Buttons (The Pussycat Dolls Song)
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"Buttons" is a song recorded by American girl group
the Pussycat Dolls The Pussycat Dolls were an American girl group and dance ensemble, founded in Los Angeles, California, by choreographer Robin Antin in 1995 as a burlesque troupe. At the suggestion of Jimmy Iovine, Antin decided to take the burlesque troupe ...
from their debut studio album '' PCD'' (2005). It was written by
Sean Garrett Garrett Robin Hamler, known professionally as Sean Garrett, is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is responsible for a series of chart-topping compositions, most notably Usher's " Yeah!" which ranks second on the ''Billboa ...
,
Jamal Jones Jamal Aman Jones (born April 24, 1981) is a former American football wide receiver. He was originally signed by the St. Louis Rams as an undrafted free agent in 2004. He played college football at North Carolina A&T. Jones is currently pursui ...
, Jason Perry and group member
Nicole Scherzinger Nicole Scherzinger (; born Nicole Prascovia Elikolani Valiente, June 29, 1978) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, actress, and television personality. She is best known as the lead singer of the Pussycat Dolls, one of the best-selling g ...
, and produced by the former two alongside
Ron Fair Ronald Fair is an American A&R executive, record producer, record executive, musical arranger, recording engineer and conductor. In a career that has spanned over 30 years at major record labels he has produced and arranged hits for several art ...
. It is a hip hop-influenced pop and R&B track featuring
synthesizers A synthesizer (also spelled synthesiser) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis and ...
and a
Middle Eastern The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Province), East Thrace (European ...
rhythm, with the group pleading a reluctant man to help them undress whilst adopting a submissive stance. A remix version featuring American rapper
Snoop Dogg Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. (born October 20, 1971), known professionally as Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg and briefly Snoop Lion), is an American rapper. His fame dates back to 1992 when he featured on Dr. Dre's debut solo single, " ...
was released as the album's fourth single on April 11, 2006, by
A&M Records A&M Records was an American record label founded as an independent company by Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss in 1962. Due to the success of the discography A&M released, the label garnered interest and was acquired by PolyGram in 1989 and began distr ...
and
Interscope Records Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M imprint. Founded in late 1990 by Jimmy Iovine and Ted Field as a $20 million joint venture with Atlantic Records of Warner Mus ...
. Contemporary music critics criticized "Buttons" for its production, though it was featured on 2006 year-end lists by ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' and ''
Vibe ''Vibe'' is an American music and entertainment magazine founded by producers David Salzman and Quincy Jones. The publication predominantly features R&B and hip hop music artists, actors and other entertainers. After shutting down productio ...
''. A commercial success, the song reached number one in Austria, Hungary and New Zealand, where it became the group's fourth consecutive number-one. It also peaked within the top ten in 12 other countries, including the
UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
and US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, where it peaked at number three. With "Buttons" selling two million digital copies in the US, the Pussycat Dolls became the first girl group in digital history to have three singles cross that mark. The single has been certified
platinum Platinum is a chemical element with the symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a dense, malleable, ductile, highly unreactive, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name originates from Spanish , a diminutive of "silver". Platinu ...
by the
Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
(RIAA). The accompanying
music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...
, directed by filmmaker
Francis Lawrence Francis Lawrence (born March 26, 1971) is an Austrian-born American filmmaker and producer. After establishing himself as a director of music videos and commercials, Lawrence made his feature-length directorial debut with the superhero thrille ...
, is an ode to the group's
burlesque A burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects.
origin and features multiple dance sequences, including a
Bollywood Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry based in Mumbai, engaged in production of motion pictures in Hindi language. The popular term Bollywood, is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (fo ...
-inspired routine towards the end. It received two nominations at the
2006 MTV Video Music Awards The 2006 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on August 31, 2006, honoring the best music videos from June 11, 2005, to June 26, 2006. The show was hosted by Jack Black at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. The 2006 Video Music Awards marked th ...
, ultimately winning one for
Best Dance Video The MTV Video Music Award for Best Dance Video was first awarded in 1989, and it was one of the original four genre categories that were added to the MTV Video Music Awards that year. With a revamp of the awards in 2007, the category was cut out ...
. To further promote "Buttons", the group performed the song during several television programs and awards shows, including
Fashion Rocks Fashion Rocks is an annual international charity fundraiser event, which features fashions by the world's top designers presented as live performances by popular music acts. Fashion Rocks Worldwide is the owner of the intellectual property rights ...
and the
2006 American Music Awards The 34th Annual American Music Awards were held on November 21, 2006. They were hosted by Jimmy Kimmel. The awards recognized the most popular albums and artists from the year of 2005–2006. As usual, the ceremony was broadcast by ABC. Musical p ...
, where clips from their performances went viral in 2020, for the perceived tension between Scherzinger and
Melody Thornton Melody Thornton (born September 28, 1984) is an American singer and television personality. After graduating high school, Thornton became one the main vocalists of the pop girl group the Pussycat Dolls and released the albums '' PCD'' (2005) a ...
onstage. The song was featured on the
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game ''
Just Dance 2022 ''Just Dance 2022'' is a 2021 dance rhythm game developed and published by Ubisoft. It was unveiled on June 12, 2021, during the Ubisoft Forward E3 web presentation as the thirteenth main installment of the series, and was released on November 4, ...
''.


