Mattel just announced the release of a Tina Turner Barbie doll, and my inner eight-year-old could not be more excited. Tina Turner is the fifth artist added to its Barbie Signature Music Series, which also includes a Gloria Estefan doll.
The folks at Mattel celebrated the launch in an October 13 Instagram post, writing, “Barbie is proud to honor the unmatched career of the “Queen of Rock ’n Roll” with a @TinaTurner Barbie doll.”
The doll is fierce, styled in the black leather mini dress and denim jacket Tina wore in the “What’s Love Got to Do With It?” video that was on constant rotation on MTV in the 80s. The designers didn’t miss a detail, adding the fishnet tights, black heels, and Tina’s iconic 80s spiked hair. And as someone who was obsessed with everything about her look back then, I think they nailed it.
For Barbie Principal Designer Bill Greening, the opportunity to work on a Tina doll was a dream come true. “Let’s just say Tina has been on my wish list for a very long time. We started it right about the time she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame,” he said. “We used a lot of screen grabs to see the hair at all angles. Lots of teasing and hairspray was involved!”
And Miss Tina herself is loving her new doll. “I am honored to welcome my Barbie into the group of trailblazing women already represented and introduce more kids to my journey,” she said.
A little bit R&B, a little bit rock, “What’s Love Got to Do With It?” was a huge 80s hit. According to Rolling Stone, Donna Summer turned down the song, written by Terry Britten and Graham Lyle, before Tina Turner picked it up. And it’s a good thing she did. Her raspy vocals and personal connection to the lyrics helped it become an instant smash. After its May 1984 release, the song spent 28 weeks on Billboard’s Hot 100. It also won three GRAMMYs, including Best Female Pop Vocal Performance and earned the number 134 spot on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list.
You can get your Tina Turner Barbie for $55 on the Mattel Creations site. I’m really hoping one of these dolls finds its way under my Christmas tree this year.