Barbie releases dolls inspired by Alicia Keys, women in the music industry

Barbie is honoring women in music with two new dolls representing two important roles: musical artist and tour manager.

The doll brand teamed up with Grammy award-winning singer Alicia Keys, her recording and mix engineer, Ann Mincieli, and their She Is The Music initiative to honor women who chose a career in the music industry, according to a news release announcing the new dolls.

The 2025 Barbie Women in Music Career of the Year set also aims to inspire the next generation of women who will be the music industry's future creators.

"This year’s Barbie Career of the Year set recognizes the accomplishments of women in music, while shining a spotlight on careers in the industry that might not be as well-known as a musical artist," Krista Berger, senior vice president of Barbie and the global head of dolls at Mattel, said in a statement.

Barbie has made dolls inspired by both Keys and Mincieli.

"Recognizing that only 22% of artists across music charts are female, the Barbie Musical Artist doll celebrates the women leaving their hearts on the stage by performing and singing their own music across genres," according to the news release.

Included in the set are two dolls that represent two essential roles in music:

Musical Artist
Tour manager

The dolls are "designed to inspire the next generation to explore careers in music, both on stage and behind the scenes," the news release said.

The release comes less than two weeks away from National Barbie Day, March 9. March is also National Women's History Month.

In March 2024, Barbie released "role model" dolls, which featured dolls made in the likeness of Viola Davis, Shania Twain and other inspiring women to celebrate International Women's Day and commemorate Barbie's 65th anniversary.

"Barbie’s story has never been just about her," Berger previously said in a statement. "It’s about the countless young kids she’s inspired and the millions of stories she helped them imagine along the way."

The 2025 Barbie Women in Music Career of the Year doll set and the dolls will be released on Thursday, Feb. 27.

The dolls can only be purchased online for $29.99 from the following retailers:

Mattel Shop
Amazon
Target
Mattel Creations

Julia is a trending reporter for USA TODAY. You can connect with her on LinkedIn, follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, Instagram and TikTok: @juliamariegz, or email her at jgomez@gannett.com