Piano Sheet Music: Music from Barbie

Fresh piano solo arrangements by Jennifer Eklund of "What Was I Made For?," "I'm Just Ken," "Dance the Night," and an honorable mention to Aqua's "Barbie Girl."

Piano Sheet Music: Music from Barbie

About “What Was I Made For?”

“What Was I Made For?” is a song by Billie Eilish, featured in the soundtrack of the film Barbie. Released on July 13, 2023, as the fourth single from the soundtrack, the song was highly anticipated, and Eilish’s social media teasers and trailer appearances created excitement among her fans. Mark Ronson, the music producer of the Barbie soundtrack, had hinted at surprise guests, and Eilish’s involvement was speculated after she posted a picture of a Barbie neon sign on her Instagram on June 27, 2023.

The music video for “What Was I Made For?” was released on July 13, 2023, alongside the single. Directed by Billie Eilish herself, the video features Eilish as a young woman dressed in a Barbie-inspired outfit. Throughout the video, she interacts with doll-sized replicas of her most famous looks, symbolizing her previous image. As the woman faces natural disasters like earthquakes, rain, and wind, the clothes are repeatedly knocked down until she decides to leave the room, suggesting a transition and departure from her signature baggy style. Matthew Velasco’s analysis in W magazine sees this music video as a statement from Eilish, marking the start of a new era in her artistic journey.


“What Was I Made For?” Intermediate Piano Solo

Key features of the intermediate version:

  • Appropriate for intermediates & up
  • Full-length version
  • Lyrics included
  • 5 total pages

“What Was I Made For?” Easy Piano Solo

Key features of the easy version:

  • Appropriate for late beginners & early intermediates
  • Full-length version
  • Lyrics included
  • 5 total pages

About “I’m Just Ken”

“I’m Just Ken” is a sentimental ’80s power ballad written and produced by Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt for Barbie: The Album, the soundtrack of the 2023 film Barbie. The song reflects on Ken’s character, portraying him as a good-looking but overlooked individual. It was one of the first songs created for the film’s soundtrack, with Ronson finding inspiration in the Barbie script and feeling empathetic towards Ken’s role. Initially, the song was not intended to be included in the film, but director Greta Gerwig loved it and shared it with Ryan Gosling, who plays Ken. Gosling was deeply moved by the song and requested to perform it in the movie, leading to a rewrite of a scene to accommodate the addition.

Andrew Wyatt completed the song’s lyrics, and Ronson traveled to London to record the vocals with Gosling. Gosling’s performance elevated the song, bringing depth to the lines. The recording process was tight, with Gosling having only three hours to record his vocals. Additionally, prominent musicians like Slash from Guns N’ Roses, Wolfgang Van Halen, and Josh Freese of Foo Fighters contributed their talents to the track. “I’m Just Ken” is a significant addition to the Barbie film’s soundtrack and captures the emotional essence of the character’s struggles.


“I’m Just Ken” Easy Piano Solo

Key features of I’m Just Ken for easy piano:

  • This is the short version they used in the movie promos
  • Run time: 1:30
  • Lyrics included
  • 4 total pages

“I’m Just Ken” Intermediate Piano Solo

Key features of I’m Just Ken for intermediate piano:

  • This is the short version they used in the movie promos
  • Run time: 1:30
  • Lyrics included
  • 4 total pages

About “Dance the Night”

“Dance the Night” is a disco song performed by Dua Lipa for the soundtrack of the film Barbie (2023). Co-written by Lipa and Caroline Ailin, with production by Andrew Wyatt, Mark Ronson, and the Picard Brothers, the track features cello, violin, viola, strings, and bass in its instrumentation. The song’s theme revolves around dancing through sadness all night long. Accompanied by a music video featuring a cameo appearance by the film’s director, Greta Gerwig, the song achieved commercial success, reaching number four on the UK Singles Chart, becoming Dua Lipa’s 13th top-ten single in the country. The song’s creation was inspired by director Greta Gerwig’s request for a disco song to serve as the basis for a highly-choreographed dance number in the film.

I have arrangements available for easy, intermediate, and advanced level pianists. The easy and intermediate versions are slightly abridged but all versions are around 3:00 in run time played at full tempo.


Honorable mention: Aqua’s “Barbie Girl”

I’ll be honest, I was disappointed that the most quintessential Barbie song ever made was only given a passing glance as part of the soundtrack for the new film. Maybe it’s just because I miss the 90s, but I think this was definitely a missed opportunity. But, I didn’t miss the opportunity to arrange what might be the most annoyingly clever and endearing Euro-dance tune of 1997.

About “Barbie Girl”

Aqua released “Barbie Girl” in April 1997 as the third single from their debut album “Aquarium.” The song, inspired by an exhibit on kitsch culture featuring Barbie dolls, achieved global success, reaching number one in multiple European countries, including the UK, and number seven on the US Billboard Hot 100.

In 1997, Mattel sued Aqua’s record label, claiming their song “Barbie Girl” violated their trademark and portrayed Barbie negatively. The lawsuit was eventually dismissed as the court ruled the song was a protected parody under the First Amendment. In 2009, Mattel released a modified version of the song in a new marketing strategy, but the original “Barbie Girl” was not used in the 2023 Barbie film although it is given a muted reference in one of the tracks.


“Barbie Girl” Piano Sheet Music

I have three versions available for easy, intermediate, and advanced level players.


Want more great tunes from the 90s? We’ve got you covered!


Jennifer Eklund
Written by Jennifer Eklund
Jennifer Eklund holds a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in music from California State University, Long Beach. She is an avid arranger, composer, and author of the Piano Pronto® method books series as well as a wide variety of supplemental songbooks. She is also a Signature Artist with Musicnotes.com with a large catalog of popular music titles for musicians of all levels.

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