The Pussycat Dolls undoubtedly have one of the most interesting origin stories for a world-conquering girl group. They were initially conceived in 1995 by choreographer and impresario Robin Antin as a neo-burlesque act performing early pop music standards. And during their residencies at famous L.A. hotspot The Viper Room and West Hollywood's The Roxy Theatre, they welcomed celebrities as varied as Christina Applegate, Carmen Electra, and future Burlesque star Christina Aguilera into their scantily clad fold.
But following brushes with the mainstream — a cameo in Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, background appearances on "The Late Show with David Letterman" and the MTV Movie Awards — Interscope head honchos Ron Fair and Jimmy Iovine recognized they had the potential to make the leap from the cabaret stage to the charts. And after countless personnel merry-go-rounds, they eventually settled on the permanent lineup of Ashley Roberts, Nicole Scherzinger, Jessica Sutta, Melody Thornton, and Kimberly Wyatt and the original incarnation's sole survivor Carmit Bachar. And they never looked back.
Indeed, having teased their musical prowess with soundtrack contributions to Shark Tale ("We Went as Far as We Felt Like Going") and Shall We Dance ("Sway") and a brief reunion with Electra at 2004's "VH1 Divas," the six-piece consolidated their unlikely journey to pop stardom with one of the biggest and most enduring hits of 2005. The sleek, suggestive, and unashamedly sassy R&B pop of Busta Rhymes collaboration "Don't Cha" became an instant sensation, reaching No. 1 in 15 countries.
To capitalize on their surprise instant success, the Pussycat Dolls recorded their precision-tooled first album, PCD, in just 30 days. Spawning hits like "Buttons" and "Stickwitu," the project not only ensured that they remained far from a flash in the pan — it solidified their place in the girl group canon.
Yet, despite landing a few more hits with PCD's follow-up, Doll Domination, in 2008 (along with a highly successful world tour of the same name), the group's original lineup disbanded by 2010. And though Bachar, Roberts, Scherzinger, Sutta, and Wyatt attempted a reunion in 2019 — which featured a storming comeback single, "React" — it was hampered firstly by the pandemic and then an apparent complete breakdown in communication.
Even so, the Pussycat Dolls' success not only still lives on through their hits, but also through those that have come after them. Two decades after PCD first hit the shelves, here's a look at how Pussycat Dolls purred their way into girl group history.
They Took Over the World
"It's unusual for any act to get as many as four hits off an album anymore," noted former Billboard chart director Geoff Mayfield about Pussycat Dolls' industry-defying debut. "For much of this decade, it's been a real challenge to get a third or even a second hit." In fact, PCD spawned four Top 20 hits across 2005/06, and two No. 1s across the other side of the Atlantic, too.
Its sustained success helped shift a worldwide total of nine million copies, making it one of the best-selling girl group albums of the 21st century. And the group were showered with awards attention, too, with "Buttons" picking up Best Dance Video at the MTV Video Music Awards, and the group receiving nods for Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group with Vocals for "Stickwitu" at the 2007 GRAMMYs and Best International Newcomer at the BRITs. For a good 18 months, the music of PCD was practically inescapable.
They Opened The Floodgates For Several Girl Groups…
While homegrown acts such as TLC and Destiny's Child had led the charge in girl group R&B, the pure pop variety was still very much the domain of the Brits. But thanks to their infectious hook-laden tunes, dazzling choreography, and colorful image, Pussycat Dolls finally gave the U.S. a band worthy of competing with the likes of Sugababes, Girls Aloud, and, of course, Spice Girls. Let's not forget that in Carmit Bachar, they even had their very own Ginger.
PCD's success undoubtedly helped spearhead a new '00s wave of girl power, including "Making the Band" graduates Danity Kane (who joined PCD as support on Christina Aguilera's Back to Basics Tour in 2007), Pitbull collaborators G.R.L., and "The X Factor" graduates Little Mix and Fifth Harmony. Of course, despite all their best efforts, only the latter came close to claiming Pussycat Dolls' crown.
…And Even Spawned A Talent Show
Keen to capitalize on the success of "American Idol," TV networks gave everyone from TLC ("R U The Girl") to INXS ("Rock Star") their own talent show in the mid-'00s. And despite only being around for two years, the blockbuster success of PCD inspired The CW to launch a Pussycat Dolls contest designed to find a seventh member.
Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search whittled down nine aspiring pop stars across eight episodes in 2005, with Asia Nitollano emerging victorious following a final performance of "I Don't Need A Man." Unfortunately, the 18-year-old New Yorker soon believed she didn't need a chart-topping girl group, and after just one solitary performance with the other Dolls at the CW Upfronts Event, she left to pursue a solo career.
A second season, this time focused on creating an entirely new girl group, proved to be a little more fruitful: Girlicious enjoyed chart success in Canada but still split shortly after their sophomore album in 2011.
