Slash and Wolfgang Van Halen rock out at the Oscars with “I’m Just Ken”

Slash and Wolfgang Van Halen teamed up with Ryan Gosling for a rousing rendition of “I’m Just Ken” at the 96th Academy Awards.

The song, from the hit movie Barbie, was nominated for Best Original Song at the event. Producer Mark Ronson, who was also part of the ensemble’s performance on the night, wrote the song with Andrew Wyatt, while Slash and W.Van Halen each contributed a guitar to the track.

Bathed in purple lighting and wearing a sparkly pink suit and pink gloves, Gosling began to sing “I’m Just Ken” while sitting in the audience behind Margot Robbie, who couldn’t help but laugh. He then made his way to the stage, where he was joined by Mark Ronson on bass and a handful of backup dancers. Slash also appeared on stage to play guitar on the song.

Slash joins Ryan Gosling during his performance of "I'm Just Ken" at the 2024 #Oscars pic.twitter.com/fPAFwiCQuI

— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) March 11, 2024

Meanwhile, Wolfgang Van Halen played rhythm guitar and remained out of sight for much of the performance, only appearing on screen towards the end.

“I’m Just Ken” was a surprise standalone hit last year in the wake of Barbie’s sensational, cross-cultural success. Like much of the soundtrack, it was written and produced by Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt. Slash, Wolfgang Van Halen and Josh Freese of the Foo Fighters also appear on the record. An EP was released in December with acoustic versions of “Merry Kristmas Barbie” and “In My Feelings”.