PCD (album)


PCD is the debut studio album by American girl group The Pussycat Dolls, released on September 12, 2005, by A&M Records. In 1993, the Pussycat Dolls was created as a burlesque troupe by choreographer Robin Antin. After attracting media attention, Antin struck a joint venture with Interscope Records to develop the Pussycat Dolls into a brand, with Jimmy Iovine assigning the project to Ron Fair. As one of the executive producers Fair produced the majority of the album and collaborated with producers like Kwamé, Polow da Don and Rich Harrison. The album is primarily a dance-pop and R&B record. Lyrically the album incorporates sexual innuendo and explores the themes of feminism and romance. It features guest vocals from rappers Busta Rhymes, Timbaland and will.i.am.
PCD received mixed to positive reviews from contemporary music critics who complimented the album's dance-pop songs but criticized the album's ballads and covers while being ambivalent towards the group's image. The record debuted at number five on the US Billboard 200 and went on to sell nearly three million copies. PCD was later certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America after moving two million units. The album charted strongly on record charts in international territories reaching the top-ten in Australia, Germany, and the United Kingdom, and reached the peak position in New Zealand.
Six singles were released from PCD. "Don't Cha" was released as the lead single from PCD in April 2005, and peaked at number two on the US Billboard Hot 100 and remains their most successful single to date becoming one of the best-selling singles of all time. Follow-up singles "Stickwitu", "Beep" and "Buttons" also performed well on charts internationally with all four of them reaching atop the New Zealand Singles Chart. Other singles include "I Don't Need a Man" and "Wait a Minute", which gained notable success in numerous countries.

Background and recording

The Pussycat Dolls were created by choreographer Robin Antin and her roommate Christina Applegate in 1993 after inviting several dancers to explore Antin's idea of classic Las Vegas-style burlesque and give it a more contemporary spin. In 1995, the group began performing every Thursday at Johnny Depp's Los Angeles club, the Viper Room. In 2002, Gwen Stefani was invited to sing and perform with the Dolls and brought along Interscope Geffen A&M chairman Jimmy Iovine and then-president of A&M Records; both took interest into turning it into a singing group. In 2003, Antin struck a joint venture with Interscope Records to develop the Pussycat Dolls into a brand, with Iovine assigning the project to Fair. Fair stated that he wanted to create an album which would "involve music and visuals". He explained that "there's going to be some technological changes as well as creative changes in the way we go about it." The auditions drew about 500 aspiring performers, of which two singers—Nicole Scherzinger and Melody Thornton—were recruited, joining Carmit Bachar, Ashley Roberts, Jessica Sutta and Kimberly Wyatt to form a new recording group. Fair stated that even though "there were some adequate voices in the original group," Scherzinger and Thornton where needed "to bring the ability." In 2004, they recorded "We Went as Far as We Felt Like Going" for the Shark Tale soundtrack and recorded their own version of "Sway", which was released as single to promote the movie Shall We Dance?.
At the suggestion of Doug Morris—then chairman of Universal Music Group, "Don't Cha", which was originally recorded by Tori Alamaze and became a minor success on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, was given to the Pussycat Dolls as the label was trying to reinvent the girl group. While "Don't Cha" became an international success worldwide, an album hadn't been recorded yet. Fair stated, "we scrambled, got into formation" and worked on the album within 30 days at The Record Plant in Hollywood, California. According to Scherzinger, they took the time to put out the best record possible. She further explained that they were very selective with their songs and producers. As one of the executive producers, Fair enlisted a wide range of songwriters and producers for PCD, including CeeLo Green, Rich Harrison, Timbaland, and will.i.am. While searching for songs for the album, an A&R at Interscope Records and friend of Siobhan Fahey, a founding member of the girl group Bananarama, played to Iovine the song, "Bitter Pill" which was included on Shakespears Sister's Songs from the Red Room. After Fahey emailed the backing track to the label, it was renamed "Hot Stuff " as they added Donna Summer's "Hot Stuff" in the chorus. Although Fahey didn't like the group's version, financially she was delighted as it helped her fund her recordings.

