Doll Domination

Background

The Pussycat Dolls previous album PCD (2005) was a commercial success selling up to 2.9 million records in the United States. The album featured three top ten hits including the international breakthrough single "Don't Cha". The success brought the group a wide array of spin-offs which included a CW reality series, Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search for the Next Doll. Executively produced by the Pussycat Dolls founder Robin Antin, her brother Steven Antin, record executive Jimmy Iovine, and television producers McG and Ken Mok, the goal of the show was add a seventh member to the group who would join them in recording their second studio album and future tour endeavors. Its finale on April 24 revealed Asia Nitollano to be the winner of the competition. Following her win, she joined the group in a performance of their debut single "Don't Cha". However, several months later, it was revealed that Nitollano had actually quit the group shortly after the finale aired to pursue a solo career.

Over the course of two years (2005–07) lead singer Nicole Scherzinger recorded 75-100 songs for her planned solo debut album. In March 2007, Scherzinger announced that her debut studio album would be titled Her Name is Nicole and was initially scheduled for a release in late summer. In September 2007 Scherzinger released her debut single, "Baby Love" featuring will.i.am, achieving moderate success. After the lack of success of the other three singles: "Whatever U Like" (featuring T. I.), "Supervillain" and "'Puakenikeni" and a number of push backs, Scherzinger decided not to release any further singles from the album and at her request, Her Name Is Nicole was shelved and shifted back focus back on the Doll's second album. On March 3, 2008 Carmit Bachar announced via the group's website 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 as a five-piece for the Operation MySpace concert which honored US troops stationed in Kuwait.

On August 12, 2008 the group unveiled the album artwork for the standard edition of the album. The cover depicts each member on motorcycles that bears a medallion displaying their initials. Maura of Idolator saw the cover as a step for the four members "to finally break through and maybe, someday, have personalities of their own."

Composition

Doll Domination comprises sixteen tracks on the standard edition and twenty-one on the deluxe edition—five of which are songs credited to each individual member. In terms of musical composition, critics noted that it follows the same formula as their debut album; self-assuring themes, sultry lyrics and thumping dance beats.

The album opens up with "When I Grow Up" an uptempo R&B and electropop song which is centered around the desire to be famous when one grows up. Nic Oliver from musicOMH opined that the track "sets the template for the rest of the album." "Bottle Pop" which features Snoop Dogg consists of "breathy vocals, funky electronica and sexual innuendo." Whatcha Think About That" is a mid tempo electropop and R&B song which is built around a distinctive bhangra-ish guitar riff. The song features three verses from American female rapper Missy Elliott who joins the group "for a boy-baiting session." The fourth track "I Hate This Part" is an emotive ballad speaking about the conversation before a breakup. "Takin' Over the World" "goes for these [girls] idea of global-pop" over "cool electro grooves." The sixth track, "Out of This Club" which features American rapper R. Kelly and producer Polow da Don is "a slow jam" consisting of "rudimentary piano melodies" and a "plush beat against a romantic chorus." "Who's Gonna Love You" is Doll Domination's tenth track. It has been noted to have Janet Jackson influences, as well as "shimmering 80s gloss." In "Happily Never After" Scherzinger narrates the story of a woman who walks out on a dead-end relationship. "Magic" uses Middle Eastern rhythms.

Critical response

Doll Domination received mixed to negative reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 51, which indicates "mixed or average reviews", based on 12 reviews. Writing for Billboard, Mariel Concepcion provided a favorable review, opining that the album has all "the elements (self-assuring themes, sultry lyrics and lots of skin-tight latex) to mimic the victory of [PCD]." Steve Jones of USA Today agreed with Concepcion, but added they are "more interested in pushing their brand than pushing boundaries." Writing for Slant Magazine, Sal Cinquemani found that "it was smart to spotlight the, talents of the other pussycats" following the cancellation of Her Name is Nicole. Jon Pareles of The New York Times noted that the ballads "are a move toward expanding the franchise" seeking "a little empathy along with the attitude." In a more mixed review, Rolling Stone's Christian Hoard singled out several songs but concluded that the record "sounds like the Dolls just threw everything they had against the charts to see if anything would stick."

