Aaliyah Barbie doll sells out on birthday of late singer

A collectible Barbie doll of the late R&B singer Aaliyah flew off the shelves online this week after its preorder release on what would have been the singer’s 46th birthday.

The figurine, part of Mattel’s official Signature Collection and its Music Series, was made available for purchase to the company's special subscribers on Jan. 16 and quickly sold out there and on multiple other websites.

“Barbie honors the Princess of R&B’s unmatched legacy as a once-in-a-generation talent,” wrote the late singer’s estate on social media. “The Aaliyah Barbie doll remembers her iconic style, keeping her influence alive across generations.”

According to Mattel, the doll is the result of a collaboration with the estate of the late Detroit native, born Aaliyah Haughton in 1979. Her brother, Rashad Haughton, has helped manage the estate since her untimely death in a 2001 plane crash in the Bahamas at age 22.

During her brief but illustrious career, the Black Catholic songstress released three studio albums—selling more than 30 million copies worldwide—and began an acting career with the 2002 film “Queen of the Damned.” Most of her music made its debut on streaming only in 2021, after a yearslong dispute was resolved between her estate and Blackground Records.

On her birthday this year, Blackground—in addition to wishing the estate well on the Barbie rollout—announced that a long-planned legacy album, featuring modern music stars paying tribute to “Aaliyah’s timeless artistry,” is still in the works.

“While we initially planned to release this project in 2024, we made the heartfelt decision to take additional time to ensure that what we create is not just a collection of songs but a deeply meaningful body of work. This project is about more than music—it's about preserving her essence and continuing to share her light with the world.”

Aaliyah’s brother Rashad, in an interview this month with People Magazine, spoke of her enduring impact on the music industry and speculated that if she were alive today, she would be “the biggest star in the world.”

“Her legacy continues on,” he added, “So we can imagine, we can dream, but we still have all those incredible works that she did do.”

Aaliyah’s admirers and collaborators added to the remembrances on her birthday, not least due to the social media frenzy surrounding the Barbie release.

“Babygirl the IMPACT that you have left in the years you spent here with the world is UNDENIABLE, leaving generations to know your name,” said former mentor and collaborator Missy Elliott on social media.

“They continue to  learn of your UNIQUE Music ORIGINAL Style & GLOWING personality🙏🏾 You will NEVER be 4Gotten.”

Though Aaliyah’s new doll is sold out online as of Monday morning at Mattel and Target.com, Aaliyah’s estate says additional inventory is due in brick-and-mortar Target and Walmart stores by Sunday, Jan. 26th, and on Amazon.

Already a highly sought after collector’s item, the doll—originally ticketed at $55—is currently attracting resale value upwards of $150.

Nate Tinner-Williams is co-founder and editor of Black Catholic Messenger.

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