Happy Birthday, Doll: Mattel’s Aaliyah-Inspired Barbie, Issued on the Late Star’s 46th B-Day, Sells Out Almost Instantly
Aaliyah is still a hot ticket, even more than 20 years after her death – and her sellout Barbie doll is proof.
Mattel created a Barbie doll in her honor for its Barbie Music Collector Series, and almost as soon as it was offered online to its Barbie Club 59 members, it sold out. The doll, bedecked in a faux leather outfit inspired by Aaliyah’s “One in a Million” music video, cost $55 and within 30 minutes, it was no longer available for purchase.
The music and motion picture star, born Aaliyah Haughton on January 16th, 1979, died in August of 2001 in an airplane accident in the Bahamas. Even so, she is still the tenth most successful female R&B singer of the past 25 years, according to Billboard.
She became a sensation in the ’90s with songs like “Back and Forth” and “At Your Best,” earning three American Music Awards and five Grammy nominations. She also starred in two films, Queen of the Damned and Romeo Must Die.
To create the doll, the Barbie Design team worked with Aaliyah’s brother, Rashad Haughton. Haughton said in a statement, “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.
“My sister would be ecstatic to see her legacy celebrated this way, empowering fans to dream big and believe they can be anything that their hearts desire,” continued the statement.
Other dolls featured in the Barbie Music Collector Series included Stevie Nicks, Gloria Estefan, David Bowie and Tina Turner.
While preorders have sold out, more Aaliyah dolls will be available in Target stores on January 26th. In addition, the Aaliyah dolls have started showing up on eBay, at a significant markup, naturally.