It’s a ‘Barbie’ World: How Songs From the Soundtrack Are Faring in U.S. vs. Worldwide
Written by djfrosty on August 18, 2023
Yet again, Barbie The Album lands three songs in the top 10 of the Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts (dated Aug. 19).
Barbie‘s (and Ken’s) global journey began on the June 10-dated lists, when Dua Lipa’s “Dance the Night” arrived at No. 24 on the Global 200 and No. 26 on Global Excl. U.S. In between its debut and the film’s July 21 opening, the song drifted into the 40s and 50s before hitting the top 10 on the Aug. 5-dated rankings, blasting 46-27-8 and 45-24-5, respectively.
Nicki Minaj, Ice Spice and Aqua entered the fray on the July 8-dated tallies, when “Barbie World” debuted on the Global 200 at No. 12, fell to No. 61, and shot back to No. 6 in two weeks’ time.
Released just one week before the film, Billie Eilish’s “What Was I Made For?” was spared the roller-coaster chart run, arriving at No. 18 and flying into the top 10 the following frame.
Barbie and its billion-dollar hype led all three songs into the top 10, but the album’s momentum continues as box office receipts recede. Eilish leads the pack, rising to No. 2 on the Global 200. Lipa follows — up to 3 — while Minaj and Ice Spice, with the most immediate tie-in to the film, given their flip of Aqua’s iconic ‘90s chorus, scored the best debut of all Barbie tracks and has stayed relatively steady since the movie’s premier, returning to their No. 6 high.
Even a song as inextricable from the film’s plot as Ryan Gosling’s “I’m Just Ken” continues to make progress. The Mouseketeer-turned Oscar-nominated actor-turned global chart phenom rises 79-70 on the Global 200 and 97-87 on Global Excl. U.S.
Further, Charli XCX inches to a new high of No. 58 on the Global 200 with “Speed Drive.” On Wednesday (Aug. 16), she premiered the song’s official music video, which could give it enough juice to become her highest charting global hit yet (dating back to the charts’ 2020 start).
Through Aug. 16, Barbie is the second highest grossing film of 2023 worldwide, at $1.2 billion. Of that global sum, 45% ($541.9 million) comes from the U.S. and 55% ($660.6 million) comes from foreign territories.
Meanwhile, all five of the soundtrack’s charting hits have a larger international share of streams. They range from “Barbie World” at 63% to “Dance the Night” with 74% non-U.S. clicks. That comes in just shy of the average among all globally charting hits, at 76%.