American Girl can now take on Tomorrowland, as Mattel releases a DJ doll to rival the likes of Peggy Gou.
US toy company Mattel, the masterminds behind Barbie, is set to release a brand new DJ-inspired doll, complete with a set of keyboard synth and drum pad accessories. The new figurine, who goes by the name of Kavi Sharma, has been billed as Mattel’s 2023 ‘Girl Of The Year’, and comes with enough swag to rival that of fellow maestros Peggy Gou, Anna Lunoe and Alison Wonderland combined.
The toymakers behind Sharma’s genesis went as far as developing a backstory for the 12-year-old character. Author Varsha Bajaj was enlisted to flesh-out Sharma’s existence, and explained in a press release that the doll’s passion for music was born from her Indian-American heritgae. “Growing up in New Jersey,” Bajaj explained “Sharma’s only a short train ride from her two favorite places in the world: New York City and Broadway”.
While the tunes Sharma seems to be spinning aren’t exactly fit for Broadway (she seems more suited for a warehouse rave), the toymakers were meticulous in their creation, accompanying the doll with a songwriting kit. Included among the accessories is a keyboard synthesiser that plays several tones, a laptop displaying production software, as well as a microphone and circumaural headphones.
Prior to Sharma, the closest Mattel has gotten to a similarly-inspired doll was with the release of a so-called ‘Barbie Music Teacher’. Aside from that, the toymakers have dropped Barbie dolls inspired by the likes of David Bowie, Gloria Estefan, and Tina Turner. In the non-music Barbieverse, Mattel has also modelled their famed plastic silhouette around figures like Maya Angelou, Jane Goodall and Australian politician Julie Bishop.
The release of the new doll comes amid somewhat of a career resurgence for the doll, following the announcement of a namesake movie set for release in July. Barbie is written and directed by Greta Gerwig, with Margot Robbie starring as the titular character opposite Ryan Gosling’s Ken.
