Kate Gill Goes Viral with LGBTQ Anthem, ‘ken&barbie’

Up-and-coming, Aussie artist Kate Gill is taking LGBTQ-allyship to the next level via TikTok. The 20 year old, singer-songwriter has taken to music as a means of expressing her frustration around the topic that many queer folks face upon coming out: not being accepted by their parents.

After noticing viral attention for the song “ken&barbie,” which focuses on the heart-breaking tale of a young boy who is silenced by those around him because he wanted to fall in love with Ken, not Barbie. The song has been quickly embraced by the LGBTQ community as a coming-of-age and coming out anthem. The self

As we are mid-Pride season, many queer folks don’t have a safe space to be fully themselves, and we honor and recognize those in the community who are unable to be out. It takes allys like Gill to accept, embrace, and call out the homophobes, so we no longer have to face the prejudice and discrimination. Until then, OFM supports, loves, and encourages those who are both out loud and visible, and those who are still in hiding. Whether it’s Barbie and Barbie, Ken and Ken, Barbie and Ken, or a throuple of Barbies and Kens, we lift up love, and Gill is right there with us.

We took some time to connect with Gill about the LGBTQ anthem that is spreading like wildfire and supporting the notion that every kind of love is valid. In Gill’s first media interview, the bubbly, self-described extroverted-introvert, shared about her passion for music, learning the ropes of the entertainment industry, and why she felt inspired to write “ken&barbie.”

You’re new to navigating the music industry, how has that been going so far?
Yeah, absolutely, very new. I only stepped in the door last year, really. I’ve always been, writing songs myself, in my bedroom creating music, but never put myself out there until last year. TikTok was a massive part in that, just posting little videos, and then had the one that gained a bit of traction, which was ‘ken&barbie,’ which is super exciting. I’m still sort of learning the ropes, and I’m very new to it all, but it’s really fun. I love being able to do what I enjoy doing and how people have been responsive to that.

Did you always want a career in music?
I always hoped I could have a career in music, but I sort of told myself that it isn’t, like, a trustworthy career path. I was studying a Medical Sonography degree at University, which is ultrasound, which I liked, but I didn’t love. My passion lies with music, and I only just made the decision to drop that course and I’m now going into a Bachelor of Music, which is much more fitting. Growing up in school, they don’t really tell you that you can have a career in music and songwriting. It’s not something that’s cut dry; you go and study this, and then you get a job. You’ve got to really put yourself out there, which is a bit difficult at first, but it pays 

How would you describe your creative sound?
Very pop-based, I’d say. I have a lot of pop influences and indie. I’m still finding my sound, to be honest with you. ‘ken&barbie’ is the style of music that I’m not really used to writing. It’s strictly ukulele, stripped back; I love that sound and so it’s really cool to have that be the song that blew up, but it’s probably further away from what I’m used to writing. It’s a good reminder to step out of the box because you never know what’s gonna gain people’s attention.

What are the kind of themes you typically write about?
It’s honestly dependent on what’s going on in my life. I’ve written some love songs, I’ve written songs about heartbreak, I’ve written songs about mental health, and things I’ve struggled with. I also have songs that completely don’t relate to me at all, where I’ll hear someone else’s story and I’m like, ‘That’s a really cool concept,’ and put myself in their position. I’ve written a song about being cheated on; I’ve thankfully never been cheated on, but it was a really interesting process to take someone else’s feelings and emotions, and try to embody them and feel what you think you would express in that time.

That leads into ‘ken&barbie,’ where you  don’t identify as LGBTQ but that story really felt important to tell. 
Yeah, it’s not my story at all. It actually comes from a close friend of mine. Last year, we were in a car together for about four hours, doing a bit of a road trip. During that road trip, we started to have these deep and meaningful chats, and he started to tell me about his journey of finding himself and growing up. The concept of ken&barbie, I got that idea from a friend. She was giving it to me to be used in another song about a straight couple, and I was like, ‘Oh, honestly that fits.’ It’s like the picture-perfect relationship, and then somehow incorporated into my friend’s story, which is heartbreaking, but beautiful at the same time. I showed it to him and he was like, ‘That’s really cool, we should put that on TikTok.’

I just wanted to show him that I’m an ally, I’m here for him, and I support him, like so many other people do,  and I don’t think it should be Ken and Barbie all the time. I posted it and found a lot of people related, which is sad, but at the same time I was like, ‘I’m glad we can all be here and have this song.’

How does it feel to be able to take a heartbreaking story that so many can relate to and turn it into a beautiful piece of art that so many people can relate to?
I’m very privileged; I grew up in Australia; I’m white; I come from a good, stable family; I have both my parents in my life who are still married. I really don’t know what it is to be faced with real adversity. It’s been a learning curve for me, hearing other people’s experiences. Like, wow, I’ve grown up like this; how is it possible that others have had so much to go through. I have been very lucky, my parents have always been, ‘Whoever you are, we love and accept you, it’s whatever.’ So I’ve always just thought everyone’s family must be like that. How could someone not accept someone for being who they are?   I’m very blessed to have people look to the song and educate me more, and I’m still learning every day.

You wrote an alternative version of ‘ken&barbie,’ can you talk about why you felt that was important?
Because the song was written strictly first about my friend, I didn’t have the intention originally to write other versions, but then, seeing how it touched one group of people, the outreach from other people saying, ‘I’d love if you could write a version that incorporates how I see myself.’ I was like, ‘Well, if I have this platform and it would help people, why wouldn’t I do it?’ Because I had the influence of my friend for the first round, it was quite easy to form a storyline because I was going off a real experience. So, I had to do my research and make sure I was portraying it in the right way.

Since we are in Pride season, we love to ask people what makes them feel pride and what makes them feel resilient? 
My biggest challenge in my life that I’ve had to face is my mental health. I was a very anxious child; I’m an anxious adult, now. I was diagnosed when I was eight, and have been medicated since then. It really got bad in high school, and then worse again when I graduated because I was in this place of, ‘What do I do now that I don’t have school? I have to live,’ which can seem so minute to other people. It’s like, ‘Well just go out and live your life,’ but to me it was a massive deal for some reason and created a lot of issues for me. I feel like people tell themselves they can’t be worried about something because it seems too small in the grand scheme of things, but it’s something making it hard for you to live your life. You’re allowed to be upset. No one can tell you that you can’t be worried about something, that you can’t feel a certain way about something because that’s just how you feel. So, I’m very grateful that I was able to reach out and get the help that I needed; without it, I don’t know where I would be. That’s probably my area of resilience.