The Pussycat Dolls

There's a perfectly good reason why the first single from Doll Domination, the Pussycat Dolls' second album, sports the punch line "When I Grow Up/I Want to Be Famous": despite a million-selling debut, the Pussycats aren't famous yet, a fact borne out by the non-launch of head Doll Nicole Scherzinger's scrapped solo debut Her Name Is Nicole. Heralded by several sexy magazine covers, the record was set for 2007 but disappeared after four singles failed to turn into hits. Maybe they weren't great songs, maybe the public didn't like them, but it's just as likely that even fans may not have known who she was, as her name was buried in the credits to PCD's debut. Every single thing about Doll Domination suggests that the powers that be at Interscope and the PCD organization decided that PCD was an insufficient launch pad for solo stardom, so they made the second album into a showcase for Nicole and the other four Dolls. On Doll Domination's cover, each Pussycat straddles her own motorcycle bedecked with the initial of her first name, while on the album each gets to sing lead on at least one track and on the double-disc deluxe version -- which clocks in at over 85 minutes -- each Pussycat gets a track credited to herself.

So much effort is spent because so much effort is needed: without a scorecard it is impossible to tell who is singing lead in the Pussycat Dolls. If the album was designed as proud, faceless product, this interchangeability wouldn't matter, but when the whole idea for the album is turning the group into superstars, it's a bit of a problem. This doesn't mean that Doll Domination doesn't work as pure proud product, at least on occasion: the ever-reliable Kara DioGuardi helps give the shimmering '80s gloss of "Who's Gonna Love You" some shape and Ne-Yo's "Happily Never After" is a good waiting-room ballad. One mystery for the ages: a group that wouldn't exist if it wasn't for a burlesque revue now runs away from the bump-n-grind, singing about empowerment, heartbreak, love, fame and wealth, but never about sex. And that's the ultimate irony about Doll Domination: the group that's a men's magazine photo spread come to life is now backing away from sex -- and it's a lot better to hear pinups sing a song of striptease than a song of love. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide