Music Review: Pussycat Dolls "When I Grow Up"
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Pussycat Dolls
When I Grow Up
Album: Doll Domination
Year: 2008
Nicole Scherzinger dreams of becoming famous in the ruthless “When I Grow Up.”
A hesitant siren and overpowering handclaps open the single, setting a bandaged tone. In the intro, even as a teenager, guys were drawn to her. They would holler and whistle. They learned who she was and would try to get her to notice them. To her, it was immature and showed below her level they were. (“Boys call you sexy/And you don't care what they say/See, every time you turn around/They screaming your name/Boys call you sexy/And you don't care what they say/See, every time you turn around/They screaming your name.”)
She instructs her assistant to talk to the store manager. She wants to shop for some clothes and the store is ready to close in five minutes. The assistant drops her name and the manager, with the permanent smile on his face, ushers her in and calls out the employees to put their car keys away. They are staying open however long Scherzinger gets what she wants. As a child, she had imagined the scenario. If there was a talent show at her school, she performed in it. She tried out to be a local news television teen anchor. She was sleeping on pavement at the local mall to try out for any reality show. (“Now I've got a confession/When I was young I wanted attention/And I promised myself that I'd do anything/Anything at all for them to notice me.”)
In the pre-chorus, the starstruck employees blush when they see her. They say they are big fans. All she really wants to do is shop. However, they are her fans. She has to be kind to her public. She gives them a polite smile and says “thank you.” She’s read that she’s rude and quite the diva. However, she’s just doing what anyone in her position would. She couldn’t stand being an anonymous. She wanted to matter. It’s all everyone wants. (“But I ain't complaining/We all wanna be famous/So go ahead and say what you wanna say/You don't know what it's like to be nameless/Want them to know what your name is/'Cause see when I was younger I would say.”)
In the chorus, she says she had always wanted to be a celebrity. She wants her name buzzed about in an Oscar-bait movie with everyone wondering if she’ll be nominated. She wants to see every country and several sports cars. She wants guys hanging onto her after every show, feeling her up and sleeping with her. She wants to guest on a crime procedural during sweeps. In the grocery stores, it’s her face she wants to view on the magazines with bolded title, claiming “exclusive interview.” She wants to be in demand. But she could without the early morning promotion and nonstop schedule. (“When I grow up, I wanna be famous/I wanna be a star, I wanna be in movies/When I grow up, I wanna see the world/Drive nice cars, I wanna have groupies/When I grow up, be on TV/People know me, be on magazines/When I grow up, fresh and clean/Number one chick when I step out on the scene/But be careful what you wish for/'Cause you just might get it/'Cause you just might get it/Cause you just might get it/But be careful what you wish for/'Cause you just might get it/'Cause you just might get it/'Cause you just might get it.”)
While watching a reality show one afternoon, she announced to her friends she’s going to be the next one featured. When she auditioned and was eventually chosen, her friends shut their mouths quick. She had an fantastic voice and a great look. It was her entry into Hollywood. (“They used to tell me I was silly/Until I popped up on the TV/I always wanted to be a superstar/And knew that singing songs would get me this far.”)
The pre-chorus and chorus are sung again.
In the bridge, as she walks around Calabass, photographers snap her photo. In next weeks tabloids, she’ll see herself wearing the new trends of the season. She follows fashion and isn’t in need of a stylist. She knows what’s she doing. On the Internet, people are speculating who she’s dating. It’s ok, though. They only want to emulate her. (“I see them staring at me/Ooh I'm a trendsetter/Yes this is true 'cause what I do/No one can do it better/You can talk about me/'Cause I'm a hot topic/I see you watching me, watching me/And I know you want it.”)
The chorus is sung again to end the single.
Scherzinger’s suggestive vocals come on strong and cutthroat. Despite her talent, she’s only been seen as a piece of ass. However, she’s been told her chest was too small and her nose is too big. She did what every guy in the industry told her and she’s still been passed up for other jobs. This next job has to work out. It just has to.
On the WB’s Pop Stars, she stood out even then. It was clear she was very into it at first. By the end of the run, though, she fell asleep during a photo shoot. Her excitement at eating comfort food was worrisome. How restrictive was the diet for Eden’s Crush? The girls were stick-thin already. As a viewer, I felt bad because it seemed like she hadn’t eaten a really good meal in a while. However, whoever who she was then is now gone. She may have been green and overwhelmed by everything but at least she was human.
The D-List “When I Grow Up” wonders if the PopStar Nicole is inside there somewhere, crying.