In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, actress Issa Rae opened up about the difficulties she faced while filming a dance sequence for the upcoming Barbie movie set to Dua Lipa’s song. The interview also touched on Rae’s predictions for the 2024 Grammy Awards and discussed her Max comedy series “Rap Sh!t” with co-stars KaMillion and Aida Osman.
Reflecting on the dance sequence, Rae candidly shared, “Dancing to it was my worst nightmare. It was the worst day of my life.” Despite labeling it as the worst day, she clarified that being on set was the best day of her life. However, the need to quickly learn choreography for the shoot the following day resulted in a challenging and unpleasant experience.
The track in question, “Dance the Night,” is featured in the early scenes of the Barbie movie, where Margot Robbie’s Barbie hosts a party. Rae’s character, President Barbie, participates in the dance alongside various Barbie and Ken characters. Rae revealed that the production filmed the intricate dance sequence before the song was fully completed, and they did not have the lyrics during filming. Director Greta Gerwig informed them that it would be a Dua Lipa song, and they had only the instrumental portions, leading Rae to question, “What the f— is this? What am I dancing to?”
The collaboration between Dua Lipa and Mark Ronson earned a Grammy nomination, competing with three other tracks from the Barbie movie. The nominations include Ryan Gosling’s “I’m Just Ken,” Ice Spice’s “Barbie World,” and Nicki Minaj and Billie Eilish’s “What Was I Made For?”
At the Critics Choice Awards 2024, Margot Robbie’s ‘Barbie’ secured victories in the categories of Best Comedy and Best Original Screenplay.
In the film, Issa Rae’s Barbie character holds the role of the President of Barbie Land. Towards the end of the movie, her character faces challenges as she resumes her position in the office, navigating through a temporary takeover of Barbie Land orchestrated by the Kens. Despite the challenges during the dance sequence, Rae’s performance adds vibrancy to the musical moments in the Barbie movie.