Elan Priya of The Times wrote that the album that "lacks any distinct personality." August Brown from the Los Angeles Times noted that the tracks don't come "within [the] sniffing distance of 'Don't Cha,' Instead, they act out as a "a series of signifiers to other, more interesting, moments in recent pop culture." Likewise, Ken Capobianco of The Boston Globe stated that the album does not live up to their debut album PCD. Margeaux Watson of Entertainment Weekly graded the album a C– criticizing Doll Domination's longevity "especially for a group that brazenly emphasizes style over substance." Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic found it ironic that a group coming from a burlesque revue sings songs about "empowerment, heartbreak, love, fame and wealth, but never about sex." He ended his review writing, " it's a lot better to hear pinups sing a song of striptease than a song of love." Nic Oliver from musicOMH was also more negative of the record, opining that it is an "album heading straight for the bargain bins" under the file "dispiriting."

On his list of the five worst albums of 2008, Chris Willman from Entertainment Weekly placed Doll Domination fifth, criticizing the songs "double entendres" aimed at their "target audience of 15-year-olds." IGN ranked Doll Domination third on their list of the ten worst albums, commenting that it the "record stands out because it is so exceptionally retched." It was voted as the third worst album in the 2008 Popjustice Readers' Poll.

Commercial performance

In the United States, Doll Domination debuted at number-four on the Billboard 200 chart selling 79,000 copies in the week ending September 29, according to Nielsen Music. In addition, Doll Domination attained their highest peak on the Billboard 200 however, it also marked their lowest first week sales of an album, with PCD selling 99,000 copies. During its second week of release, Doll Domination dropped to number fourteen. The album was a commercial disappointment in the U.S. selling less than 400,000 copies by April 2009. In Canada, Doll Domination entered at number three on the albums chart with sales of 12,000 in the week ending October 11, 2008. The album managed to chart for only 5 weeks, and was certified platinum by the Music Canada for shipments exceeding 80,000 copies.

In the United Kingdom, the album debuted at number four on the UK Albums Chart dated September 28, 2008, selling 31,823 units and eclipsing the number eight debut (23,800 sales) and number seven peak of their debut album PCD. On November 28, 2008 the album was certified Gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). As of May 2009, Doll Domination has sold a total of 205,881 copies in the UK—less than a sixth as many as the PCD, which has sold 1,246,769 copies. In France, Doll Domination debuted at number sixteen on the French Albums Chart on September 29, 2008, staying at that spot for two weeks. It has been certified Gold by the Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique.

Singles

The album's lead single "When I Grow Up" was released on May 27, 2008 and serviced to contemporary hit radio stations on June 1, 2008. The single was received favorably by contemporary music critics, many of whom highlighted it as a stand-out track from Doll Domination. The song peaked at number nine on Billboard Hot 100, becoming the group's highest charting single since "Buttons". The accompanying music video was nominated in five categories at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards, and went on to win Best Dance Video. "Whatcha Think About That", which features guest vocals by American recording artist Missy Elliott, was released and serviced to contemporary hit radio stations on September 9, 2008 as the second single. The song failed to enter the Billboard Hot 100, however it did manage to peak at number nine on the UK Singles Chart. The burlesque-inspired video was directed by Diane Martel and was released in October 6. "Out of This Club", a collaboration between R. Kelly and Polow da Don, was sent to urban contemporary stations on October 12, 2008 as the third single in the United States. The song debuted and peaked at number 24 on the Billboard Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles, a component chart that represents the 25 songs that failed to make an impact on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. "I Hate This Part" was released in October 14, 2008 as the second international single and impacted contemporary hit radio stations on October 20, 2008 as the fourth single in the United States. The song received positive feedback from music critics, who commended the song's production and Scherzinger's vocals. The song peaked at number eleven on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and topped the US Hot Dance Club Songs chart. It additionally peaked within the top-ten of several international singles charts including in Australia and New Zealand. The accompanying music video was released on October 11, and was filmed in Los Angeles featuring a desert-themed concept.

Following A. R. Rahman's win at the 2009 Academy Awards for Best Original Song and Best Original Score for "Jai Ho" and the soundtrack of Slumdog Millionaire, the English pop version entitled "Jai Ho! (You Are My Destiny)" was released the day after. Nicole Scherzinger was credited as a featured artist, creating tension within the group. The track peaked at number fifteen on the Billboard Hot 100, after charging eighty-five places to make the largest weekly leap from number 100. Internationally, it achieved greater success across Europe and Oceania, reaching the top of the charts in 17 countries including Australia, Finland and Ireland. The accompanying music video recreated the last scene from the movie Slumdog Millionaire. On February 23, a remix of was released in New Zealand replacing Snoop Dogg with Devolo. "Bottle Pop" featuring Snoop Dogg was released on March 6 as the fourth single in Australia and some European countries. In Oceania the song achieved a moderate success peaking within the top-twenty in Australia and New Zealand. In the United States the song topped the Hot Dance Club Play chart. "Hush Hush; Hush Hush" was solicited to contemporary hit radio stations on May 26, 2009 as the final single of Doll Domination. The song peaked at number seventy-three and forty-one on the United States and Canada respectively. Internationally the single reached number two in Turkey, ten in Australia, and the top twenty in most European countries. Additionally the song went on to become the group's sixth consecutive number one on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs chart.

