This Barbie is ready to party. Dua Lipa released “Dance the Night,” a new original song and lead single for the Barbie movie, and it’s a sparkling disco track that lives up to its title. If you’re a fan of her album Future Nostalgia (who wasn’t?), this will be right up your alley. You’ve probably already heard snippets of the song already from the trailers.
Lipa, who enchanted us with her dance-worthy 2020 album, is a perfect musical match for Barbie. The singer told Dazed that director Greta Gerwig said “that the whole film was inspired by disco. There’s a lot of very glittery and pop moments in it.” Just like Lipa’s signature sound.
In addition to providing music for the summer blockbuster, Lipa also appears in the film as Mermaid Barbie. She admits that Gerwig’s involvement is what drew her to the project. The director’s “films never really feel like the male gaze. They have very interesting female protagonists,” Lipa told Dazed.
And while the exact plot of Barbie remains secret—even its star, Margot Robbie, is only sharing minor details—Lipa briefly weighed in on what to expect from the film.
“Barbie, the doll, has this idea of what perfection should be,” she told the magazine. “The film–and there’s a lot of diversity in the cast–is touching exactly on the buttons that maybe it presses, and shows a different story.”
Many more tunes for Barbie are also on the way. Barbie the Album is dropping in July 21, the same day as the film, featuring original songs from artists like Nicki Minaj, Ava Max, Charli Xcx, Dominic Fike, Dua Lipa, Fifty Fifty, Gayle, Haim, Ice Spice, Kali, Karol G, Khalid, Lizzo, Pinkpantheress, Ryan Gosling, Tame Impala, and The Kid Laroi. And yes, that seems to mean Ryan Gosling is releasing his own Barbie song, too.
Before we can dive into the album, take a listen to “Dance the Night” and read the full lyrics below:
Baby you can
Find me under the lights
Diamonds under my eyes
Turn the rhythm up
Don’t you wanna just
Come along for the rideOh my outfit so tight
You can see my heart beat tonight
I can take the heat
Baby best believe
That’s the moment I shineCuz every romance
Shakes and it bends
Don’t give a damnWhen the nights here
I don’t do tears
Baby no chanceI could dance, I could dance, I could dance
Watch me, dance
Dance the night away
My heart could be burning but you won’t see it on my face
Watch me, dance
Dance the night away
I’ll still keep the party running not one hair out of placeLately I’ve been
Moving close to the edge
Still be looking my best
I stay on the beat
You can count on me
I ain’t missing no stepsCuz every romance
Shakes and it bends
Don’t give a damnWhen the nights here
I don’t do tears
Baby no chanceI could dance, I could dance, I could dance
Watch me, dance
Dance the night away
My heart could be burning but you won’t see it on my face
Watch me, dance
Dance the night away
I’ll still keep the party running not one hair out of placeWhen my heart breaks
You’ll never see it, never see it
When my world shakes
I feel alive, I feel alive
I don’t play safe
Don’t you know about meI could dance, I could dance, I could dance
Even when the tears are flowing
They’re diamonds on my face
I’ll still keep the party going not one hair out of place
Even when the tears are flowing
They’re diamonds on my face
I’ll still keep the party going not one hair out of placeWatch me, dance
Dance the night away
My heart could be burning but you won’t see it on my face
Watch me, dance
Dance the night away
I’ll still keep the party running not one hair out of placeWhen my heart breaks
You’ll never see it, never see it
When my world shakes
I feel alive, I feel alive
I don’t play safe
Don’t you know about meI could dance, I could dance, I could dance
Dance the night
Erica Gonzales is the Senior Culture Editor at ELLE.com, where she oversees coverage on TV, movies, music, books, and more. She was previously an editor at HarpersBAZAAR.com. There is a 75 percent chance she’s listening to Lorde right now.
