Don't Cha

"Don't Cha"
Song

"Don't Cha" is a 2004 song written by Cee-Lo and Sir Mix A Lot. First recorded by Tori Alamaze in 2004, it was then a hit cover version in 2005 for the Pussycat Dolls and Busta Rhymes. It was the Dolls' second single after "Sway" from their debut album PCD.

The chorus of the song is based on Sir Mix A Lot's 1988 song "Swass" ("Don't you wish your boyfriend was swass like me?"). Tori Alamaze's 2004 single reached number fifty-three on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Writer/Producer Cee-Lo used the same backing track as the basis for The Pussycat Dolls' recording. The Dolls' single version (the 'radio edit') added a rap by Busta Rhymes and became a number-one hit in the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Germany and New Zealand and a number two hit in the United States.

In the media

• The song is featured in Weird Al Yankovic's song "Polkarama!".

• The song was featured on a fifth season episode of Smallville called "Exposed", where the character Lois Lane had to go undercover as a stripper; and as the theme song for the WWE Diva Search 2005.

• The song was featured in a scene from Date Movie in which Sophie Monk was parodying Paris Hilton in the Carl's Jr commercial.

• In Fromage 2005, Ed the Sock called the music video America's Next Top Model: The Musical.

• Additionally, the song appeared on the soundtrack to a Heineken commercial that aired widely in the United States in 2006. It was more of a rock appeal instead of the original pop feel and was performed by artists who had secured the rights to the song.

• It is included as an in-game track in the video game The Sims 2: Pets, re-recorded in the Sims' native, gibberish language, Simlish. A remix of the song appears in the videogame Dance Dance Revolution ULTRAMIX 4.

• The Irish pop boyband Westlife covered this song live during their "Face To Face Tour 2006," in a very similar way the Dolls do their live performance of the song.

• Will Young performed a cover of the song on BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge.

• Xiu Xiu, an experimental band fronted by Jamie Stewart, covered the song for their 2006 EP, Tu Mi Piaci.

• It is included on the second-season episode of Desperate Housewives entitled "Could I Leave You?," when Gabrielle goes to a club to convince a stripper to let her adopt the child she carries.

• The song appears in the 2007 Eddie Murphy film Norbit.

• In the 2007 Seattle auditions of American Idol this song was sung by the Auditioners as a montage.

• The song is used in the adverts for BBC Three's television sketch comedy show, Tittybangbang.

• The song appears in the film Wild Hogs, peformed by Kyle Gass.

• The song both orginal and remixed, was a popular selection for female auditioners on the second season of So You Think You Can Dance

• A small stanza of the song also features in the 2007 Bollywood Movie Namastey London, where Katrina Kaif hums it.

• It was Simon Cowell's audition song in a Simpsons short on the "Idol Gives Back" American Idol special.

Summary of lyrics

On this record the song's female character, played by the Dolls, seductively confronts a man. She then proceeds to tease him about wanting her, and not his own girlfriend. The man, played in the radio edit version by Busta Rhymes, admits his lust for her and suggests that they have an affair. At this point, she backs down from her teasing and refuses the offer.

Music video

During the video, the Pussycat Dolls can be seen lingering in various locations dressed in seductive clothing as they dance and sing. To stand apart from her fellow Dolls, lead singer Nicole Scherzinger is mostly seen in scenes with Busta Rhymes. The music video also features The Pussycat Dolls' creator Robin Antin, and it was directed by Paul Hunter. Carmen Electra has also given a cameo appearance in the "Don't Cha" video.

Remixes

Club remixes produced by Ralphi Rosario, Kaskade, and DJ Dan, were released on a CD maxi single on July 19 2005. The main version of the song that is featured on radio and video is actually the radio edit of the song, performed with Busta Rhymes. A 'radio edit' without rap also exists, and features a sung bridge not heard in the more popular version. Explicit versions are also available. There is also a commercially unavailable which is the Eyes of the Tribal Mix.

Chart performance

When the single was first released, critics dismissed it; feeling that the group was nothing more than a novelty act, and predicting that the song would flop. The song has became a huge hit on the charts.

The song reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100, number one on Pop 100, and number eight on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks. Although the song nearly reached the top spot on the Hot 100, it could not overcome the massive airplay of Mariah Carey's "We Belong Together", even as "We Belong Together" began to descend the charts. As the song is not exactly a typical R&B/Hip-Hop song, the song failed to chart on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay, but was able to reach number eight on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks with strong sales of its physical singles.

