Barbie Honors Aaliyah with a Stunning New Doll

Aaliyah at 'The Tonight Show with Jay Leno' at the NBC Studios in Burbank, Ca. 7/25/01.

Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images

More than twenty years after her passing, Aaliyah, the Princess of R&B, still holds a strong place in our culture. In partnership with Aaliyah's brother Rashad Haughton, Mattel is launching a Barbie Music Collector doll that captures the essence of the late R&B star, as reported by Forbes. This special doll debuted on January 16, which would have been Aaliyah's 46th birthday.

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The release of the Aaliyah-inspired Barbie doll was carefully timed to honor her memory, with her birthday chosen as the perfect launch date. "It takes a long time to get everything right—like the samples and sculpts—it’s amazing, but definitely a painstaking process," Haughton shared with Forbes.

Reflecting on the significance of the date, he added, "We realized that the timing would be perfect. Let’s choose my sister’s birthday... It’s a celebration of her life, a celebration of her legacy... for it to happen on my sister’s birthday when she came into this world is just perfect."

The design of the doll is inspired by Aaliyah's iconic look from the beginning of her "One in a Million" music video. Rashad Haughton collaborated closely with the Barbie design team to ensure that every detail faithfully represents his sister's style and what she meant to her fans. This process involved meticulous attention to Aaliyah's many memorable looks throughout her career.

In creating the Aaliyah-inspired Barbie doll, the team worked closely with her stylist, Derek Lee, to ensure that every aspect accurately reflects the late singer's unique style.

Celebrate Aaliyah’s legendary legacy with her much-anticipated Music Collector series Barbie doll, now available for pre-order at Target. The general release is set for January 26, 2025.

Aaliyah joins an impressive lineup of stars in the Barbie Music Collector Series, including David Bowie, Gloria Estefan, Elvis Presley, Elton John, and Stevie Nicks.

Kayla MorganWriter

Kayla is the midday host on Detroit’s 105.1 The Bounce. She started her career in radio back in 2016 as an intern at another Detroit station and worked her way here. She's made stops in Knoxville, TN, Omaha, Ne and other places before returning to Detroit. She’s done almost everything in radio from promotions to web, creating content on social media, you name it. She’s a true Michigander, born and raised. So, you can catch her camping or vacationing up north to exploring the downtown Detroit or maybe even catching a sports game. During her free time, Kayla enjoys watching movies, roller-skating, crafting, and music festivals. She and her husband together dip into many of the great things Michigan has to offer. Together they also like to travel. A few hobbies of hers include wine and beer tastings, crafting, hiking, roller skating, movies, home improvement projects, gardening, and festivals. She’s always looking to take on more local events happening in the community. She loves connecting with the community. When writing, Kayla covers topics including lifestyle, pop culture, trending stories, hacks, and urban culture.