♪ Pussycat Dolls: Doll Domination
Perhaps the most interestingly fashionable ladies in the pop world today (and by “interesting” I mean questionable—who wears a sky blue bra on a bike?!), the Pussycat Dolls have kind of taken the world by storm. They began in the 90s as a modern burlesque troupe, transitioned into a reality TV show and now are a pop force to be reckoned with, and in my opinion sometimes better clothed, although I have enjoyed numerous episodes of the Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search for the Next Doll from my couch on lazy Sundays. Not to mention that the PCDs are spokeswomen for being fit.
1. When I Grow Up—This is the fun one that you’ve heard from your local pop station. It’s all about dreaming big when you were little. Perfect for a high-energy run. And no, they do not say “I want to have boobies.” The line is “I want to have groupies.” Not sure which one is worse/better…2. Bottle Pop—Featuring Snoop Dogg, Bottle Pop is obviously suggestive, but I have absolutely no idea what they’re actually referring to. “When my bottle pop, shake me.” Um…I could kind of guess, but this isn’t that kind of blog. It has a good beat, so play it when you need a musical boost, and use the song’s three and a half minutes to speculate on exactly what a bottle pop is.3. Whatcha Think About That—This one also features some outside help. Missy Elliot provides some awesome lyrics and relationship advice: “If your dude ain’t actin’ right, you tell that dude he got to go.” Simple, easy, effective. The pace on this one is more moderate to high, so it’s good for the elliptical or a fast walk. Use the parts with Missy to bump up your intensity.4. I Hate This Part—A slower-paced song, this one was one of my faves. (My husband’s, too; he thinks it’ll be a hit in no time.) It’s an oddly romantic-sounding song all about a break up. Sad face. When the chorus kicks in though, it’s great for a steady-state run or fast walk. Also fun to sing to. The PCDs rhyme “linger” with “slipping through my fingers.” I’m a sucker for a good rhyme. Or even a moderately clever one.
5. Takin’ Over the World—With a fast, fun beat, save this one for your high-energy workouts or your high-intensity intervals. It wasn’t my fave on the CD by any means, but it gets the job done. And it mentions “the club” repeatedly. Pretty sure they mean dance club, but I just pretended they were talking about me in my health club, and it worked beautifully.
6. Out of This Club—It’s another “club” song. This one features R. Kelly (no comment) and Polow da Don. I wasn’t a fan of this one, (and yes, I tried to be as objective as possible) but it works fine as a cool down or a warm-up. There’s also a shout out to Fergie Ferg’s Glamorous, which normally I would think was pretty cool, but it just seemed forced and made me miss the Dutchess.
7. Who’s Gonna Love You—For some reason, I kept overlooking this song each time I listened to the CD. It’s almost as if it seamlessly blended into the background of my workouts, which is both good and bad, depending on your mood and situation. It has a quick beat, but it’s nothing to get you riled up. Basically, it’s perfect for when you’re already in the workout zone and just need something but silence or the hum of the treadmill.
8. Happily Never After—I always thought this song had a depressing title, and even though the song is about a called-off engagement, it’s cheesy enough that you can’t take it too seriously. And it’s kind of forgettable. Use it as a cool down if you must.
9. Magic—This track is fast, funky and fun, but when you get to the chorus, it’s very 1994 with “na na na’s,” big dramatics and talk of catching a man like “MAGIC.” If you refer back to my cheese comment in the intro, this marks the appetizer course.
10. Halo—I love how this song starts off. It’s techno-y sounding, with some Gwen, Madonna and Timbaland influences. And while, again, the chorus is beyond cheesed, it has a good message: I’m not perfect, and I refuse to be for you. When you’re feeling like you need a little girl power in your workout, cue this one up.
11. In Person—Download this song. It’s awesome and by far my favorite on the CD. Totally different than any other track on the album or anything else on the radio. It’s sassy, loud and I guarantee that you will shake your fit bottom to it. With a fun 1920s flare to it and some strong vocals, I save it for the last lap of my run to power through.
12. Elevator—Not to be mean, but this song made me laugh. The main gist is that love is like an elevator, going up and down. It’s the kind of song that I would have played over and over and over again on my pink cassette player when I was 12, thinking that it’s sooo deep. The worst line? “I’m just trying to elevate you like an elevator.” Gee? Or run you like a runner? Or paint you like a painter? Or sing you like a singer? The lame examples go on and on…I avoid this one, but it’s fine as a cool down.
13. Hush Hush—Another slow one, Hush Hush tested my patience. After Elevator, it’s the second-cheesiest track. Use it as a cool down, but be prepared to roll your eyes when they start whispering “hush hush.” You’ve been warned.
14. Love the Way You Love Me—A break from the cheese! This track is infectious, bouncy and innocent. If I was a betting woman, I’d predict a hit song. I’d also bet (and win!) that it’s perfect for the middle of your workout when you’re rocking a steady pace. I found it particularly endearing in the morning when the sun was coming up.
15. Whatchamacallit—As you might be able to tell from the title of the song, this one is a bit, er, over the top. It’s a total Gwen knock off, even hearkening her Harajuku Girls. The song has a good, quick beat, but it’s so lame that I had a really hard time keeping myself from skipping it on my Shuffle—even when I was reviewing it. Yikes.
16. I’m Done—This is a beautiful ballad. It is one of the most genuine-sounding songs on the album, and it’s perfect as a cool down and as the last track on Doll Domination. It is called “I’m Done” after all.
The PCDs may have not had complete domination over my workout with this album, but there are definitely some download-worthy songs on the CD. Track numbers 1, 2, 4, 11, 14 and 16 all forgo the cheese. —Jenn
Need more workout tunes? See the official FBGs’ Girls Rock playlist.
Photo grabbed from http://media.photobucket.com/image/doll%20domination/peakoily/The_pussycat_dolls_doll_domination.jpg?o=2.