Did Dua Lipa Write ‘Dance the Night’ for ‘Barbie’?

2023 was the year Barbie took over cinemas, but few would have predicted that she would take over music as well. Barbie: The Album featured several hit songs, including Dua Lipa’s “Dance the Night.”  Lipa revealed how that song came together. She also explained how “Dance the Night” encapsulates her personal philosophy.

Dua Lipa co-wrote ‘Dance the Night’ from ‘Barbie’ with major musicians

“Dance the Night” was written by Lipa and regular co-writer Caroline Ailin as well as Andrew Wyatt (Lady Gaga’s “Shallow”) and Mark Ronson of “Uptown Funk!” fame. During a 2023 interview with IndieWire, the “New Rules” singer revealed that she penned the song for Greta Gerwig’s Barbie. Lipa wanted the tune to match up with a dance sequence from the film.

“We went back and we redid the verses and the melody a little bit, and then I wanted to tailor the lyrics like a score, essentially, where there are certain aspects in the dance moves or the dance routine that I wanted to intertwine in into the lyric,” she said. That’s why the line “Come along for the ride” can be heard when Barbie gestures to the audience.

The singer explained the theme of ‘Dance the Night’

Lipa said Barbie’s gesture was part of a two-fold plan for the song. “It was little moments like that that made an even bigger difference, where it totally brought a lot of synergy between the song and the film, that when you see it, you can really feel how every part was specifically made for that movie and for that moment,” she said. “But then, at the same time, it can also stand alone as a song in its own right.” 

Lipa connected to one of the themes of the film. “Trying to stay strong in the face of whatever people say, whenever things feel like they’re going wrong and you just have to show face and pretend like everything’s OK — all of those things [speak to my experience],” said Lipa. She wanted “Dance the Night” to capture that feeling. Lipa is so compelling because she knows how to write dance songs that uplift people’s spirits, even if they’re nowhere near a dancefloor. She’s been keeping that tradition alive at a time when dance music isn’t as popular as it used to be.

Dua Lipa still hasn’t had a No. 1 hit in the United States

“Dance the Night” became one of Lipa’s biggest hits in the United States. It reached No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100, staying on the chart for 35 weeks. So far, Lipa has produced five top 10 singles: “Dance the Night,” the Elton John duet “Cold Heart,” “New Rules,” “Levitating,” and “Don’t Stop Now.” None of her singles have topped the Billboard Hot 100, however, “Levitating” and “Don’t Stop Now” both reached No. 2.

The Official Charts Company reports Lipa’s native United Kingdom has been kinder to her. There, “Dance th Night” was No. 1 for a week in the U.K., lasting on the chart for 42 weeks altogether. In the U.K., three of her other singles became chart-toppers: “New Rules,” “One Kiss,” and “Cold Heart.”

Lipa designed “Dance the Night” for Barbie and both were designed to bring a little joy into people’s lives.