Writing and production

"Buttons" was written and produced by
Sean Garrett Garrett Robin Hamler, known professionally as Sean Garrett, is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is responsible for a series of chart-topping compositions, most notably Usher's " Yeah!" which ranks second on the ''Billboa ...
and Jamal "Polow da Don" Jones, with additional writing by Jason Perry and the group's lead singer
Nicole Scherzinger Nicole Scherzinger (; born Nicole Prascovia Elikolani Valiente, June 29, 1978) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, actress, and television personality. She is best known as the lead singer of the Pussycat Dolls, one of the best-selling g ...
, and additional production by
Ron Fair Ronald Fair is an American A&R executive, record producer, record executive, musical arranger, recording engineer and conductor. In a career that has spanned over 30 years at major record labels he has produced and arranged hits for several art ...
. According to Garrett, "Buttons" was conceived in a short amount of time, with Scherzinger in mind saying: " heis very sexy so the concept of loosening up her buttons,—every guy would want that and women wouldn't have a problem with guys loosening up their buttons." Moreover, he credits ''PCD'' executive producer
Jimmy Iovine James Iovine ( ; ; born March 11, 1953) is an American entrepreneur, record executive, and media proprietor best known as the co-founder of Interscope Records. In 2006, Iovine and rapper-producer Dr. Dre founded Beats Electronics, which produces ...
for " ushingme to be creative and the more creative I am, the more he likes it." Fair and Young Smoke handled the vocal and additional production respectively with Tal Herzberg being credited as a co-producer. Herzberg also operated
Pro-Tools Pro Tools is a digital audio workstation (DAW) developed and released by Avid Technology (formerly Digidesign) for Microsoft Windows and macOS. It is used for music creation and production, sound for picture (sound design, audio post-product ...
and
engineering Engineering is the use of scientific method, scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad rang ...
along with J.D. Andrew and Mike "Angry" Eleopoulos, with the assistance of Ariel Chobaz. "Buttons" was mixed by
Dave Pensado Dave Pensado is a Grammy Award-winning mix engineer. His career began in Atlanta in the 1970s and 1980s doing live and studio sound engineering. He has lived in Los Angeles since 1990. He mixes between 200 and 250 songs a year at Larrabee Studios ...
at the
Larrabee Sound Studios Larrabee Sound Studios is a recording studio complex in North Hollywood, California, originally established in 1969. Facilities Located at 4162 Lankershim Boulevard in North Hollywood, Larrabee has six studios, three tracking spaces, and a prod ...
in
Burbank, California Burbank is a city in the southeastern end of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Located northwest of downtown Los Angeles, Burbank has a population of 107,337. The city was named after David Burbank, w ...
, where the tracks where handed to him at different stages. Trans-X Multi plug-in was used on the loop to give it a more transient feeling. Scherzinger's lead vocals were processed through Line 6's Echo Farm by adding
distortion In signal processing, distortion is the alteration of the original shape (or other characteristic) of a signal. In communications and electronics it means the alteration of the waveform of an information-bearing signal, such as an audio signal ...
. Pensado wanted to give Scherzinger's voice more edge without the need to scream over the microphone. The leads' vocal delay was formed by Tel-ray Variable Delay and is within the 16th range. For the effects of the lead vocals, Pensado wanted to minimize the use of effects, and give them a "chorus-like sound" through Waves' Metaflanger. "Buttons" was included on ''PCD'' as the fifth track. Following the success of "
Don't Cha "Don't Cha" is a song written by Busta Rhymes and CeeLo Green, and produced by the latter. The chorus is an interpolation of the song "Swass", which was written and performed by Sir Mix-a-Lot. The song was originally recorded and published by Tor ...
" and "
Beep The Blocks Extensible Exchange Protocol (BEEP) is a framework for creating network application protocols. BEEP includes building blocks like framing, pipelining, multiplexing, reporting and authentication for connection and message-oriented pee ...
", which featured American rappers
Busta Rhymes Trevor George Smith Jr. (born May 20, 1972), known professionally as Busta Rhymes, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the moniker Busta Rhymes, after NFL and CFL wide receiver ...
and
will.i.am William James Adams Jr. (born March 15, 1975), known professionally as will.i.am (pronounced "Will-I-am"), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer. He is the founding and lead member of the musical group Black Eyed Peas. ...
respectively,
Snoop Dogg Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. (born October 20, 1971), known professionally as Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg and briefly Snoop Lion), is an American rapper. His fame dates back to 1992 when he featured on Dr. Dre's debut solo single, " ...
was recruited for its single release. Scherzinger confirmed the collaboration at the
Grammy The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...
Style Studio event in February 2006. They first collaborated at the 2005 Radio Music Awards, where the Pussycat Dolls performed "
Santa Baby "Santa Baby" is a song performed by American singer Eartha Kitt with Henri René, Henri René and His Orchestra and originally released in 1953. The song was written by Joan Javits and Philip Springer, who also used the pseudonym Tony Springer i ...
"; as part of the "racy rendition", Snoop Dogg joined them onstage dressed as
Santa Claus Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa, is a Legend, legendary figure originating in Western Christianity, Western Christian culture who is said to Christmas gift-bringer, bring ...
.


