Aaliyah has been memorialized with her own custom Barbie on what would have been the late singer’s 46th birthday.
Taking to Instagram on Thursday (January 16), the official Barbie account unveiled the new doll.
“One in a Million,” they wrote with a sunglasses emoji. “Today on Aaliyah’s birthday, Barbie honors the Princess of R&B’s unmatched legacy as a once-in-a-generation talent. A rising star who left an unforgettable mark on pop culture, the Aaliyah Barbie doll remembers her iconic style, keeping her influence alive across generations.”
The Barbie Design team worked with Aaliyah’s brother, Rashad Haughton, to ensure her doll “accurately captured and celebrated her legacy and persona,” according to a press release.
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The Aaliyah Music Series Barbie look takes inspiration from her 1996 music video for “One in a Million” and features a black faux leather top with matching pants and vest, her signature shades and her signature hair style with a swoop over one eye.
Though pre-sales are already sold out, the doll will be restocked at Target beginning January 26 for an SRP of $55. UK fans can purchase over at Amazon.
August 25, 2024 marked 23 years since Aaliyah died in a plane crash in the Bahamas.
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Taking to X that day, Missy Elliott reflected on her friend and collaborator’s legacy.
“Your IMPACT on music is still being felt & studied by the generations behind you!” she said. “They LOVE seeing your STYLE & MUSIC was different over 20 years ago & til this day you r still that TRENDSETTER.
“Prayers for your family & the families of those other talented lives who left with you on this day. You will NEVER be Forgotten.”
In 2023, Ginuwine shed some light on his falling out with Aaliyah before her death in an interview with Drink Champs.
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The R&B crooner explained there was no real beef — it was more a misunderstanding when it came to his relationship with the late singer.
“We were all a family — Missy, Timbaland, her [Aaliyah], myself, Magoo, Playa, Tweet — all of us,” Ginuwine said, touching on the closeness with his former label mates.
“Her and I weren’t seeing eye-to-eye. I think it had to do a lot more with her loyalty to her uncle, Barry Hankerson — he was the record [company] head and [his] company was my manager — I just decided to leave because whatever reason. Of course, her loyalty was to her family. So, that’s where that stemmed from.”
“We ain’t have no beef or nothing like that — I ain’t beefing with no girl,” he continued. “It was one of those things where our time had separated.”
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The “Pony” singer said he always wanted the opportunity to make amends as well as add some color to his exit but “never got the chance” and believed the Romeo Must Die actor was being fed “whatever narrative it was with me.”
Ginuwine shared he got some closure by way of Missy who had a dream that would calm the singer’s recollection of events.
“Missy came and she told me one time she had a dream and Aaliyah said: ‘Don’t worry about it.’ She forgive me. And I cried.”
