“Don’t Cha” Pussycat Dolls featuring Busta Rhymes peaked at #2 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in August 20 2005 and spent 40 weeks (lead single off album PCD and a number-one hit in various countries worldwide. It’s a bit controversial song) won a Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Award for Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Sales in 2006.
After almost a decade breakup and of not seen performing together, Pussy Cat Dolls comes back ready to bring it hard for you guys! The American Pop/R&B band consisting of 5 beautiful ladies: Melody, Ashley, Carmit, Jessica, Kimberly and Nicole for the first time in 10 years performed on November 30th 2019 on X Factor: Celebrity-sort of hinting that they would be reuniting. In December, Sutta along with Carmit Bachar announced during an interview with Entertainment Tonight that a new album was in the works. Starting February 2019 they dropped new jam! Guys, PCD’s return might shake the world again talking more hit music! PussycatDolls is said to be one of the top-selling artists in 2006. Y’all remember “Don’t Cha”, “When I Grow Up” from their debut album PCD? That album rocked the Billboard charts. PCD was a bunch of vibe talking hit songs. Do they still maintain one of the world’s best-selling girl groups of all time?
Interesting question yeah! Y’all remember Stickwitu-their only song that got nominated for the Grammys? How about “Jai Ho”, “Buttons” featuring Snoop Dogg, “Beep”, featuring will.i.am, “Bottle Pop”, Wait A Minute,”? They were all hits back to back. PCD won many hearts through their dance moves. They started out as a dance ensemble before the founder (actress, entrepreneur, dancer, choreographer Robin Antin) struck a joint venture with Interscope Records and negotiated to become a music group in 1995. Pussycat Dolls only had two albums and the only platinum album – PCD was commercially successful before hiatus or their split almost a decade ago. Yet they rocked the world.
Grab a seat guys! We talk PCD’s music today; their come back and possibly touch a bit on the struggles that led to their two times hiatus before their final split. Let’s reiterate that Pussycat Dolls evolved from burlesque (dance) troupe into a pop music recording group in Los Angeles, California, (USA) in 2003. Four lady dolls taken from the former dance troupe: Carmit Bachar, Kimberly Wyatt, Jessica Sutta and Ashley Roberts among others subsequently joined forces with Nicole Scherzinger and Melody Thornton –the two new dolls added after a few auditions and the PCD pop music band kicked off. A bit on each member of PCD before getting fully into their songs and album here!
The American Pop/R&B band Pussycat Dolls got its first and the longest member doll Carmit Bachar about 46 (born 4th September 1974) signed in 1995. She joined the group while they were still a burlesque (dance) troupe. Before then, Carmit was an Olympic medalist who competed internationally as a rhythmic gymnast for 10 years and placed 5th in the U.S. Olympic trials in 1992. As sport girl on the U.S. National Team, she was attending Hamilton Academy of Music in Los Angeles to study music, dance, piano and viola. Bachar left the PCD before the release of the group’s second and final studio album in 2008 to pursue solo projects after five years with the music group.
Jessica Sutta 38 (born 15th May, 1982) in 2003 came to the attention of PCD brand owner and the group creator Robin Antin during a dance audition in L.A and the Miami Florida certified dancer became a member of Pussycat Dolls that year. Jessica left the group in 2010 due to a situation that she couldn’t withstand. On January 29, 2010, Jessica confirmed her exit to E! Online that she was no more with the group, following a broken rib she sustained whilst on tour with the group. We take a pause now to talk their music! In 2004, Pussycat dolls recorded “We Went as Far as We Felt Like Going” for the Shark Tale soundtrack and recorded the single, “Sway”. The new single was featured on the soundtrack of Shall We Dance? They joined some renowned acts at the time to record some other songs and subsequently launched into mainstream recognition following the release of the group’s self-titled debut album PCD (Pussycat Dolls) in September 2005. The album contains some of the singles we mentioned earlier “Don’t Cha”, “Buttons” and “Stickwitu”. The album sold three million copies in the United States
No. 4: “Sway” (Their lyrics is usually about f**k boys and girl power)
We sway back to more members of the PCD right now before we proceed to their second album! “Baby Doll” Melody Thornton to be 28 (born September 1984) happened to be the youngest (and shortest) member of the group at time. In 2003, Melody saw the Pussycat Dolls on MTV Diaries featuring Christina Aguilera and heard they were auditioning for a new group member. She went to audition on December 2 of that year and was accepted into the group as a soprano vocalist so she could add vocal strength. In June 2010 Rap-Up magazine reported Melody’s exit from the group.
Ashley Roberts (to be 39), was born on 14th September, 1981. After high school, at 19 years old, she moved permanently to Los Angeles from and within six months of her move, Roberts auditioned for the Pussycat Dolls. At that time the Pussycat Dolls were an underground modern burlesque troupe. Ashley said she wanted to go fully into actling and made her film debut in August 2008. Kimberly Wyatt 38 (was born 4th February 1982). In 2003, Robin Antin asked Kimberly join the Pussycat Dolls. She was a great dancer. Wyatt used to do the standing oversplit in most of Pussycat Dolls music video, which she called her trademark move. Kimberly was the second member of PCD to announce her departure from the group in February 2010 just a day after Jessica left. According to Kimberly, the Dolls gave her more than she could ever have before, and gave her a great platform to help her in the industry.
