Jump to content

The Pussycat Dolls

Page semi-protected
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by JJH1992 (talk | contribs) at 12:16, 20 August 2007. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

The Pussycat Dolls
For the burlesque troupe, see here.

The Pussycat Dolls are an American music group founded by choreographer Robin Antin in 1995. They began as a dance troupe based in Los Angeles, eventually evolving into a music group in 2003, and expanded in 2005 with a parallel troupe at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The group released their first single in 2004, and have gone on to international commercial success.

PCD

In 2003, Nicole Scherzinger, a former member of Popstars winners Eden's Crush, became the group's lead singer. The Pussycat Dolls' musical line-up consisted of Scherzinger, Carmit Bachar, Kimberly Wyatt, Ashley Roberts, Jessica Sutta, and Melody Thornton. By the time the recording group were launched, their stage costumes were developed to bear various branding and "PCD" logos, which preceded the sales of a branded clothing range and other merchandise (via websites and at performances).

The Pussycat Dolls opened the MTV Asia Awards 2004. In September and October 2004, the soundtrack CDs for the films Shark Tale and Shall We Dance? were released, each containing a song by the Pussycat Dolls. The newly-formed recording group's first single was "Sway" from Shall We Dance?, with a music video inspired by the movie.

The Pussycat Dolls performing in December 2005.

It wasn't until the summer of 2005 that the Dolls would receive their first hit single. "Don't Cha", a cover of the Tori Alamaze single featuring rapper Busta Rhymes was released. The song went to #1 in multiple countries and peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100.[1] The group won a Billboard Music Award for "Don't Cha" (Ralphi Rosario mix) as Hot Dance Music/Club Play Single of the Year. The song was also nominated for Top-Selling Single of the Year and Top-Selling Dance Single of the Year.

The single was followed by the group's debut album, PCD. It debuted at #5 on the Billboard 200.[1] The album spawned six more singles. The ballad "Stickwitu" was another top five in the US,[1] selling over three million digital downloads and CDs worldwide.[citation needed] Their third single, "Beep", which featured rapper will.i.am, did not perform as successfully as the previous two singles but still went to #1 internationally in countries such as the UK.[2] A subsequent single, "Buttons" (with rapper Snoop Dogg) reached number three on the UK singles chart;[2] the next single "I Don't Need a Man" wasn't as successful. The group's sixth single from the album was "Wait A Minute", released in the U.S. in August 2006.[1]

In 2006, San Francisco-based company Doppelganger (along with Interscope Records) launched the PCD Music Lounge, an interactive website. In late 2006, the Pussycat Dolls were also featured in a commercial for Cingular Wireless along with Ludacris and KoRn.

The group received a Grammy nomination on December 7 2006, in the Best Pop Performance By a Duo or Group category for their hit ballad "Stickwitu". Later that month, the group was selected to perform for the introduction for ABC's coverage of the NBA.[3] In 2007, a version of "Right Now" was used as a theme song for the NBA, though the lyrics had been altered.

Future Projects

On the June 30 VSpot Top 20 Countdown, host Matt Pinfield announced that Scherzinger has written twelve new songs for the follow-up album to 2005's PCD. The second album, entitled Double The Trouble, will be released in late 2007. The LP was to feature vocals from Asia Nitollano, the winner of the TV show (more information below), but she quit in order to pursue a solo career.[4] The album will reportedly feature more vocals from the other Dolls, rather than just Scherzinger.

Solo Projects

During 2005 and 2006, Scherzinger prepared her debut solo album Her Name Is Nicole. Her first solo single, "Whatever U Like", was released in August 2007.[5]

Jessica Sutta and Ashley Roberts are working on featured tracks from other artists.

Melody Thornton is also preparing a solo album.

Touring

Pussycat Dolls in Dublin at the Meteor Music Awards

In 2006, the Pussycat Dolls performed live shows in North America supporting the Black Eyed Peas. As headliners they toured the UK, Europe, Philippines and Malaysia.

