Doll Domination
Doll Domination is the second and final studio album by American girl group the Pussycat Dolls, released on September 19, 2008, by Interscope Records. The album's release was preceded by the departure of the group's longest-standing member Carmit Bachar. Development began in February 2008 where the group worked with previous collaborators Sean Garrett, Polow da Don and Timbaland and new ones such as Darkchild, J-Roc and Chase N. Cashe. Polow da Don, R. Kelly and Snoop Dogg also make guest performances on the album. Several songs on Doll Domination were originally recorded for the lead singer Nicole Scherzinger's debut solo album, Her Name is Nicole, which was shelved after the under-performance of its preceding singles.
Primarily a pop, dance and R&B album that also blend elements of hip hop, electropop and soul music with lyrics that tackle fame, sexuality and relationships. All of the lead and background vocals were sung by Scherzinger with support from Melody Thornton, whilst the remaining group members are only credited for background vocals. Upon release, Doll Domination received mixed reviews from music critics. The album debuted at number four on the US Billboard 200 becoming the group's highest-charting album. It experienced similar peaks in international territories, debuting at number three in Canada and number four in Australia and on the United Kingdom albums chart. Doll Domination was later reissued in multiple versions throughout 2009. The album was supported with a world tour titled Doll Domination Tour in 2009.
The album was preceded by the release of the US Billboard Hot 100 top-ten single "When I Grow Up" and the UK top-ten hit "Whatcha Think About That". Other successful singles were "I Hate This Part", "Jai Ho! ", and "Hush Hush; Hush Hush", all of which reached the top ten in numerous countries worldwide. Although "Jai Ho! " became a number-one hit in Australia, Ireland, Finland, among other countries, the single caused tension within the group as Scherzinger was billed as a featured artist. Despite their commercial success, unhappiness of Scherzinger's spotlight and prominence within the group grew leading to a public outburst by Thornton during the tour. In early 2010, the group disbanded to pursue solo projects, before reforming in 2019 with the promise of new music. In 2019, the R. Kelly collaboration "Out of This Club" was removed from digital retailers and streaming services, following the airing of the Surviving R. Kelly documentary and subsequent abuse allegations against the singer.
Background
The Pussycat Dolls debut album PCD was a commercial success, selling seven million copies worldwide, and includes their breakthrough single "Don't Cha". The album's success established the group as viable act in the music industry, earning them a reputation among the century's few breakout successes. This helped the groups' brand and their label Interscope Records to expand into various business avenues which include lines of makeup, perfumes, and television. The Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search for the Next Doll premiered in March 2007 with the aim to add a seventh member to the group. Asia Nitollano was relieved to be the winner but quit shortly after the finale to pursue a solo career.Meanwhile, lead singer Nicole Scherzinger was preparing to launch her solo career via the release of her debut album, Her Name is Nicole. It was tentatively set for June 2007. The album was met with multiple delays due to poor commercial reception of its singles. Several other members ventured into works outside the group. Ashley Roberts made her film debut in Make It Happen, Jessica Sutta collaborated with Dave Audé and Paul van Dyk, and Melody Thornton was featured on Jibbs' single "Go Too Far". In March 2008, Carmit Bachar announced via the group's website that she had left the group intending to pursue a solo career. At the time of her departure, she had been the longest member of the group, joining in 1995 when they were a burlesque act. On March 10, they performed for the first time without Bachar for the Operation MySpace concert which honored US troops stationed in Kuwait.
Development
''Her Name is Nicole'' sessions
To minimize expenses, Interscope Records planned to rework several songs from Her Name Is Nicole before the album's cancellation. It was reported that the label invested $1.5 million on the album with Scherzinger recording about 300 songs. In 2010, Scherzinger claimed it was her request to not release the album, as she felt that many of the songs, were better suited to the Dolls album. After PCD was completed, Scherzinger began working on her solo album a wide range of artists like, Akon, Ne-Yo, Timbaland, Kanye West, will.i.Am and Snow Patrol's Gary Lightbody. She sought to establish herself as a versatile artist, separate from her identity as the group's lead singer, showcasing facets of her personality that had not been fully explored. "Happily Never After" and "Who's Gonna Love You" where included in the final tracklist of the album. The latter was written by Scherzinger, Polow da Don, and, Kara DioGuardi. It was first previewed in Scherzinger's website in February 2008. The former was one of the two songs Ne-Yo gave to Scherzinger after being originally written for Britney Spears. During an interview with The Guardian Ne-Yo recounted his experience writing songs for Spears and explained there were multiple scheduled sessions where she was supposed to provide input on the tracks, but she never attended. Ne-Yo continued working on the songs until Spears' widely publicized head-shaving incident where her team stopped responding. During this period, he met Scherzinger. After news broke that Scherzinger recorded the song, Spears' management wondered why he gave away the song, to which Ne-Yo replied, "It may've been written with Britney in mind, but it's not hers."Another song written with Spears in mind was "When I Grow Up". It was rejected by her record label Jive Records at the time of the creation of Spears' fifth studio album Blackout. The Rock City songwriters re-wrote the lyrics with Scherzinger in mind. The song would be eventually be released as the lead single of Doll Domination. Another future single, "I Hate This Part" was conceived during a writing session for British singer Leona Lewis by Wayne Hector, Lucas Secon, Jonas Jeberg, and Mich Hansen. It was sent to Scherzinger, after Ron Fair requested it for the Pussycat Dolls. During the recording process, Scherzinger was vocally inspired by rock singers Sting and Steve Perry.