American singer, songwriter, dancer, actress, TV personality Nicole Scherzinger (ˈʃɜːrzɪŋər) was the last member standing. Nicole to be 44 (born June 29, 1978) auditioned in December 2003 and became a member. She studied at Wright State University in US but dropped out to pursue musical career. She was once a judge in both the American and British versions of The X Factor. In late 2010, Nicole officially left the group to pursue a solo career. We are due for more music in few minutes. Quickly touch on the PCD’s second/last album of 2008. Previously in 2007 PCD went on their first hiatus in 2007. While on that minor break, Nicole and Jessica Sutta launched their independent solo career respectively. While they were all gearing up to come back later in 2008, Carmit exit from the group was announced in March. So they came back, they continued as a quintet and performed without her for the first time. In May 2008, Pussycat Dolls dropped their second album’s lead single “When I Grow Up” and later in September of the same year dropped the album- Doll Domination. When they dropped this album, it attained the highest peak position on the Billboard 200 but failed to match the sales of the first album. The album included the hits “When I Grow Up”, “I Hate This Part”, “Jai Ho! (You Are My Destiny)” and “Hush Hush”. They went on another hiatus in 2009 which resulted to their final split announced in 2010
In 2009 during their second album tour, there was an internal strife within the group and subsequently they went on hiatus and later announced their split in 2010. There were reports and speculation of tension between the girls in the band due to lead singer Nicole “taking centre stage on tracks, in music videos and on stag” (heart.co.uk). So she appears to have been blamed for much of the split even though she was the last to leave the group in late 2010 to kick off her solo career fully. During an interview with Wendy Williams in 2015, she disclosed that most of them were still close and that they still keep in touch. And now prove that they are truly in touch, the Pussycat Dolls finally reunited and reacted dropping the song at #2
No. 3: “When I Grow Up” (Peaked at #9 on 5th July 2008. At the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards, its accompanying music video was nominated for six awards, the most of that ceremony, and went on to win Best Dancing in a Video
No. 2: React (released in February 2020 almost a decade after)
PC Dolls were fantastic choreographers and well known for their dance routines and outfits. Since Pussy Cat Dolls evolved from burlesque group to music band they have attracted media attention and became famous for Pop/R&B. They are now back and will be embarking on a reuniting tour later in the year. In the song react, only Nicole, Carmit, Ashley, Jessica, and Kimberly Melody is only member who is not part of the long-awaited comeback after over a decade that the girl band officially announced they were going their separate ways, with many of them looking to launch solo careers. The group performed on X Factor: Celebrity on November 30 2019 and on December 5, Carmit Bachar and Jessica Sutta announced during an interview with Entertainment Tonight that a new album was in the works. In February, Nicole thanked doll lovers for “patience and loyalty all these years!!” via her Instagram while promoting video for the new song react. The group was supposed to have embarked on tour in April but due to COVID-19, their upcoming UK and Ireland tour is now postponed till October 2020
CONTROVERSY: There appears to be a few controversial comments online about the PCD dolls.
- Some call them sluts; even past member like Kaya Jones in October 2017 tweeted that while she was part of the group, they were being used as prostitutes. In her words, “Pussycat Dolls were operated as a “prostitution ring”. In a series of tweets she challenged Robin Antin to the public saying “I want the den mother from hell to confess” Robin debunked the allegations saying they were “disgusting, ridiculous lies”(.telegraph.co.uk)
- Sutta reason for leaving the group in an interview with E! Online, then was that she felt “like nothing more than a glorified back-up dancer after seven years with the group”.
- Apparently all the members left one after the other with Nicole leaving last. But numerous rumors had it that she was the reasons that PCD broke up because she like to act bossy. She was at fault for her “Diva” like behavior. Recall that it was once reported that reason Nicole was placed to be mostly seen with Busta Rhymes in the music video of “Don’t Cha.” Was to “differentiate the group’s lead performer from the other members”.
AWARD AND NOMINATION: American girl group the Pussycat Dolls have been nominated for more than about 25 awards and have received 20 awards from 69 nominations. Album PCD won the 2006 TMF Award for Best Album — International. Through album Doll Domination of 2008, they received the most nominations at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards with six, winning Best Dancing in a Video for “When I Grow Up”.
PCD FACT:
- Billboard ranked the Pussycat Dolls as the 80th most successful musical act of the 2000s. After releasing PCD, the girl group became one of the top-selling artists in 2006. The album appeared at #12 on the Billboard 200-year-end chart that year. The group has sold 54 million records worldwide, making them one of the best-selling girl groups of all time
- official member of the PCD group were Nicole Scherzinger, Melody Thornton, Carmit Bachar, Ashley Roberts, Jessica Sutta and Kimberly Wyatt according to Robin Antin are official members. Other past members like Cyia Batten, Kasey Campbell, Kaya Jones, and Rachel Sterling.
- The Pussycat Dolls first formed in 2003 and split seven years later in 2010.
No. 1: “Stickwitu” (off PCD album. It peaked at #5 on 31st December 2005. That year, it was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal) t did not win the category. It was second number-one single in the UK and New Zealand, and reached number five on the Hot 100)
PCD, you need to get it together already and come back in full for fans if you are ever reuniting as proven already. Fan needs to hear your voices again since 10 years. Now, might just be the time for “unfinished business” as Ashley once said. www.theboxshowafrica.com is where to catch us live and direct.
