Barbie’s Music Collector Series launches Aaliyah doll on what would have been her 46th birthday

Barbie is paying homage to Aaliyah, launching a collectible doll in her honor.

Available starting Thursday, on what would have been her 46th birthday, this addition to the Barbie Music Collector Series celebrates the legacy of the “Princess of R&B,” who died in 2001 at 22 years old.

Inspired by her iconic “One in a Million” music video, the doll is dressed in a black faux leather ensemble featuring studded lace-up details, a zippered vest and statement shades. Her signature hairstyle, with hair sweeping over one eye, completes the look.

Barbie’s design team collaborated with Aaliyah’s brother, Rashad Haughton, to capture the singer’s trendsetting style.

“We chose that look because it checked all of those boxes that we wanted to represent,” he explained in an interview with Vanity Fair.

He says Mattel’s “timing was perfect” because launching an Aaliyah doll “was always on our radar.”

“I can vividly remember my sister playing with her favorite Barbie dolls for hours when we were kids. She would make them sing, dance, and perform little concerts,” said Haughton in a statement. “It’s clear to me now that she was imagining dreams that would eventually become reality when she embarked on a career in entertainment at just fifteen years old.”

He added, “Inspiring confidence, belief in yourself and embracing who you truly are is the essence of Barbie. My sister would be ecstatic to see her legacy celebrated this way.”

The Aaliyah Barbie is available at digital mass retailers, including Mattel Shop, Walmart and Amazon.

Haughton tells VF he hopes the doll will provide some escape from “all these challenges that the world is experiencing right now.”

“This doll represents just play, just have fun. Be with your family and imagine,” he says.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.