Music and lyrics

"Buttons" runs for a total of three minutes and 52 seconds, and is composed in time and the
key Key or The Key may refer to: Common meanings * Key (cryptography), a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm * Key (lock), device used to control access to places or facilities restricted by a lock * Key (map ...
of
D minor D minor is a minor scale based on D, consisting of the pitches D, E, F, G, A, B, and C. Its key signature has one flat. Its relative major is F major and its parallel major is D major. The D natural minor scale is: Changes needed for t ...
, with a moderate groove of 102
beats per minute Beat, beats or beating may refer to: Common uses * Patrol, or beat, a group of personnel assigned to monitor a specific area ** Beat (police), the territory that a police officer patrols ** Gay beat, an area frequented by gay men * Battery ( ...
. It is a pop and R&B song with elements of hip hop. Influenced by
Timbaland Timothy Zachery Mosley (born March 10, 1972), known professionally as Timbaland, is an American record producer, rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. He has received widespread acclaim for his innovative production work and distinc ...
's early works with
Indian music Owing to India's vastness and diversity, Indian music encompasses numerous genres in multiple varieties and forms which include classical music, folk (Bollywood), rock, and pop. It has a history spanning several millennia and developed ove ...
, production consists of
Middle Eastern music The various nations of the region include the Arabic-speaking countries of the Middle East, the Iranian traditions of Persia, the Jewish music of Israel and the diaspora, Armenian music, Kurdish music, Azeri Music, the varied traditions of Cypriot ...
elements, drum loop, "snaky"
synthesizers A synthesizer (also spelled synthesiser) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis and ...
, electric violin, and percussion. The Pussycat Dolls' vocal range spans from the low note of G3 to the high note of A4, with members Scherzinger adopting breathy vocals and
Melody Thornton Melody Thornton (born September 28, 1984) is an American singer and television personality. After graduating high school, Thornton became one the main vocalists of the pop girl group the Pussycat Dolls and released the albums '' PCD'' (2005) a ...
providing
ad-lib In music and other performing arts, the phrase (; from Latin for 'at one's pleasure' or 'as you desire'), often shortened to "ad lib" (as an adjective or adverb) or "ad-lib" (as a verb or noun), refers to various forms of improvisation. The r ...
s. The group takes a submissive stance towards Snoop Dogg who "seems to be as the object of affection for the girls, who ask him to 'loosen up urbuttons' and to not 'leave sasking for more'." A writer for ''
Complex Complex commonly refers to: * Complexity, the behaviour of a system whose components interact in multiple ways so possible interactions are difficult to describe ** Complex system, a system composed of many components which may interact with each ...
'' magazine wrote that "it's lyrics right into the burlesque strip tease performances that PCD actually originated from".


Release

The remix version of "Buttons" featuring rapper
Snoop Dogg Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. (born October 20, 1971), known professionally as Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg and briefly Snoop Lion), is an American rapper. His fame dates back to 1992 when he featured on Dr. Dre's debut solo single, " ...
was released on April 11, 2006, via digital download, as the fourth single from ''PCD''. The song also impacted US contemporary hit and
rhythmic radio Rhythmic contemporary, also known as Rhythmic Top 40, Rhythmic CHR or rhythmic crossover, is a primarily American music-radio format that includes a mix of EDM, upbeat rhythmic pop, hip hop and upbeat R&B hits. Rhythmic contemporary never uses ...
formats on May 8, through
A&M Records A&M Records was an American record label founded as an independent company by Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss in 1962. Due to the success of the discography A&M released, the label garnered interest and was acquired by PolyGram in 1989 and began distr ...
and
Interscope Records Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M imprint. Founded in late 1990 by Jimmy Iovine and Ted Field as a $20 million joint venture with Atlantic Records of Warner Mus ...
. The remix, subtitled "Final Edit Version", was included on the tour edition of ''PCD'' later that year.