They Upped The Hip-Pop Ante
While the likes of Mariah Carey and Jennifer Lopez had previously bridged the gaps between hip-hop, pop and R&B with various collabs, the Pussycat Dolls arguably took things to another level. On its original release, PCD saw Busta Rhymes lend his trademark growl to world-conquering smash "Don't Cha," will.i.am play the playa on sassy kiss-off "Beep," and Timbaland serve up more winning beats on battle-of-the-sexes "Wait a Minute."
If that wasn't enough star power, the group also utilized the songwriting talents of Cee Lo Green, Keri Hilson and Polow da Don. And perhaps their most memorable team-up was on the single version of "Buttons," which features G-funk legend Snoop Dogg; his signature laid-back rhymes helped secure a fourth consecutive US Top 20 hit.
They Became Pop's New Provocateurs
Considering their burlesque beginnings, it's little surprise that Pussycat Dolls were a little more revealing than your average girl group, much to the Malaysian authorities' ire. Indeed, thanks to the "sexually suggestive stage routines" and "eye-popping attire" of their PCD World Tour, the Kuala Lumpur leg was deemed so culturally inappropriate that organizers were hit with a $3,000 fine.
The six-piece were just as provocative in their music videos, whether treating Snoop Dogg to his own personal lap dance in "Buttons" ("We wanted to go back to the roots of the Dolls, go with the corset vibe and have it be a little rawer and hotter," Scherzinger explained) or perfectly executing the slutdrop in "Don't Cha." Despite blatantly misogynistic comments from the press — 2005 MTV VMA host Borat (aka Sacha Baron Cohen) even introduced them as "international prostitutes" — the group rightfully never apologized for feeling confident in their own skin.
They Gave Several Classics A New Life
While all of their first five hits were original compositions, Pussycat Dolls certainly weren't afraid to put their own empowering spin on much-loved classics. Just like Soft Cell several decades before them, the sextet merged Gloria Jones' Northern Soul favorite "Tainted Love"with The Supremes' "Where Did Our Love Go" but to much slinkier effect.
PCD also features a sultry jazz cover of Nina Simone's "Feelin' Good" and faithful take on big band classic "Right Now," while "Hot Stuff" interpolates Donna Summer's same-named classic. Plus, a rendition of Dean Martin's "Sway" and mash-up of The S.O.S. Band's "Take Your Time (Do It Right)" and Labelle's "Far as We Felt Like Goin'" appear on the extended edition.
Dig a little deeper and you'll discover a treasure trove of less obvious samples, too. "Don't Cha" and "Beep" borrow from Sir Mix-a-Lot's "Swass" and Electric Light Orchestra's "Evil Woman," respectively, while "Bite the Dust" adopts the rhythms of Harvey and the Phenomenals' "Soul Machine." As well as pushing pop music forward, the Dolls also knew how to throw things back, with second LP Doll Domination also borrowing from Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive" ("Hush Hush"), The Yardbirds' "He's Always There" ("When I Grow Up"), and Jane Birkin's "Je M'appelle Jane" ("Whatcha Think About That").
They Helped Nicole Scherzinger Get Her Dues
Nicole Scherzinger's chances of pop stardom looked to have been crushed when Eden's Crush, a girl group formed on The WB talent contest "Popstars," were dropped in 2002 after just one album. But she was thankfully given a career reprieve when she was recruited to join the Pussycat Dolls, quickly becoming their de facto leader.
From the sweetly sung melodies of "Stickwitu" and vampish delivery on "Feelin' Good" to the powerhouse crescendo of "I Don't Need a Man" and Broadway leanings of "Right Now," Scherzinger got plenty of chances to justify her dominance on PCD, which played to her strengths. The album instantly earmarked the Hawaiian as a new vocal force to be reckoned with, ultimately paving the way for a successful UK solo career and, perhaps most impressively, both a Tony and Olivier Award for her mesmerizing turn as Norma Desmond in the revival of "Sunset Boulevard."
Their Hits Are Still Holding Strong 20 Years On
Even if Pussycat Dolls never come together for another album, their short-but-impactful discography is still a constant presence in modern popculture, with "Buttons," in particular, fast becoming a Gen-Z favorite. Only last month, it was used as a needle drop for the baby shower scene in Netflix rom-com The Life List. Thanks to a 2022 version known as the Showmusik remix, it went viral as a TikTok dance challenge, with even Scherzinger herself joining in the fun.
Elsewhere, the sounds of PCD have also featured regularly in the last decade's most talked-about reality show, "Love Island," while "Don't Cha" has appeared in HBO's zeitgeist-defining, parent-scaring teen drama "Euphoria." If the group ever does get another tour off the ground, expect the crowd sing-alongs of "Don't you wish your girlfriend was hot like me?" to span generations.