring blockbuster but also emerged as a standalone hit. The lead single from the soundtrack achieved considerable success, reaching its peak at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100. Impressively, it maintained its presence on the chart for a total of 24 weeks.
Since its release, “Dance the Night” has earned multiple accolades, marking Dua Lipa’s first-ever original contribution to a movie soundtrack. The disco-pop hit recently received two Grammy nominations, competing in the categories of Song of the Year and Best Song Written for Visual Media. Notably, Lipa faces competition in the latter category from three other songs on the Barbie soundtrack, including Billie Eilish’s “What Was I Made For?,” Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice’s “Barbie World,” and the Ryan Gosling-sung “I’m Just Ken.” Rihanna’s “Life Me Up” from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is also part of the competition.
Mark Ronson, the producer of the soundtrack, shared insights into the collaborative process with Lipa in an Instagram post. He posted a carousel of footage depicting their studio sessions and discussed how the track “Dance the Night” came together in the caption.
Mark Ronson expressed his admiration for Dua Lipa’s songwriting prowess, recounting the moment he got goosebumps while watching her match lyrics with choreography in a clip from the film they received. He praised Lipa’s commitment to perfection, stating, “That’s why I f—ing love Dua so much: we had a whole song and she was down to spend a hundred extra hours tweaking a word and a line here or there to make not just the song but the WHOLE SCENE better.”
Following the success of “Dance the Night,” Dua Lipa has embarked on her next musical chapter with the release of “Houdini.” The star continues to make waves in the music industry, building on the momentum of her previous achievements.