Critical reception

In his review of ''PCD'', Spence D. of
IGN ''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
commented that the
Middle Eastern The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Province), East Thrace (European ...
elements in "Buttons" may be "familiar and funky, but it doesn't present anything new to the realm of female soul pop." Writing for
Sputnikmusic Sputnikmusic is an American music community website offering music criticism and music news alongside features commonly associated with wiki-style websites. The format of the website is unusual in that it includes both professional and amateur c ...
, Nick Butler deemed "Buttons" as "enjoyable enough," but felt it "doesn't work as well as Don't Cha and 'Beep' and sonically snot far from being all over the place." ''
Slant Magazine ''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York ...
's'' Sal Cinquemani described the song as "degrading material" noting "
hey Hey or Hey! may refer to: Music * Hey (band), a Polish rock band Albums * ''Hey'' (Andreas Bourani album) or the title song (see below), 2014 * ''Hey!'' (Julio Iglesias album) or the title song, 1980 * ''Hey!'' (Jullie album) or the title s ...
are a bit easier to swallow thanks, in part, to the group's cartoonish image." Miriam Zendle of
Digital Spy Digital Spy (DS) is a British-based entertainment, television and film website and brand and is the largest digital property at Hearst UK. Since its launch in 1999, Digital Spy has focused on entertainment news related to television programmes, ...
was unimpressed with "Buttons" labelling "as awful as
heir Inheritance is the practice of receiving private property, titles, debts, entitlements, privileges, rights, and obligations upon the death of an individual. The rules of inheritance differ among societies and have changed over time. Officiall ...
debut single, 'Don't Cha'," adding the song's sexual vibe "leaves the listener feeling somewhat sullied." Sean Fennessey of
Pitchfork A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to th ...
criticized Dogg's appearance for his "indolent" verse. On the contrary, a writer for ''
Vibe ''Vibe'' is an American music and entertainment magazine founded by producers David Salzman and Quincy Jones. The publication predominantly features R&B and hip hop music artists, actors and other entertainers. After shutting down productio ...
'' magazine favored the song for " ozingsexuality." ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' highlighted the song's chorus, labelling it as "hot", and Snoop Dogg's appearance. Chris Courtney of ''
Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...
'' described "Buttons" as a "summer sizzler." Kelley Carter of the ''
Detroit Free Press The ''Detroit Free Press'' is the largest daily newspaper in Detroit, Michigan, US. The Sunday edition is titled the ''Sunday Free Press''. It is sometimes referred to as the Freep (reflected in the paper's web address, www.freep.com). It primari ...
'' commented that the song is a "the kind of song that makes the clubbers go crazy."


