On July 10, 2023, Sam Smith was announced as the soundtrack's second surprise artist.

Eilish's inclusion on the album had been speculated after she posted a neon pink Barbie sign on her Instagram account a week prior. On July 6, 2023, Billie Eilish was announced as the soundtrack's first surprise artist. That evening, the soundtrack's partial tracklist was released.

On May 25, 2023, Rolling Stone reported that the Barbie soundtrack would be produced by Mark Ronson and would feature original songs by Ava Max, Charli XCX, Dominic Fike, Fifty Fifty, Gayle, Haim, Ice Spice, Kaliii, Karol G, Khalid, the Kid Laroi, Lizzo, Nicki Minaj, PinkPantheress, Tame Impala, and cast members Dua Lipa and Ryan Gosling, with additional surprise artists being revealed at a later date. It was released by Atlantic Records on July 21, 2023, the same day as the film's North American theatrical release. Barbie: The Album is the soundtrack album for the 2023 film Barbie, directed by Greta Gerwig.