Fifty Fifty Adopts Pink and Plastic With Single “Barbie Dreams”
Written by Diana Solis
Graphic by Rebekah Witt
It’s a Barbie world, seriously.
Suppose there hasn’t been enough social craze from the imminent summer blockbuster Barbie (2023), directed by Greta Gerwig. In that case, this soundtrack is just the icing on top of the perfectly curated Barbie world that has been created. With an absolute star-studded soundtrack featuring releases from PinkPantheress, Charli XCX, Karol G, Dua Lipa, and more, Fifty Fifty and Kaliii take on this fabulous and fun world with their single “Barbie Dreams.”
“Barbie Dreams” is precisely what was needed in this soundtrack. Opening with a joint chorus, Fifty Fifty and Kaliii bring in an upbeat fairytale sound with complimentary lyrics such as “When I close my eyes, it’s a fantasy” and “I can have it all (Yeah), live my Barbie dreams.” When I think of Barbie, I guess everything is pink. Everything is perfect. Everything is just like you would imagine in a fairytale. The trailers for the film and promotional materials haven’t indicated anything less. The chorus even dips a little into the revealed plot of the film, Barbie facing an existential crisis as she learns the wonders of the human world, with “Then when I wake up, it’s reality.” For me, it isn’t a Greta Gerwig film if the lead isn’t in some sort of distress.
It continues with a similar resemblance in the post-chorus with some “La-di-da-da” and “La-di-da-da-dee,” as the first verse by Sio brings full force into this fabulous world. With clear vocals, the verse uses a deeper tone as Sio continues this Barbie pink dreamhouse imagery, with “I’m feeling hot tonight/That pretty state of mind.” Contrasting to that, Aran’s pre-chorus with a higher pitch reasserts what it is like to be a Barbie. Gorgeous, fabulous, and painted in pink. If there was a music video for this song, there would likely be a pink convertible driving down Malibu as these lyrics blast. Unfortunately, the music video was canceled due to personal circumstances. However, with a dream being painted here with these lines, I feel easily immersed in this Barbie world.
The song continues with the animated beats and lyrics with the chorus. The show-stealer however? Kaliii’s verse, for sure. Kaliii brings in a hot verse, “Ken gon’ spend ‘cause I’m a ten/Pink Corvette, let’s paint the rims.” Kaliii is one of a kind. After the release of her EP Toxic Chocolate, Kaliii has found herself in this newfound world of hip-hop, incorporating her own twists with her spicy and well-done raps. This verse is nothing less than I would expect from a star like Kaliii, with lavish and rich lyrics. Just like how a Barbie should be treated! She easily adapts to the beat, without it feeling out of place to Fifty Fifty’s higher-pitched vocals. It all feels natural, as Kaliii and Aran even join together for the pre-chorus, a blended mixture of Aran’s higher vocals and Kalii’s backing.
I will say, this song does not slow down at all. Even with the outro, it still holds a similar cheery tone. In the last 5 seconds, you can still hear Fifty Fifty high and clear. It is notable to mention that the hook and melody were sampled from Janet Jackson’s “Together Again.” Seeing K-Pop stars like Fifty Fifty take on this iconic dance-pop melody and tune into their own Barbie stream of consciousness is exciting! I know I’ll be sitting in my recliner chair, watching Barbie anticipating this bop. With so much being rapidly revealed about the sequences and montages happening in Barbie, I’m curious to see where this single will find itself in the film. Will it be during a fun dance montage? A drive through Barbie Land as Barbie, played by Margot Robbie, starts to realize she might have something wrong with her. That’s all kept under wraps, ahead of Barbie’s release on July 21st, 2023. Barbie The Album has arrived in stores and online retailers, alongside its theatrical release of the film.