Accolades


Rankings


Awards and nominations


Commercial performance

In the United States, "Buttons" was the highest debut of the week on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 dated May 27, 2006, debuting at number 71. It eventually peaked at number three in September 2006, and spent a total of 30 weeks on the chart. On ''Billboard's'' component charts, it peaked atop the
Hot Dance Club Songs Dance Club Songs is a chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. It is a national look over of club disc jockeys to determine the most popular songs being played in nightclubs across the country. It was launched as t ...
and
Mainstream Top 40 Pop Airplay (also called Mainstream Top 40, Pop Songs, and Top 40/contemporary hit radio, CHR) is a 40-song music chart published weekly by Billboard (magazine), ''Billboard'' Magazine that ranks the most popular songs of pop music being played o ...
, and at numbers three and four on the
Dance/Mix Show Airplay Dance/Mix Show Airplay (formerly Hot Dance Airplay) is a monitored electronic dance music radio chart that is published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine. History The chart came about as a result of the small but influential impact of electronic d ...
and
Rhythmic Rhythmic may refer to: * Related to rhythm * Rhythmic contemporary, a radio format * Rhythmic adult contemporary, a radio format * Rhythmic gymnastics, a form of gymnastics * Rhythmic (chart) The Rhythmic chart (also called Rhythmic Airplay, and ...
charts, respectively. In January 2010, "Buttons" surpassed digital sales of two million units, following "
Don't Cha "Don't Cha" is a song written by Busta Rhymes and CeeLo Green, and produced by the latter. The chorus is an interpolation of the song "Swass", which was written and performed by Sir Mix-a-Lot. The song was originally recorded and published by Tor ...
" and " When I Grow Up", making the Pussycat Dolls the first girl group in history to have three songs achieve that feat. In July 2007, the song received a platinum mastertone certification from the
Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
(RIAA) for ringtone sales of one million units. A month earlier, "Buttons" received a BDS Certified Spin Award for receiving 300,000 radio spins in the US. For Snoop Dogg's 40th birthday, Erika Ramirez of ''Billboard'' included "Buttons" at number four on the list of "Snoop Dogg's Top 10 ''Billboard'' Hits". In Australia, "Buttons" peaked at number two on the
ARIA Singles Chart The ARIA Charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA became the offici ...
and was certified platinum by
Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade association representing the Australian recording industry which was established in the 1970s by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing th ...
(ARIA) for sales of 70,000 units. In New Zealand, "Buttons" entered the singles chart at number 38 solely based on airplay. In its third week, the song climbed 31 places and displaced
Gnarls Barkley Gnarls Barkley are an American soul duo, composed of singer-songwriter CeeLo Green and producer Danger Mouse. They released their debut studio album, '' St. Elsewhere'', in 2006. It contained their hit single "Crazy", which peaked at number two ...
's "
Crazy Insanity, madness, lunacy, and craziness are behaviors performed by certain abnormal mental or behavioral patterns. Insanity can be manifest as violations of societal norms, including a person or persons becoming a danger to themselves or t ...
" from number-one, becoming the chart's 501st number-one song and the group's fourth consecutive number-one, following "Don't Cha", "
Stickwitu "Stickwitu" is a song recorded by American girl group the Pussycat Dolls for their debut studio album '' PCD'' (2005). It was written by Franne Golde, Kasia Livingston and Robert Palmer and produced by Ron Fair. A pop ballad with soul influence ...
" and "
Beep The Blocks Extensible Exchange Protocol (BEEP) is a framework for creating network application protocols. BEEP includes building blocks like framing, pipelining, multiplexing, reporting and authentication for connection and message-oriented pee ...
". "Buttons" logged their twelfth week at the top, becoming the most successful new act in local chart history. It also gave Snoop Dogg's second number-one, after "
Drop It Like It's Hot "Drop It Like It's Hot" is a song by American rapper Snoop Dogg featuring fellow American musician Pharrell Williams. It was released on September 27, 2004, as the lead single from Snoop Dogg's seventh studio album, '' R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): T ...
" (2004). It was certified gold by
Recording Industry Association of New Zealand Recorded Music NZ (formerly the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ)) is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell recorded music in New Zealand. Membership of Recorded Mus ...
(RIANZ), denoting sales of 7,500 copies. It also reached the peak in Austria and Hungary. On the
UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
, "Buttons" debuted at number 11 in June 2006. Following its physical release, the song peaked at number three, selling 25,718 units and giving the Pussycat Dolls their fourth consecutive top-three hit. In October 2019, the song was certified gold by the