Promotion

The Pussycat Dolls first performed "When I Grow Up" on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on May 20, 2008, on June 1 at the 2008 MTV Movie Awards and on June 12 on So You Think You Can Dance. The album was additionally promoted through an episode of the documentary series E! True Hollywood Story, which premiered through E! on May 23 and hosted VH1's special Maxim Hot 100 on May 27. In August 2008, The Pussycat Dolls traveled to Asia to open the 2008 MTV Asia Awards in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, performing "Buttons" and "When I Grow Up" on August 2 and appeared on the second day of the Singfest music festival in Singapore on August 4. On August 29, they performed "When I Grow Up" on Today and several days later performed at the annual charity fundraiser event Fashion Rocks. The group then performed five songs at a Walmart Soundcheck showcase: "I Hate This Part", "Takin' Over the World" and "When I Grow Up" from Doll Domination, and "Buttons" and "Don't Cha" from PCD.

On October 14, the group traveled to Australia to perform at the Sydney Opera House as part of a series of concerts promoting Xbox 360 and the video game Lips; the following day they performed a two-song set on Sunrise. On October 28, the group performed "Whatcha Think About That" along with Missy Elliott on Dancing with the Stars. On November 21, they performed a medley of "I Hate This Part" and "When I Grow Up" at the 2008 American Music Awards. The performance included stripper poles, and the girls donned all-rubber outfits. On December 12, the group performed "I Hate This Part" on The Hills Finale Live from NYC. The group went on to perform on January 7 on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, on January 18 they performed along with "When I Grow Up" on the 2009 NRJ Music Awards in Cannes, France. The Pussycat Dolls first performed "Jai Ho! (You Are My Destiny)" for the first time on television on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on March 10 wearing Indian-inspired outfits. Several days later they performed "Jai Ho! (You Are My Destiny)" and "I Hate This Part" on MuchOnDemand and on March 28 performed a medley of "Jai Ho! (You Are My Destiny)" and "When I Grow Up" at the Kids' Choice Awards.

Tour

During the summer of 2008, Ashley Roberts first mentioned the group's intentions to tour in 2009. In October the group announced the first set of dates in the United Kingdom with American R&B singer-songwriter Ne-Yo as an opening act in select UK dates. The following month more European dates were announced along with dates in Oceania for which American recording artist Lady Gaga was announced as the main opening act in both legs. The first leg of Doll Domination Tour began at the Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre in Aberdeen, Scotland on January 18, 2009 and concluded on February 25 at the Belgrade Arena in Belgrade, Serbia. Before continuing in Oceania, the group opened for Britney Spears' Circus Tour in North America from March 3 to May 3. The tour resumed on May 16 at the Vector Arena in Aukland, New Zealand and concluded on July 31 at the Beirut International Exhibition & Leisure Center in Beirut, Lebanon. Jessica Sutta suffered a back injury during the first Sydney show, leaving the group performing as a foursome throughout the following shows. Twenty-three shows were submitted to Billboard's boxscore grossing $14.3 million, with 231,711 fans attending the performances.

Disc 2

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Doll Domination.

Doll Domination 2.0

Doll Domination 2.0 is a reissue of American girl group The Pussycat Dolls' second studio album Doll Domination (2008). It was released on April 24, 2009 by Interscope Records and Universal Music Group. Released six months after the original, Doll Domination 2.0 features ten songs including the remix of "Hush Hush; Hush Hush" and three newly recorded songs.

Response

Nick Bond of MTV Australia commented although "confusing [...] releasing a succinct package of the better songs from 'Doll Domination' is actually the smartest move they've made for a while." He ended the review writing, "while it's looking increasingly unlikely that the group will survive to a third album, this mini-greatest hits makes for a fitting send-off."

Track listing

Charts

Doll Domination 3.0

On August 10, 2009, Doll Domination 3.0 was released in the UK using the original cover art. It includes all of the songs from the Standard Edition as well as songs from the Mini Collection. It does not include any of the solo songs from the original deluxe edition, nor "Lights, Camera, Action" (featuring New Kids on the Block) or "Top of the World".