Mark Ronson Weighs in on Ryan Gosling's Viral Meme After 'I'm Just Ken' Critics Choice Win (Exclusive)

The 'Barbie' actor's reaction to Ronson winning for "I'm Just Ken" caused a surge in streams of the song

Mark Ronson is offering some insight on Ryan Gosling's viral moment from the Critics Choice Awards.

Last month, Ronson and his "I'm Just Ken" co-writer and co-producer Andrew Wyatt won the best song award at the show. As they got up to accept the award, the camera panned to Gosling — who performed the song in Barbie — and his deadpan reaction set the internet abuzz, inspiring countless memes.

"I think he was just sort of pleasantly surprised," Ronson, 48, says of the moment in the new issue of PEOPLE. "It was amazing: That meme went so viral, and the streams of the song went up that week. Everybody was watching because he’s just so funny."

Related: Eva Mendes Responds to Ryan Gosling's Viral Critics Choice Awards Moment: 'I Love Him!'

Ronson — who has created hits with artists including Amy Winehouse ("Rehab"), Bruno Mars ("Uptown Funk") and Lady Gaga ("Shallow") — executive produced the Barbie soundtrack. He's also swept awards season for his work on the album, picking up a Grammy in addition to the Critics Choice Award. Next: the Oscars, where he’s up for Best Original Song for “I’m Just Ken.”

The hitmaker jumped at the chance to work with writer-director Greta Gerwig on the music for the record-breaking film. But he didn't expect "I'm Just Ken" to take on the life that it has.

"There was never any idea in the script that Ryan was going to sing. It was like, maybe there'll be a song in the credits," Ronson says. "He's the tragic No. 2 — I wanted you to feel his pain. We wrote this song, and it was almost like a Beach Boys demo, a ballad. I sent it to Greta, and she really dug it. Then she said, 'I played this for Ryan. He wants to sing it in the film.' I was just so gobsmacked."

When Ronson accepted the Critics Choice Award, he made sure to thank Gosling and Gerwig in his speech.

“Ryan Gosling, this is as much your award as ours. You made the audience fall in love with this song with your matchless performance, so thank you," Ronson told Gosling, before addressing Gerwig: "The fact that you carved out 11 minutes for this prog-rock, power-ballad, dream-ballet, shred fest so the boys could cry and hold hands a little too, we're really forever in your debt for that,"

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Read the original article on People.