British Phonographic Industry British Phonographic Industry (BPI) is the British recorded music industry's Trade association. It runs the BRIT Awards, the Classic BRIT Awards, National Album Day, is home to the Mercury Prize, and co-owns the Official Charts Company with th ...
(BPI) for track-equivalent sales of 400,000 units. The
Official Charts Company The Official Charts (legal name: The Official UK Charts Company Limited) is a British inter-professional organization that compiles various "official" record charts in the United Kingdom, Ireland and France. In the United Kingdom, its charts inc ...
(OCC) ranks "Buttons" as their fifth most successful song on the UK Singles Chart, and the 73rd best-selling song by a girl group. The single also reached number three in Scotland and Switzerland, number four in Belgium (Flanders), Germany, Ireland, and Slovakia, number six in Belgium (Wallonia) and the Netherlands, and number eight in the Czech Republic.


Music video

Francis Lawrence Francis Lawrence (born March 26, 1971) is an Austrian-born American filmmaker and producer. After establishing himself as a director of music videos and commercials, Lawrence made his feature-length directorial debut with the superhero thrille ...
directed the music video for "Buttons" on the week of March 20, 2006, over a period of three days. During an interview with the ''
New York Post The ''New York Post'' (''NY Post'') is a conservative daily tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The ''Post'' also operates NYPost.com, the celebrity gossip site PageSix.com, and the entertainment site Decider.com. It was established ...
'' Scherzinger said that the group was to return to their
burlesque A burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects.
roots. "We wanted to go back to the roots of the Dolls, go with the corset vibe and have it be a little rawer and hotter." In a behind-the-scenes footage included on their live album ''
PCD Live from London ''PCD Live from London'' is the first video album by American girl group the Pussycat Dolls. It was directed by Jeff Gripe and Ginger Ramsey-Grippe, and was executively produced by Ron Fair and Jimmy Iovine. It was first released on December 1, ...
'' (2006), member
Kimberly Wyatt Kimberly Kaye Wyatt (born February 4, 1982) is an American singer, dancer, choreographer, actress, and television personality. She is a former member of the pop/ R&B girl group and dance ensemble The Pussycat Dolls. She is also a member of the ...
agreed saying, "so, for our fifth video, we decided to turn it up a notch. It was time to see, what we are all about. Tom Breihan of ''
The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, the ''Voice'' began as a platform for the crea ...
'' described the accompanying music video as a "big, glossy pop video" that consists of "flashy editing, decent choreography, nda distinct look." The video include routines within a tunnel and a
Bollywood Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry based in Mumbai, engaged in production of motion pictures in Hindi language. The popular term Bollywood, is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (fo ...
-esque dance routine towards the end. Samantha Friedman of VH1 described the dance routine as "intriguing and sexy and sassy." The video begins with
Snoop Dogg Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. (born October 20, 1971), known professionally as Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg and briefly Snoop Lion), is an American rapper. His fame dates back to 1992 when he featured on Dr. Dre's debut solo single, " ...
performing his rap while Scherzinger dances around him seductively. As the first chorus begins, the group, dressed in suggestive black outfits, walking towards a tunnel where they later perform a
striptease A striptease is an erotic or exotic dance in which the performer gradually undresses, either partly or completely, in a seductive and sexually suggestive manner. The person who performs a striptease is commonly known as a "stripper" or an "ex ...
. As the second chorus begins, they are seen performing upon a horizontal bar. Towards the end of the chorus, Scherzinger separates herself from the group and performs against a backdrop of curtains made from jewelry then proceeds to dance around a chair. Before the chorus begins, four additional chairs and the group performs a dance routine.
Melody Thornton Melody Thornton (born September 28, 1984) is an American singer and television personality. After graduating high school, Thornton became one the main vocalists of the pop girl group the Pussycat Dolls and released the albums '' PCD'' (2005) a ...
is separated from the rest doing her
melismatic Melisma ( grc-gre, μέλισμα, , ; from grc, , melos, song, melody, label=none, plural: ''melismata'') is the singing of a single syllable of text while moving between several different notes in succession. Music sung in this style is referr ...
ad-lib In music and other performing arts, the phrase (; from Latin for 'at one's pleasure' or 'as you desire'), often shortened to "ad lib" (as an adjective or adverb) or "ad-lib" (as a verb or noun), refers to various forms of improvisation. The r ...
s on the chorus. When Snoop Dogg's verse begins, the Pussycat Dolls are shown walking towards him. During the breakdown, the girls dance while smoke is filled and halfway through the video, the floor turns on fire. The video ends with the group walking away.