Composition

PCD is primarily a dance-pop and R&B album. Some of the songs are other genres such as post-disco. The album's opening track "Don't Cha" featuring Busta Rhymes was written by American songwriter and recording artist CeeLo Green. The group strut around and taunt a hapless man in its chorus: "Don't cha wish your girlfriend was hot like me/ Don't cha wish your girlfriend was a freak like me." The song's is based from the chorus of "Swass" performed by Sir Mix-a-Lot. "Beep" features will.i.am of The Black Eyed Peas and is built on an orchestral sample from Electric Light Orchestra's "Evil Woman". The third track, features the final guest of the album, Timbaland. Lyrically the song discusses about "lustful desires" and suggests oral sex. "Stickwitu is soul ballad that celebrate's relationship that lasts. Scherzinger voice reaches at the thin end of her alto-into-soprano register. In "Buttons" the group sings about the desire to be undressed over Middle Eastern synths. "I Don't Need a Man" described as "post-disco anthem" finds the self-objectifying Dolls flipping the script for female empowerment.
The eight track, "How Many Times, How Many Lies" a R&B downtempo song which sees Scherzinger lamenting. "Bite the Dust" uses "dramatic strings" and was compared to the works of Destiny’s Child. The three remaining songs are covers. "Right Now" instrumentation consists of accentuated horns, congas and Latin-infused beats. The following song is mash-up between "Tainted Love" and "Where Did Our Love Go", the same way British duo Soft Cell did in 1981. The song was noted for utilizing the "elements of the synth pop classic." The twelfth and final track, a cover of Nina Simone's "Feeling Good" was described as a "faux-jazz" version of the original song.

Critical reception

Writing for AllMusic, Stephen Thomas Erlewine provided a favorable review, opining that the great thing about the album are the producers and songwriters who are willing to play with the group's "hyper-sexual image, creating a sleek, sexy sound ideal for both nightclubs and strip joints." However he did go on to criticize the albums's ballads. Slant Magazine writer Sal Cinquemani felt that if "the Pussycat Dolls really want to make their mark in the giant litter box that is popular music today, they need more of the big band burlesque of 'Right Now' and less of Diane Warren." In his consumer guide for MSN Music, Robert Christgau gave the album a "one-star honorable mention", commenting that the group is "sexier than your average prefab sexpots, but no fabber." Elysa Gardner of USA Today wrote that despite their superficiality and "insipid lyrics" acknowledged that "lead singer Nicole Scherzinger and at least a couple of her fellow Dolls have supple voices."
In a more negative review, Raymond Fiore of Entertainment Weekly commented that "not even B-squad urban cabaret pop from A-list production heavyweights can arouse our interest for a whole 45 minutes." Darryl Sterdan, when reviewing the album for Jam!, described the covers as "embarrassing" and the ballads as "overcooked". A reviewer of The Ledger wrote that the album is "essentially a solo release" from Scherzinger while noting songs like "Right Now" "make it clear that she really needs to keep around those dancing, singing/not-singing gals."
PCD won the award for Best Album — International at the 2006 TMF Awards, where the group was also nominated for Best Pop — International.

Commercial performance

PCD debuted at number five on the US Billboard 200 after having sold 99,000 copies during the first week. On its 45th week, while remaining within the top 50 of the Billboard 200 chart, the album rebounded back to the top ten with 3% sales increase after having sold 43,000 copies. PCD has sold 2.9 million copies by September 2008 and in January 2011 the record was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for shipment of 2,000,000 copies.
In the United Kingdom, PCD debuted at number eight on the UK Albums Chart with first week sales of 23,900, registering the second highest entry. The release of the album's fourth single "Buttons" helped the album increase sales for six consecutive weeks, setting a new peak of seven. As of May 5, 2009 PCD 1,246,769 copies in the United Kingdom and was certified quadruple platinum by the British Phonographic Industry in July 2013. In Australia, the album debuted at number 16 on the ARIA Top 100 Albums chart dated October 3, 2005. On the issue dated July 31, 2006, the album reached a new peak at number eight after leaping eight places. In New Zealand, PCD debuted at number twenty-three on September 19. Following three consecutive number one singles—"Don't Cha", "Stickwitu", "Beep"— the album reached the top spot for two non-consecutive weeks making the Pussycat Dolls the first girl group in over six years to top the albums chart since Bardot with their debut self-titled album.

