Female Empowerment and The Ideals of Femininity in Barbie (2023) Movie Soundtrack

Diasita Nuran Bashari, Dr. Rahmawan Jatmiko S.S., M.A.

2026 | Skripsi | SASTRA INGGRIS

Penelitian ini mengkaji ide-ide feminis dalam lima lagu terpilih dari soundtrack film Barbie The Movie (2023): “Pink” oleh Lizzo, “Barbie World” oleh Nicki Minaj dan Ice Spice featuring Aqua, “Speed Drive” oleh Charli XCX, “What Was I Made For?” oleh Billie Eilish, dan “Barbie Dreams” oleh FIFTY FIFTY featuring Kaliii. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengidentifikasi ide-ide feminis yang direpresentasikan dalam lirik lagu melalui kritik sastra feminis serta menentukan relasinya dengan isu gender yang dialami perempuan dalam masyarakat kontemporer. Penelitian deskriptif kualitatif ini menggunakan lirik lagu dari Barbie The Album sebagai data primer. Data dikumpulkan melalui proses mendengarkan lagu secara berulang, mengamati lirik, dan menelaah hubungannya dengan konteks naratif film Barbie The Movie. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan ide-ide feminis berupa kepercayaan diri perempuan, penerimaan diri, solidaritas, agensi, kebebasan, kerentanan emosional, dan identitas yang ditentukan oleh diri sendiri. Lagu-lagu tersebut merepresentasikan perempuan sebagai individu aktif yang mampu mengekspresikan keinginan, membuat pilihan, serta membangun relasi suportif dengan perempuan lain. Namun, penelitian ini juga menemukan ketegangan antara pemberdayaan perempuan dan ideal feminitas. Pemberdayaan perempuan masih kerap direpresentasikan melalui kecantikan, fesyen, daya tarik fisik, visibilitas, dan budaya konsumerisme. Ide-ide tersebut berkaitan dengan isu kontemporer seperti standar kecantikan, objektifikasi, stereotip gender, tuntutan emosional, dan kebebasan perempuan dalam menentukan identitas. Penelitian ini menyimpulkan bahwa soundtrack tersebut menegosiasikan pemberdayaan perempuan dalam ideal feminitas yang melekat pada Barbie.

This study examines feminist ideas in five selected songs from Barbie The Movie’s soundtrack (2023): “Pink” by Lizzo, “Barbie World” by Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice featuring Aqua, “Speed Drive” by Charli XCX, “What Was I Made For?” by Billie Eilish, and “Barbie Dreams” by FIFTY FIFTY featuring Kaliii. This study aims to identify feminist ideas in the selected lyrics through feminist literary criticism and determine their relation to gender issues experienced by women in contemporary society. This qualitative descriptive study uses the lyrics from Barbie The Album as the primary data source. The data were collected through repeated listening, lyric observation, and examination of their relation to the narrative context of Barbie The Movie. The findings reveal feminist ideas related to female confidence, self-acceptance, solidarity, agency, freedom, emotional vulnerability, and self-defined identity. The songs portray women as active individuals who can express desire, make choices, and build supportive relationships with other women. However, the study also finds a tension between female empowerment and the ideals of femininity. Although the songs celebrate women’s confidence and agency, empowerment is often expressed through beauty, fashion, attractiveness, visibility, and consumer culture. These ideas relate to contemporary gender issues, including beauty standards, objectification, gender stereotypes, emotional expectations, and women’s freedom to define their identities. This study concludes that the soundtrack negotiates female empowerment within cultural ideas of femininity associated with Barbie.

Kata Kunci : Barbie The Movie, Barbie The Album, feminist literary criticism, female empowerment, ideals of femininity, song lyrics.