Live performances

Following the song's official release, it was included in concerts while supporting
The Black Eyed Peas Black Eyed Peas (also known as The Black Eyed Peas) is an American musical group consisting of rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap, Taboo. The group's line-up during the height of their popularity in the 2000s featured Fergie, who replaced Kim Hil ...
'
Honda Civic Tour The Honda Civic Tour was an annual concert tour, sponsored by American Honda Motor Company and produced by Marketing Factory. 2001 First half *Headliner: Blink-182 *Supporting: No Motiv, Sum 41, The Ataris, and Bodyjar Second half *Headliner: ...
in the US and Canada. After supporting the Peas in the UK, they flew back to the US on June 30, 2006, and appeared on ''
Good Morning America ''Good Morning America'' (often abbreviated as ''GMA'') is an American morning television program that is broadcast on ABC. It debuted on November 3, 1975, and first expanded to weekends with the debut of a Sunday edition on January 3, 1993. Th ...
's'' ''Summer Concert Series'' to perform the song along with "
Don't Cha "Don't Cha" is a song written by Busta Rhymes and CeeLo Green, and produced by the latter. The chorus is an interpolation of the song "Swass", which was written and performed by Sir Mix-a-Lot. The song was originally recorded and published by Tor ...
" and "
Stickwitu "Stickwitu" is a song recorded by American girl group the Pussycat Dolls for their debut studio album '' PCD'' (2005). It was written by Franne Golde, Kasia Livingston and Robert Palmer and produced by Ron Fair. A pop ballad with soul influence ...
". On September 8, 2006, they performed the track at the annual international charity
fundraiser Fundraising or fund-raising is the process of seeking and gathering voluntary financial contributions by engaging individuals, businesses, charitable foundations, or governmental agencies. Although fundraising typically refers to efforts to gathe ...
event,
Fashion Rocks Fashion Rocks is an annual international charity fundraiser event, which features fashions by the world's top designers presented as live performances by popular music acts. Fashion Rocks Worldwide is the owner of the intellectual property rights ...
with American rapper
Jibbs Jovan Campbell (born November 13, 1990), better known by his stage name Jibbs, is an American rapper. He had one top ten single on the Billboard Hot 100, ''Billboard'' Hot 100, which was his debut single "Chain Hang Low". Jibbs's only other song ...
. In 2020, a clip of performance went viral highlighting the tension between Scherzinger and Thornton. On November 9, 2006, the Pussycat Dolls performed the song in sparkly, sequined mini-dress on
2006 American Music Awards The 34th Annual American Music Awards were held on November 21, 2006. They were hosted by Jimmy Kimmel. The awards recognized the most popular albums and artists from the year of 2005–2006. As usual, the ceremony was broadcast by ABC. Musical p ...
, in which they included routines involving chairs and
pyrotechnics Pyrotechnics is the science and craft of creating such things as fireworks, safety matches, oxygen candles, explosive bolts and other fasteners, parts of automotive airbags, as well as gas-pressure blasting in mining, quarrying, and demolition. ...
during their dance breakdown. The group initially performed as quintet, before being joined by Thornton in the final 30 seconds of the performance to do her ad-libs. ''
The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally. It was fo ...
's'' Adam White wrote the group did a "messy rendition" of the song highlighting Thornton crashing the performance and
Jessica Sutta Jessica Lynn Sutta (born May 15, 1982), previously known as J Sutta, is an American singer, dancer, and actress. She is best known as a former member of the American girl group the Pussycat Dolls. Born and raised in Miami, Florida, Sutta develo ...
falling of her chair. Thornton's vocals were described as "if she was
Christina Aguilera Christina María Aguilera (; ; born December 18, 1980) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and television personality. Known for her four-octave vocal range and ability to sustain high notes, she has been referred to as the " Voice of ...
stuck in a wind tunnel" adding she was singing loudly over Scherzinger's. Following the performance going viral in 2020, Thornton explained to
Entertainment Tonight ''Entertainment Tonight'' (or simply ''ET'') is an American Broadcast syndication, first-run syndicated news broadcasting news magazine, newsmagazine program that is distributed by CBS Media Ventures throughout the United States and owned by Para ...
that travelling issues caused her to miss rehearsals and the only solution was for her to appear at the end and do her part. "Buttons" was also used as the opening number during their
PCD World Tour The PCD World Tour was the first concert tour by American girl group, The Pussycat Dolls, launched in promotion of their debut album, '' PCD'' (2005). During the tour, the group also toured North America with Christina Aguilera and The Black Eyed ...
(2006–07) and Aguilera's
Back to Basics Tour The Back to Basics Tour was the fourth concert tour and third world tour by American singer Christina Aguilera. The tour was launched to support her fifth studio album, '' Back to Basics'' (2006). It visited Europe, North America, Asia, and Austra ...
(2007). On August 2, 2008, the Pussycat Dolls performed "Buttons" and " When I Grow Up" at the opening of the
MTV Asia Awards The MTV Asia Awards was the Asian equivalent of the European MTV EMA. Held from 2002 to 2008, the show gave recognition and awards to Asian and international artists in achievement, cinema, fashion, humanitarian, and music. Just like the EMAs, most ...
, where they also presented an award, in Malaysia. The song was included on their
Doll Domination Tour The Doll Domination Tour was the second concert tour by American girl group The Pussycat Dolls. It was launched in support of their second studio album, ''Doll Domination'' (2008). The tour was announced in October 2008 with dates in Europe and ...
and
The Circus Starring Britney Spears The Circus Starring Britney Spears, commonly referred to as the Circus Tour, was the seventh concert tour by American entertainer Britney Spears. It was launched in support of her fifth and sixth studio albums, '' Blackout'' (2007) and ''Circus' ...
(both in 2009); their dance routine consisted of "full of stomping and syncopated strutting." While reviewing their headlining tour, Colene McKessick of '' Press and Journal'' wrote that their performance of "Buttons" " etthe crowd into a frenzy." Scherzinger performed the song as part of a Pussycat Dolls medley during concerts of her first solo tour in support of her debut studio album, ''
Killer Love ''Killer Love'' is the debut solo studio album by American singer Nicole Scherzinger. It was released on March 18, 2011, by Interscope Records, in association with its affiliated record labels. Scherzinger had been working on a solo album since 2 ...
'' (2011). On November 30, 2019, the Pussycat Dolls reunited on '' The X Factor: Celebrity'' finale, and performed a medley of "Buttons", "When I Grow Up", "Don't Cha", and their first new song in over a decade, "
React REACT or React may refer to: Science and technology *REACT (telescope), a telescope at Fenton Hill Observatory, New Mexico, US Computing * React (JavaScript library) , a JavaScript library for building user interfaces, from Facebook ** React Nati ...
". Shortly after, British media regulator
Ofcom The Office of Communications, commonly known as Ofcom, is the government-approved regulatory and competition authority for the broadcasting, telecommunications and postal industries of the United Kingdom. Ofcom has wide-ranging powers acros ...
received 400 complaints from viewers who criticized band's revealing outfits and provocative choreography. On February 22, 2020, the group appeared on series sixteen of ''
Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway ''Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway'' (referred to simply as ''Saturday Night Takeaway'' or ''SNT'') is a British television variety show, created and presented by Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly (colloquially known as Ant & Dec), and b ...
'', and performed "Buttons" as part of a medley with "Don't Cha", "
Beep The Blocks Extensible Exchange Protocol (BEEP) is a framework for creating network application protocols. BEEP includes building blocks like framing, pipelining, multiplexing, reporting and authentication for connection and message-oriented pee ...
" and "React". The performance was set within the context of a comedy sketch where they poked fun at the controversy that aroused following their ''The X Factor: Celebrity''. As part of the performance, a TV
test card A test card, also known as a test pattern or start-up/closedown test, is a television test signal, typically broadcast at times when the transmitter is active but no program is being broadcast (often at sign-on and sign-off). Used since the ear ...
flashed up on screen from
ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of: ** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...
reading "we're sorry for the disruption... we're working hard to fix the issue and will return to normal family-friendly, not at all sexy, uncontroversial programming soon." The test card was revealed to be a backdrop which the group jumped through.