Focus on the Pussycat Dolls
In February 2008, the group's founder Robin Antin confirmed that Scherzinger was back in the studio working on the group's second album. The following month, Fair confirmed the group had recorded five songs for the album and would be working with past collaborators such as, Sean Garrett, CeeLo Green, and Timbaland. Scherzinger acknowledged that Timbaland was an executive producer of the album, stating that "he had his own visions of what he wanted for the group." Timbaland and his associates contributed to four songs in the album: "Magic", "Halo", "In Person", and "Whatchamacallit", though the album omits Timbaland's credit as an executive prodcuer. Garret, who previously produced "Buttons", wrote and produced "Bottle Pop" with Fernando Garibay. Garibay was then contacted by Jimmy Iovine to work with Lady Gaga, who was an upcoming songwriter at that time to write songs for the group. Gaga was signed to Akon's KonLive Distribution, who was also contracted to write for the group. Experiencing writer's block, he contacted producer RedOne and together they created "Just Dance". They presented it to Iovine who briefly suggested that the song be given to the group, but Akon felt the song belonged to Gaga. Green produced "Love Gun" for the album, however it wasn't included in the final track listing. Scherzinger described the song as having 60s and 70s influences while the vocals were compared to Tina Turner and Aretha Franklin. The song was later included in his own studio album, The Lady Killer with vocals featuring Lauren Bennett. Thornton released her version that same year.Composition
Doll Domination is a dance-pop album, with dance, electronic, and R&B elements. Critics noted that it follows the same formula as their debut album; self-assuring themes, sultry lyrics and thumping dance beats. Thornton describes the album as vocally diverse, that blends R&B, hip-hop, slow jams, alternative, and soft rock. It aims to showcase group's vocal abilities while evolving musically with more mature themes, like in "I Hate This Part".Songs
Doll Domination opens with "When I Grow Up", an uptempo electropop song, built around "bouncy synth lines" and a "thudding" bassline and alongside heavy usage of sirens, handclaps and pitch-shifted vocals. Scherzinger adopts similar vocal stylings on the song to Spears. Described as the album's ideological centerpiece, it celebrates fame, luxury, and youth-driven materialism and acts as a manifesto of celebrity culture. Thornton highlights the lyrics "Be careful what you wish for; 'Cause you just might get it," which serves as a warning regarding success in the entertainment industry. Electronica track "Bottle Pop" features rapper Snoop Dogg. It uses sexual innuendo with Scherzinger adopting "breathy vocals". In "Whatcha Think About That", the Pussycat Dolls adopt a spunky attitude as they assert independence against a controlling boyfriend, reversing gender roles. With three verses of brash, risqué rap, they are joined by rapper Missy Elliott who references Katy Perry's "I Kissed a Girl". It is a mid tempo electropop and R&B song which is built around a distinctive bhangra-ish guitar riff. In "I Hate This Part" the group adopts a more polished pop style, moving away from their typical sexual image and opting for a more reflective and melancholic "sad, lonely girl" approach. With lyrics about a dooming relationship, the song sees Scherzinger in a conversation before a breakup. With elements of dance and R&B music, the song's production features a mournful piano, faux strings and syncopated rhythms. In "Takin' Over the World" sees the return of the Dolls signature sound: processed vocal harmonies layered over electro beats. It uses an Australian didgeridoo as they aim for "a global-pop sound". "Out of This Club" is a mid tempo R&B song with a lush beat and simple piano melodies. With lyrics about settling down after a wild party life, Scherzinger "coos and flirts" with featured artist R. Kelly. "Who's Gonna Love You" features a lively dance beat with 80s influences, reminiscent of Janet Jackson's music."Happily Never After" is an acoustic ballad, well suited for Scherzinger's vocal range. Using a straightforward melody, she narrates a story of a woman who leaves a harmful relationship. Though she starts off uncertain, she ultimately finds a sense of relief. "Magic" features unconventional Middle Eastern rhythms and talking duck samples. It was described as a "dark, dissonant club banger". "Halo" is a grand, synth-driven track with a rich orchestration, featuring prominent beats and a polished synth sound. "In Person" is a lively, jazzy track with a distinctive two-step rhythm. Emulating Tina Turner, Scherzinger threatens to "hurt" and "kick" a deadbeat partner. "Elevator" is "spacey-R&B track" with a lot of catchy hooks. Thornton can be heard singing part of the bridge. "Hush Hush" is pop ballad described to having "down tempo forlornness". Scherzinger's vocals were described as powerful, with her exaggerated pronunciation adding to the dramatic delivery. The song portrays the Pussycat Dolls as strong, independent women who don't depend on men for help. "Love the Way You Love Me" has smooth, polished pop sound with a playful, otherworldly quality. The song "Whatchamacalit" combines J-Pop influences with a style reminiscent of Tim Burton and Danny Elfman. Scherzinger playfully challenges her competitors about her fashion choices and her partner's qualities. The song stands out as the only one where she directly engages with other women. The standard edition of Doll Domination closes with "I'm Done", a soft and gentle ballad.