Aurora Starchild
Tina Turner is officially the newest music legend to join Mattel’s Barbie Signature Music Series. The announcement comes just weeks before the Queen of Rock ‘n Roll’s 83rd birthday. The Tina Turner Barbie doll emulates the singer in her “What’s Love Got to Do With It” music video.
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The Tina Turner Barbie doll comes complete with the Rock ‘n Roll legend’s complete look from head to toe. She has blonde spiky hair, a black mini dress, denim jacket, black fishnets and stilettos, pearl drop earrings and a silver necklace. You can buy one for $55 online.
The Illustrious Success of Tina Turner’s Song, “What’s Love Got to Do With It”
Released in May 1984, “What’s Love Got to Do With It” was Turner’s first and only ever #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100. It stayed at the top of the chart for three straight weeks. At 44 years old, Turner was also the oldest female to make it onto Billboard Hot 100. The song was part of Turner’s 5th solo album, Private Dancer.
“What’s Love Got to Do With It” earned Turner three Grammys in 1985: Song of the Year, Record of the Year, and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. That same year, the MTV Video Music Awards awarded the song’s music video with Best Female Video. The song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2012.
The Barbie Signature Music Series Tina Turner Doll
“Simply the best,” wrote the official Barbie account, along with a 360-degree view of the new Tina Turner doll. Turner also shared the post on her own Instagram.
Designed by Bill Greening and released on October 13, the Tina Turner Barbie comes with a stand and a Certificate of Authenticity.
“She went from singing as a young girl in her rural church choir in Nutbush, Tennessee, to becoming the legendary performer hailed as the undisputed ‘Queen of Rock ‘n Roll,’” says the doll’s description. “Barbie celebrates the unprecedented music career and journey of Tina Turner. She is a Grammy-winning, chart-topping singer, and one of the best-selling recording artists of all time. This doll commemorates her smash hit “What’s Love Got to Do With It.” The design is inspired by the iconic outfit Tina wore in the music video.”
Its release comes just ahead of the song’s 40th anniversary.
Mattel’s Barbie Signature Music Series
Other music icons commemorated over the years by Mattel’s Barbie Signature Music Series include David Bowie from “Life on Mars,” Gloria Estefan, and Elvis Presley. Elton John and David Bowie as Ziggy Stardust have also been commemorated as Barbie dolls in limited-edition collections. But finding one for yourself can be hard depending on which one you want — David Bowie as Ziggy Stardust costs upwards of $350 on eBay these days.
While David Bowie and Elton John as Barbie dolls may confuse some, it should be noted that both musicians were LGBTQ / LGBTQI icons. Bowie’s multiple personas were usually androgynous, and Bowie was openly bisexual. Elton John came out as gay in 1992 while talking to Rolling Stone.
To honor LGBTQ / LGBTQI is, in many ways, a boon to the feminist movement in general. The World Economic Forum explains gender identity as “a reference to how we experience our own sense of being a gendered individual. It does not matter whether we are trans, non-binary, gender diverse, a-gender, male or female, or have an indigenous gender identity — everybody has a gender identity.” It’s all about respect, baby.
Other icons memorialized as Barbie dolls include Rosa Parks, Ida B. Wells, and Billie Jean King.