The single was also a major sales hit, as it reached number one on Hot 100 Singles Sales and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles Sales. The song was able to reach number one on the sales charts, as it is one of the few major songs in the U.S. market to be released as a CD single or as a CD maxi single. The single also proved to be a dance smash, reaching number one on the three dance charts Hot Dance Singles Sales, Hot Dance Music/Club Play, and Dance Radio Airplay. It also reached number one on the Australian ARIAnet Singles Chart. In the US "Don't Cha" became one of the few songs to sell more than one million digital downloads in July 2006, one year after its release there, showing the longevity of this song. It was certified 5x platinum that month.

"Don't Cha" entered the Billboard Hot 100 at ninety-five, and has remained in the chart for 40 weeks. In 2005 "Don't Cha" reached #2 on the Australian end of year chart, after spending 7 weeks at the top of the Australian ARIAA singles chart.

Chart (2005) Peak U.S. Billboard Hot 100 2 U.S. Billboard Pop 100 1 U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play 1 U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Singles Sales 1 U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs 8 U.S. Billboard Hot Ringtones 5 U.S. Billboard Rhythmic Top 40 15 U.S. Billboard Top 40 Mainstream 2 Australia Top 50 Singles 1 Austria Top 75 Singles 2 Belgium Top 50 Singles 1 Brazil Top 100 Singles 1 Canada Top 50 Singles 1 China Top 20 Singles 3 Denmark Top 20 Singles 5 (PL)LISTA PRZEBOJÓW NASZEGO RADIA HIT FM 1 Finland Top 20 Singles 15 France Top 100 Singles 6

Chart (2005) Peak Germany Top 100 Singles 1 Germany 'Deutsche DJ Playlist' 1 Greece IFPI Top 50 Singles 9 Hispanic America Top 40 Singles 11 Ireland Top 50 Singles 1 Italy Top 50 Singles 5 Indonesia Chart 1 Netherlands Top 40 Singles 2 New Zealand RIANZ Top 40 Singles 1 Norway Top 20 Singles 1 Russia Top 100 Airplay 36 South Africa (5 FM Top 40) 1 Sweden Top 40 Singles 5 Switzerland Top 100 Singles 1 'Tokyo Hot 100' 17 U.K. Top (40/75) Singles 1 Ukraine Top 40 Singles 6 Eurochart Hot 100 Singles 1 United World Chart 1 World Top 100 Airplay 7 World R&B Top 100 Singles 3

Track listings

U.S. CD Single

1. "Don't Cha" (radio edit)
2. "Don't Cha" (featuring Busta Rhymes) (radio edit)

U.S. Re-Release

1. "Don't Cha" (featuring Busta Rhymes) (More Booty mix - explicit)
2. "Don't Cha" (More Booty mix with no rap - explicit)

U.S. CD Maxi Single

1. "Don't Cha" (Ralphi Rosario Hot Freak radio mix)
2. "Don't Cha" (Kaskade radio edit)
3. "Don't Cha" (Ralphi's Hot Freak 12" Vox mix)
4. "Don't Cha" (Kaskade club mix)
5. "Don't Cha" (DJ Dan's Sqweegee dub)

UK 2-Track CD single

1. "Don't Cha" (featuring Busta Rhymes) (main mix - explicit)
2. "Don't Cha" (radio edit]

UK CD Maxi Single

1. "Don't Cha" (featuring Busta Rhymes) (radio edit - explicit)
2. "Don't Cha" (featuring Busta Rhymes) (More Booty mix - explicit)
3. "Don't Cha" (radio edit)
4. "Don't Cha" (featuring Busta Rhymes) (video)

US PROMO CD (they are only referred to as PCD featuring Busta Rhymes)

1. "Don't Cha" (featuring Busta Rhymes) (radio edit - clean)
2. "Don't Cha" (instrumental)
3. "Don't Cha" (radio edit - clean)
4. "Don't Cha" (Reggaeton Remix)

Versions

• Radio edit
• Radio version featuring Busta Rhymes (or main mix)
• More Booty mix featuring Busta Rhymes (explicit)
• Dirty radio edit (explicit)
• Radio version featuring Busta Rhymes (explicit)
• Lil John remix (explicit)

References

• http://www.ascap.com