Track listings and formats

* Australian and German maxi CD single # "Buttons" (featuring
Snoop Dogg Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. (born October 20, 1971), known professionally as Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg and briefly Snoop Lion), is an American rapper. His fame dates back to 1992 when he featured on Dr. Dre's debut solo single, " ...
) – 3:52 # "Buttons" (album version) – 3:46 # "Flirt" – 2:57 # "Buttons" (music video) – 4:04 * German CD single # "Buttons" (featuring Snoop Dogg) – 3:52 # "Flirt" – 2:57 * UK CD single # "Buttons" – 3:52 # "
Don't Cha "Don't Cha" is a song written by Busta Rhymes and CeeLo Green, and produced by the latter. The chorus is an interpolation of the song "Swass", which was written and performed by Sir Mix-a-Lot. The song was originally recorded and published by Tor ...
" (live) – 3:31 * US 12-inch vinyl # "Buttons" (featuring Snoop Dogg) – 3:51 # "Buttons" (instrumental) – 3:46 # "Buttons" (a cappella) (featuring Snoop Dogg) – 3:48 # "Buttons" (album version) – 3:46 # "Buttons" (instrumental) – 3:46 # "Buttons" (a cappella) – 3:46


Credits and personnel

Credits are adapted from the liner notes of ''PCD''. Mixing * Mixed at Larrabee North (
North Hollywood, Los Angeles North Hollywood is a neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, located in the San Fernando Valley. The neighborhood contains the NoHo Arts District, the El Portal Theatre, several art galleries, and the Academy of TV Arts and Sciences. The North ...
). Personnel * JD Andrews – engineering *
Charlie Bisharat Charlie Bisharat is an American violinist known as a member of Shadowfax and for his work in film and with other New Age Jazz artists. He was born in Inglewood, CA in 1963 to parents who immigrated to the United States from Palestine in the 1950 ...
 – electric violin * Ariel Chobaz – assistant mix engineer *
Luis Conte Luis Conte (born 16 November 1954) is a Cuban percussionist best-known for his performances in the bands of artists including James Taylor, Madonna, Pat Metheny Group, Eric Clapton, Carlos Santana, Phil Collins, Rod Stewart and Shakira. He began ...
 – percussion * Mike "Angry" Eleopoulos – engineering *
Ron Fair Ronald Fair is an American A&R executive, record producer, record executive, musical arranger, recording engineer and conductor. In a career that has spanned over 30 years at major record labels he has produced and arranged hits for several art ...
 – production, vocal production * Jamal "Polow da Don" Jones – songwriting, production, track arrangement and programming *
Sean Garrett Garrett Robin Hamler, known professionally as Sean Garrett, is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is responsible for a series of chart-topping compositions, most notably Usher's " Yeah!" which ranks second on the ''Billboa ...
 – songwriting, production * Tal Herzberg – co-production, engineering, Pro Tools * Dave "Hard Drive" Pensado – mixing * Jason Perry – songwriting *
Nicole Scherzinger Nicole Scherzinger (; born Nicole Prascovia Elikolani Valiente, June 29, 1978) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, actress, and television personality. She is best known as the lead singer of the Pussycat Dolls, one of the best-selling g ...
 – songwriting * Young Smoke – vocal production


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Decade-end charts


Certifications and sales


Release history


See also

*
List of number-one hits of 2006 (Austria) This is a list of the Austrian Singles Chart number-one hits of 2006. See also * 2006 in music References {{AustrianNumber1s Number-one hits Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in ...
*
List of number-one singles from the 2000s (New Zealand) In New Zealand, the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ) compiles the top forty singles chart each week. Sales of songs determined 75% of the sorting information, and radio airplay figures were responsible for 25%. From 18 Apri ...
* List of ''Billboard'' Hot Dance Club Play number ones of 2006 *
List of Billboard Mainstream Top 40 number-one songs of 2006 This is a list of songs which reached number one on the '' Billboard'' Mainstream Top 40 chart in 2006. During 2006, a total of 15 singles hit number-one on the charts. Chart history See also * 2006 in music References External linksCurren ...


Notes


References


External links


Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Buttons (Pussycat Dolls Song) The Pussycat Dolls songs Snoop Dogg songs 2005 songs 2006 singles Songs written by Sean Garrett Songs written by Polow da Don Songs written by Jason Perry (singer) Songs written by Nicole Scherzinger Song recordings produced by Polow da Don Number-one singles in Austria Number-one singles in New Zealand Music videos directed by Francis Lawrence