Singles

"Don't Cha was released as the lead single from PCD on April 19, 2005. The song was met with positive reviews who praised the high dose of energy and the song's chorus. The track peaked at number two on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming the highest-peaking single in the country. The song was as also successful in other international markets, peaking number one Australia, Belgium, Germany, Ireland, Norway, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. The accompanying music video was released directed by Paul Hunter and sees the group in various activities including drag racing in a jeeps and jumping on a trampoline. "Stickwitu" was serviced to contemporary hit radio stations on September 26 as the second single. Critics lauded the song's production, but criticized the placement on the album. The track peaked at number five on the Billboard Hot 100, and achieved similar success internationally peaking number one in New Zealand and the United Kingdom. An accompanying music video was released on October 13, and depicts a day in the life of the group. An urban remix featuring Avant was released on December 20. The album's third single, "Beep" featuring will.i.am was sent to contemporary hit radio and rhythmic stations on February 6, 2006. It peaked at number thirteen on the Billboard Hot 100. It additionally peaked within the top-ten of several international singles charts, and reached number one in Belgium and New Zealand.
For the release of the fourth single, "Buttons" was remixed to feature new verses from Snoop Dogg. It was released on April 11. The song became a commercial success, peaking at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 and became the group's fourth consecutive number-one on the New Zealand Singles Chart. According to Nielsen Soundscan, as of January 2010, the song has sold over 2 million digital downloads, making the Pussycat Dolls the first all-female group in digital history to have three singles—along with "Don't Cha" and "When I Grow Up"—pass the two million mark in digital sales. "I Don't Need a Man" was released as the fifth single on September 25, 2006 in the United Kingdom. On the UK Singles Chart the song peaked at number 7, giving the group their fifth consecutive top-ten single; elsewhere it reached the top-ten in Australia, Ireland, and New Zealand. "Wait a Minute" was released as the final single; it was serviced to contemporary hit radio stations on October 16, 2006. The single was moderately successful on the Hot 100, peaking at number 28. Elsewhere, it reached the top-twenty of Australia, Belgium, and the Netherlands.

Promotion

The Pussycat Dolls were the last performers of KIIS-FM's Wango Tango music festival which was held in Los Angeles, on May 14, 2005. Prior the performance Scherzinger said, "We are so psyched . We can't wait. It's going to be amazing." While closing their set with "Don't Cha", MTV's Brandee J. Tecson commented, "Like a lot of the day's performers, the Dolls were newcomers to the Wango stage, but ended the night like veterans." On August 14, 2005 The Pussycat Dolls performed "Don't Cha" at the 2005 Teen Choice Awards. On November 7, 2005 they arrived at Australia for a promotional trip. It began by meeting with the four Australian Idol finalists and was followed with radio, television and print interviews. In December 2005 the group performed for the annual KIIS-FM Jingle Ball wearing "festive candy-cane-striped belly shirts and red-and-green capri pants." The set list included "Don't Cha", 'Stickwitu" and "Wait a Minute".
On January 27, 2006, the Pussycat Dolls performed "Sway" and "Don't Cha" on Dancing with the Stars during the results show. On March 23, they began 34-date tour with The Black Eyed Peas' as the main opening act for their Honda Civic Tour till May. On June 30, the group performed "Don't Cha", "Buttons" and "Stickwitu" on Good Morning America as part of its Summer Concert Series. On September 8, they performed "Buttons" at the annual charity fundraiser event Fashion Rocks. They were dressed in " outfits" while rapper Jibbs accompanied them. On September 30, the group performed "Sway" on Wetten, dass..? in Germany. On November 21, they performed "Buttons" at the 2006 American Music Awards. In December 2006, the group was selected by the National Basketball Association and American Broadcasting Company to use an adaptation of "Right Now" as the opening number for the ABC's coverage of the NBA. The song was used from Christmas through the end of the season and was previewed going into and out of commercial breaks during telecasts. To further promote the album the Pussycat Dolls toured along with Danity Kane on Christina Aguilera's Back to Basics Tour in North America from February to May. On July 7, the Pussycat Dolls together with other artists performed at Live Earth, which was held to raise awareness of global warming. They performed "Buttons", "Stickwitu", and "Don't Cha".

Track listing

Notes
;Samples
Credits adapted from the liner notes of PCD.
Managerial
Performers
The PCD Orchestra
Technical

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Chart Position
Australian Albums 17
Australian Urban Albums 5
Austrian Albums 45
Belgian Albums 7
Belgian Albums 45
Dutch Albums 16
French Albums 59
Hungarian Albums 2
German Albums 16
Irish Albums 14
New Zealand Albums 6
Swiss Albums 25
UK Albums 28
US Billboard 20012
US Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums 98
Worldwide12

Chart Position
Australian Albums 96
Australian Urban Albums 10
Hungarian Albums 66
French Albums 126
US Billboard 200104

Chart Position
Australian Urban Albums 25

Decade-end charts

Certifications

Release history