Photograph: Mike Blake/ Reuters
Singer Billie Eilish moved everyone to tears when she performed the Barbie soundtrack, What Was I Made For?, at the Oscars 2024.
Eilish sang the emotional lyrics as her brother Finneas played the piano with an orchestra in the background.
What Was I Made For?, written by Eilish and Finneas, also plays in the Greta Gerwig-directed movie, during the scene when Margot Robbie’s Barbie meets her creator Ruth Handler. The song won the Oscar award for Best Original Song.
Following the emotional rendition, the music duo got a standing ovation from the crowd.
The performance moved people to tears, including Barbie cast members America Ferrera and Kate McKinnon, Barbie Director Greta Gerwig, as well as Wicked star Ariana Grande and other celebrities in the audience.
Photograph: Mike Blake/ Reuters
When the music duo was initially approached to contribute to the Barbie soundtrack, Billie previously recalled that she ‘was in a dark episode and things didn’t make sense in life. I just didn’t understand what the point was and why you would keep going. [I was] questioning everything in the world,’ The Hollywood Reporter quoted.
But after she watched some footage from the film that Gerwig had compiled, that’s when her perspective changed.
She said at the Palm Springs Film Awards in January, ‘Basically I was just watching Barbie say and feel things that I really, really, really resonated with and felt so close to. I felt so seen, and I did not expect that.’
Barbie received nods for Best Picture, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress, Adapted Screenplay, Costume Design and Production Design.
Ryan Gosling and Mark Ronson’s hit I’m Just Ken was also nominated for Best Original Song.
What Was I Made For? won Song of the Year at the Grammys, and Barbie won Best Compilation Soundtrack for visual media and Best Song written for visual media, as per Variety.
