Pink

Album: Barbie: The Album (2023)
Charted: 27
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • "Pink" is the opening song from Barbie: The Album, the soundtrack to the 2023 movie Barbie. Lizzo's track plunges us into Barbie's idealistic, pink-hued universe, where everything seems perfect.
  • Lizzo wrote the song specifically for Barbie's vibrant world and her favorite color. "It's pink, good enough to drink," she sings. "We like other colors, but pink just looks so good on us." Lizzo also bigs-ups Barbie like she's her ride-or-die pal, rocking together through thick and thin.

    "What you wearin'? Dress or suit? Either way, that power looks so good on you," Lizzo hypes her up, making Barbie feel like a boss babe. "Hey Barbie, I like your style. If that was really a mirror, you'd see a perfect smile."

    On the outro, Lizzo even shouts out Barbie's bestie, Midge.

    Hey, Midge
    Nevermind
  • The cool vibes are completely at odds with the song's nerve-wracking genesis. "We had two days, and we got nothing on the first one," Mark Ronson, the executive producer of Barbie: The Album, said to the BBC. "I was like, 'Maybe it's not gonna happen.'"

    "Then she started freestyling and narrating, in a very tongue-in-cheek way, whatever was happening on the screen, no matter how ridiculous, like, 'Two Barbies, all dolled up and playing chess by the pool,'" he said. "We just started laughing but then we realized: This is musically good, and this is fun, so we ran with it."
  • Ricky Reed, Andrew Wyatt and Mark Ronson produced "Pink." Wyatt was Ronson's musical partner on the soundtrack and Reed is Lizzo's go-to producer.
  • Questlove of The Roots' fame plays drums on the track.
  • When Ronson played the song to Barbie director Greta Gerwig, she flipped and immediately rang the film's star Margot Robbie to play it to her over the phone.
  • P, pretty
    I, intelligent
    N, never sad
    K, cool


    Lizzo's track opens the film, establishing the utopian pink-hued Barbieland that Barbie inhabits. As the song plays, Lizzo's cheer-style call-and-response acronym for the color foreshadows an impending crack in the frozen plastic perfection.

    When the second day unfolds in Barbieland, the song returns, but this time with new lyrics that mirror the unraveling of Barbie's once-perfect life. "Pink (Bad Day)" echoes as Barbie grapples with the shocking realization that her once seamless routine is now disrupted. Her feet have lost their arch and she comes face to face with cellulite, shattering the illusion of flawlessness she once held dear.

    P, panic
    I, I'm scared
    N, nauseous
    K, death

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Robert DeLeo of Stone Temple Pilots

Robert DeLeo of Stone Temple PilotsSongwriter Interviews

Stone Temple Pilots bass player Robert DeLeo names the songs that have most connected with fans and tells the stories behind tracks from their Tiny Music album.

Trucking Songs That Were #1 Hits

Trucking Songs That Were #1 HitsSong Writing

The stories behind the biggest hit songs about trucking.

Producer Ron Nevison

Producer Ron NevisonSong Writing

Ron Nevison explains in very clear terms the Quadrophenia concept and how Heart staged their resurgence after being dropped by their record company.

Dexys (Kevin Rowland and Jim Paterson)

Dexys (Kevin Rowland and Jim Paterson)Songwriter Interviews

"Come On Eileen" was a colossal '80s hit, but the band - far more appreciated in their native UK than stateside - released just three albums before their split. Now, Dexys is back.

Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull

Ian Anderson of Jethro TullSongwriter Interviews

The flautist frontman talks about touring with Led Zeppelin, his contribution to "Hotel California", and how he may have done the first MTV Unplugged.

Hawksley Workman

Hawksley WorkmanSongwriter Interviews

One of Canada's most popular and eclectic performers, Hawksley tells stories about his oldest songs, his plentiful side projects, and the ways that he keeps his songwriting fresh.