On August 8 2006, after a Dolls concert in Kuala Lumpur, their concert promoter, Absolute Entertainment, was charged with flouting Malaysian decency laws. The Malay Mail quoted Culture Arts and Heritage Minister Datuk Mohamad Arif Abdul Rahman as saying: "I believe the way the Pussycat Dolls behaved onstage amounted to gross indecency". The charge was settled by paying a fine of RM5000 (US$1358).[6]

From November 2006 to January 2007, the Pussycat Dolls toured the U.K. and Ireland alongside Rihanna.[7] On March 14 2007, the Pussycat Dolls performed at the Manchester Evening News Arena in a concert that was streamed live via MSN Music.

The Pussycat Dolls also toured North America as a support act for Christina Aguilera's Back to Basics Tour, along with Danity Kane.[8] They also performed at the UK leg of Live Earth in Wembley Stadium, London.[9]

Other Endeavors

UK "Dolls"

On 11 December 2006, The Daily Mirror reported that Jimmy Iovine, with help from will.i.am, will be creating a "UK version" of the Pussycat Dolls.[10] Contrary to early reports, Alesha Dixon will not be one of the performers in the new group.

Television Series

In April 2006, The New York Times reported that Interscope executives were working to produce their own reality TV series, overseen by the producers of America's Next Top Model and McG, the director of the Charlie's Angels films. The show, entitled Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search for the Next Doll would search for a new member for the troupe.[11] The new member would sing on the next album and tour with the group. The show premiered on The CW, on March 6 2007. It premiered in Australia and the U.K. on April 1. The season finale announced the winner of the show, Asia Nitollano. It was announced in July that Asia Nitollano had decided to pursue a solo career instead.[4]

A second season of the show is being planned for the 2007-2008 season. Rather than find a new member to join the singing group, they're auditioning girls to become part of a new all-female group Girlilicious.[12][13]

Merchandise

In 2006, Interscope engaged the Californian company BandMerch to distribute a range of merchandise, including clothing and other items, linked through the group's official website.

In a merchandising agreement with Interscope in 2006, toy manufacturer Hasbro had plans for a line of dolls modelled after the Pussycat Dolls, and reportedly aimed at six to nine-year-olds. The groups "Dads and Daughters" and Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood successfully lobbied the company to scrap the plan because they felt that the Pussycat Dolls would have been inappropriate for children, due to the overtly sexual nature of the Pussycat Dolls' songs, videos and live shows.

They also negotiated a deal with Estée Lauder for a Pussycat Dolls line of cosmetics under the Stila brand.[14]

The Pussycat Dolls will have their own shoe collection retailing in Van Haren stores in the Netherlands this year.

Computer Games

The Pussycat Dolls had re-recorded "Don't Cha" in Simlish for inclusion in the computer game The Sims 2 Pets.[15] It was reported that the Pussycat Dolls appear in character form in the computer game Asphalt 2: Urban GT in November 2006.

Discography

Main article: The Pussycat Dolls discography

Albums

Singles

Awards

Main article: List of The Pussycat Dolls awards

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d Billboard artist chart history
  2. ^ a b http://everyhit.com
  3. ^ http://media.espn.com/ESPNToday/2006/Dec_06/PCDolls_ABC.htm Media.espn.com
  4. ^ a b http://www.realitytvworld.com/news/pussycat-dolls-present-winner-asia-nitollano-not-joining-dolls-5556.php
  5. ^ http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/discography/index.jsp?pid=448950&aid=1061196 Nicole Scherzinger discography - Billboard.com
  6. ^ http://www.nme.com/news/nme/23884 nme.com
  7. ^ The Razz Scots Date For Dolls Dailyrecord.co.uk
  8. ^ What Are They Up To? Audrey F.
  9. ^ Live Erarth Saves The World With Mostly Bad Music
  10. ^ http://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/tm_headline=dolls-role-for-alesha-&method=full&objectid=18242716&siteid=94762-name_page.html Mirror.co.uk
  11. ^ http://www.muchmusic.com/news/story.asp?id=18041 Muchmusic.com
  12. ^ Pussycat Dolls mark two on TV The Sun
  13. ^ Pussycat Dolls To Form Girl Group Digital Spy
  14. ^ http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/04/16/yourmoney/music17.php iht.com
  15. ^ http://www.gamespot.com/pc/strategy/thesims2pets/news.html?sid=6157570 gamespot.com
Wikimedia Commons has media related to The Pussycat Dolls.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Pussycat_Dolls&oldid=152449322"