Billie Eilish’s ‘What Was I Made For?’ Music Video Is Inspired by Barbie and Her Past

John Nguyen

Many fans and moviegoers are excited about the theatrical release of Barbie starring Margot Robbie as the titular character and Ryan Gosling as Ken. The soundtrack features huge icons in the music industry including Karol G, Dua Lipa, Charli XCX, Nicki Minaj, and even Aqua. Today, pop singer Billie Eilish released her music video for “What Was I Made For?” from the Barbie soundtrack.

The music video is sad, especially with lyrics including:

Think I forgot how to be happy
Somethin’ I’m not, but somethin’ I can be
Somethin’ I wait for

The one-shot music video has Billie Eilish sitting and displaying little Barbie-like outfits on a clothing rack. What’s very interesting is that the little clothes are the outfits she’s worn in real life throughout the years, representing the different stages of her life.

About Barbie

Logline: To live in Barbie Land is to be a perfect being in a perfect place. Unless you have a full-on existential crisis. Or you’re a Ken.

The movie is directed by Greta Gerwig (Little Women, Lady Bird) from a script by Gerwig & Noah Baumbach (Marriage Story), based on Barbie by Mattel.

The movie stars Margot Robbie (The Suicide Squad, Birds of Prey) and Ryan Gosling (Blade Runner 2049) as Barbie and Ken, alongside America Ferrera (How to Train Your Dragon), Kate McKinnon (Yesterday), Issa Rae (Insecure), Rhea Perlman (Matilda), and Will Ferrell (Anchorman, Talladega Nights). The film also stars Michael Cera (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World), Ariana Greenblatt (Avengers: Infinity War), Ana Cruz Kayne (Little Women), Emma Mackey (Emily, Sex Education), Hari Nef (Assassination Nation, Transparent), Alexandra Shipp (X-Men: Apocalypse), Kingsley Ben-Adir (Secret Invasion), Simu Liu (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings), Ncuti Gatwa (Sex Education), Scott Evans (Grace and Frankie), Jamie Demetriou (Cruella), Connor Swindells (Sex Education, Emma), Sharon Rooney (Dumbo), Nicola Coughlan (Bridgerton), Ritu Arya (The Umbrella Academy), Dua Lipa and Helen Mirren (Fast X, Shazam! Fury of the Gods).

Barbie will be released in theaters on July 21, 2023.