Maps of Music

Doll Domination (2008)

Where the lyrics of Doll Domination take you, and where it was really made.

The album's title came from a makeup artist's remark about the group's busy promotional schedule.

Key places

Recorded at Boiler Room Studio (2008)

Recording site Ruby Red — The album was recorded at Boiler Room Studio. The pin shows Santa Monica city center, not the exact building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Recorded at ZAC Recording Studios (2008)

Recording site DARP Studios (Atlanta) — The album was recorded at ZAC Recording Studios. The pin shows Atlanta city center, not the exact building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Recorded at Chocolate Factory (2008)

Recording site Chicago Recording Company — The album was recorded at Chocolate Factory in Chicago. The pin shows Chicago city center, not the exact building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Recorded at Conway Recording Studios (2008)

Recording site Conway Recording Studios — The album was recorded at Conway Recording Studios in Hollywood. The pin sits on the studio building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Recorded at D.M.I (2008)

Recording site D.M.L. — The album was recorded at D.M.I in East Orange, New Jersey. The pin shows East Orange city center, not the exact building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Recorded at Criteria Studios (2008)

Recording site Criteria Studios — The album was recorded at Criteria Studios in Miami, also known as Hit Factory Criteria. The pin sits on the studio building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Recorded at Nomad (2008)

Recording site Luminous Sound — The album was recorded at Nomad in Dallas. The pin shows Dallas city center, not the exact building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Recorded at Record Plant (2008)

Recording site Record Plant (Los Angeles) — The album was recorded at Record Plant in Los Angeles. The pin sits on the studio building at the listed address. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Doll Domination: second studio album by American girl group the Pussycat Dolls
• Released 19 September 2008 by Interscope Records
• Primarily pop, dance and R&B, blending hip hop, electropop and soul
• Lyrics tackle fame, sexuality and relationships
• Lead vocals mostly by Nicole Scherzinger, with Melody Thornton in support
• Debuted at number four on the US Billboard 200, the group's highest-charting album
• Supported by the Doll Domination Tour in 2009

Background

• Released after the departure of longest-standing member Carmit Bachar, who announced her exit in March 2008
• Predecessor PCD (2005) was a commercial success, selling seven million copies worldwide
• Scherzinger's solo debut Her Name is Nicole was shelved after its singles underperformed
• Several songs from the shelved album were reworked for this album
• The label reportedly invested $1.5 million in the shelved album, with about 300 songs recorded

Recording

• Production began in early 2008
• Collaborators included Sean Garrett, Polow da Don, Timbaland, Rodney Jerkins, J-Roc and Chase N. Cashe
• Timbaland contributed to four songs, though the album omits his credit as an executive producer
• Guest performances by Polow da Don, R. Kelly and Snoop Dogg
• Love Gun, produced by CeeLo Green, was left off the final track listing

Cover

• Photographed by Matthew Rolston
• Each member is shown on her own motorcycle bearing the initial of her first name
• Artwork unveiled through the group's official website in August 2008

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Disc 1

Disc 2

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Formation

• An American girl group and dance ensemble founded in Los Angeles, California, in 1995 by choreographer Robin Antin as a neo-burlesque troupe.
• Antin negotiated a record deal with Interscope Geffen A&M Records in 2003, turning the troupe into a pop music franchise.
• Nicole Scherzinger, Carmit Bachar, Ashley Roberts, Jessica Sutta, Melody Thornton and Kimberly Wyatt formed the recording line-up.

Members

• Nicole Scherzinger was the lead vocalist and the group's main singer.
• Carmit Bachar, Ashley Roberts, Jessica Sutta, Melody Thornton and Kimberly Wyatt were the other members of the classic line-up.
• Membership changed several times over the years, including departures in 2005, 2008, 2009 and 2010.

Career

• The debut album PCD (2005) sold three million copies in the United States; "Don't Cha" reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100.
• The second and final studio album Doll Domination (2008) included "When I Grow Up" and "Jai Ho! (You Are My Destiny)".
• The group went on hiatus in 2009 and fully disbanded in 2010.
• A reunion was announced in 2019, but the reunion tour was cancelled in 2022; a trio of Roberts, Scherzinger and Wyatt reunited in 2026.
• The group has sold 55 million records worldwide.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• Upon release, the album received mixed reviews from music critics
• Metacritic: average score of 51 from 12 reviews, indicating mixed or average reviews
• Billboard's Mariel Concepcion gave a favorable review
• USA Today's Steve Jones agreed with Concepcion but said the group is more interested in pushing its brand than pushing boundaries
• Slant Magazine's Sal Cinquemani found it smart to spotlight the talents of the other Pussycats
• The Washington Post's Allison Stewart called it a consolation prize after the delays of Scherzinger's solo album
• Rolling Stone's Christian Hoard singled out several songs but concluded the record sounds like the Dolls threw everything at the charts
• The Times' Elan Priya wrote that the album lacks any distinct personality
• AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine found it ironic that a group from a burlesque revue sang about empowerment, heartbreak, love, fame and wealth but never about sex

Records

• US Billboard 200: debuted at number four, selling 79,000 copies in its first week according to Nielsen Music
• The first-week sales were 20,000 below the predecessor's, despite the group's highest chart peak
• Fell to number 14 in its second week
• Under 400,000 copies sold in the US by April 2009
• Canada: debuted at number three, certified platinum by Music Canada for shipments over 80,000
• Australia: debuted at number four on the ARIA Albums Chart in October 2008, platinum for over 70,000 shipments
• New Zealand: debuted at number eight, eight weeks on the chart; RMNZ platinum in 2021 for 15,000 units
• UK: debuted at number four with 31,823 units; BPI platinum in 2022 for 300,000 copies
• France: debuted at number 16 and stayed there two weeks; gold from SNEP

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• The title came from a makeup artist who described the group's busy promotional schedule as Doll Domination
• The lead single When I Grow Up contains elements of the Yardbirds' He's Always There
• Out of This Club, featuring R. Kelly, was removed from digital stores and streaming services in 2019 after abuse allegations against him
• Later physical pressings of the album exclude Out of This Club
• Happily Never After was one of two songs Ne-Yo gave to Scherzinger after originally writing them for Britney Spears

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

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