The Pussycat Dolls: Meet the girls behind 'Don't Cha' and 'React'
They started out in the 90s!
Meet Nicole Scherzinger, Ashley Roberts, Kimberly Wyatt, Jessica Sutta, Carmit Bachar and Melody Thornton, better known as The Pussycat Dolls. The group rose to fame after their debut single 'Don't Cha' featuring Busta Rhymes went to Number 1 across the world in 2005, but they actually formed a decade before that.
Here we take a look at who The Pussycat Dolls were, starting as a burlesque group in 1995 and becoming one of the most popular girl groups around after recruiting Nicole Scherzinger in 2003.
Over the years, the band have had a number of different line-ups, famously reuniting in November 2019 on The X Factor: Celebrity finale, to perform their song 'React'. Find out more about the Pussycat Dolls below...
Who are The Pussycat Dolls?
Perhaps the most famous line-up of The Pussycat Dolls consisted of Ashley Roberts, Kimberly Wyatt, Jessica Sutta, Carmit Bachar, and Nicole Scherzinger. However, over the years they have had a number of different line-ups, most notably the five previously mentioned, with Melody Thornton between 2003 and 2010.
The Pussycat Dolls had their biggest hits as a line-up of six, before Carmit left in 2008, with the five-some continuing making more hits until they split in 2010.
Did The Pussycat Dolls reunite?
Yes, The Pussycat Dolls did reunite! Ashley Roberts, Kimberly Wyatt, Jessica Sutta, Carmit Bachar and Nicole Scherzinger, announced they would be back with a tour in 2020 and a new single, 'React'. Unfortunately, due to Covid their tour was then put back to May 2021 and later cancelled.
Speaking about their reunion at the time, Nicole Scherzinger said: "I love all my girls so much and cannot wait to show you what we've got in store for you. It’s been a long time coming but this feels like the perfect time to remind the world what it means to be a Pussycat Doll."
When the girls reunited, their founder Robin Antin said: "I created The Pussycat Dolls back in 1994 and never in my wildest dreams would I have thought it would become one of the most iconic girl groups of our time.
"I’ve been working on making this reunion happen now for years, so I am very excited that the stars have aligned for THE PCD REUNION! It’s with gratitude to our fans and during this amazing time of female empowerment, to be able to announce the launch of our PCD reunion, celebrating ALL GENDERS, & the brilliant success and talent of the girls that helped influence a movement that was long overdue."
How did The Pussycat Dolls become famous?
Although many people think of The Pussycat Dolls forming in 2003, it was actually back in 1995 that they formed as a burlesque group under the direction of Robin Antin.
They had a very different line-up including actress Christina Applegate, Christina Aguilera and Carmen Electra.
In 2003, The Pussycat Dolls appeared in the film Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle and in P!NK's music video for 'Trouble'.
However, with a shift towards pop music, the line-up changed again with the group's creator, Robin moving into a management role. Nicole Scherzinger, Melody Thornton and Kaya Jones were recruited for their singing ability, to join a selection of the original line-up.
After a couple more members left, the line-up from 2004 was Nicole Scherzinger, Carmit Bachar, Ashley Roberts, Jessica Sutta, Melody Thornton, and Kimberly Wyatt.
What happened to The Pussycat Dolls' reunion tour?
The Pussycat Dolls announced a reunion tour in late 2019, which was initially postponed due to the Coronavirus Pandemic, and the band released this statement.
"Following the latest government advice we are very sad to announce that we are postponing our upcoming UK and Ireland tour. We're heartbroken that we will not be able to perform next month, but the safety and health of our fans is of course our No.1 priority. We look forward to seeing you all at the rescheduled dates in October. In the meantime please stay safe and look after yourselves. 💖 Love, The Pussycat Dolls."
However, the tour was later cancelled in January 2022.
Which are their most popular songs?
The Pussycat Dolls songs include, 'Don't Cha', 'Stickwitu', 'Beep', 'When I Grow Up' and the remix of the Slumdog Millionaire song, 'Jai Ho! (You Are My Destiny)'. The Pussycat Dolls have had two studio albums, 'PCD' and 'Doll Domination', as well as six Top 5 singles in the UK.
What is their most recent song?
The Pussycat Dolls released the song 'React' after they reunited in 2019. The girls teased their song at their X Factor performance in 2019, before releasing it in February 2020. The music video for 'React' featured all five members showing off some incredible dance moves.
WARNING: THERE ARE SOME SUPER SEXY DANCE MOVES IN THIS VIDEO!
Why did The Pussycat Dolls split up?
The Pussycat Dolls originally split up in 2010. However, before the group decided to go their separate ways, Carmit Bachar, who was the longest-serving member of the group, left in 2008 to follow a solo career.
In 2010, within days of each other, both Kimberly Wyatt and Ashley Roberts left the group, with Kimberley saying: "Ultimately I think that happiness is the most important thing in life and I think that once I started to get to know myself more and more I was like, 'You know, I don’t think that happiness is within this group right now'."
After leaving, Ashley revealed that she had caught the acting bug. In the weeks following Kimberly and Ashley's departure, other members of the group also decided to leave, with lead vocalist Nicole Scherzinger even going to pursue her own solo career.
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