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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 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 ...
, one of the best-selling girl groups of all time. Born in
Honolulu Honolulu (; ) is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an unincorporated county seat of the consolidated City and County of Honolulu, situated along the southeast coast of the island ...
,
Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...
, and raised in
Louisville, Kentucky Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border ...
, Scherzinger began acting at the age of 14 and studied musical theatre at
Wright State University Wright State University is a public research university in Fairborn, Ohio. Originally opened in 1964 as a branch campus of Miami University and Ohio State University, it became an independent institution in 1967 and was named in honor of aviation ...
. Aspiring to pursue a career in music, Scherzinger dropped out of college and toured with the American rock band
Days of the New Days of the New is an American rock band from Charlestown, Indiana, formed in 1995. The band consists of vocalist/guitarist Travis Meeks and a variety of supporting musicians. They are best known for the hit singles "Touch, Peel and Stand", "Th ...
before finding modest success with
Eden's Crush Eden's Crush was an American girl group who were created on the American television series ''Popstars'' which aired on the now defunct WB. The group was formed in late 2000 and released the hit song "Get Over Yourself" in 2001, following the f ...
, a
girl group A girl group is a music act featuring several female singers who generally harmonize together. The term "girl group" is also used in a narrower sense in the United States to denote the wave of American female pop music singing groups, many of who ...
created through
The WB The WB Television Network (for Warner Bros., or the "Frog Network", for its former mascot, Michigan J. Frog) was an American television network launched on broadcast television on January 11, 1995, as a joint venture between the Warner Bros. ...
's ''
Popstars ''Popstars'' is an international reality television Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Realit ...
''. After taking on some minor acting roles, Scherzinger became the lead singer of
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 ...
. The prominence of her role in the group was a point of contention within it, and eventually contributed to its dissolution in 2009. Scherzinger has carved out a successful career outside the group. She shelved her first attempt with her debut album, ''Her Name is Nicole'', but went on to release two studio albums (''
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 ...
'' in 2011 and ''
Big Fat Lie ''Big Fat Lie'' is the second studio album by American singer Nicole Scherzinger, released on October 17, 2014, by RCA Records. Scherzinger began working on the record in the summer of 2013, enlisting Terius "The-Dream" Nash and Christopher "Tri ...
'' in 2014) that were moderately successful. (''Killer Love'' includes the hit singles "
Poison Poison is a chemical substance that has a detrimental effect to life. The term is used in a wide range of scientific fields and industries, where it is often specifically defined. It may also be applied colloquially or figuratively, with a broa ...
", " Right There", and "
Don't Hold Your Breath "Don't Hold Your Breath" is a song by American singer Nicole Scherzinger, taken from her debut album, ''Killer Love'' (2011). The song began as a demo or reference track by American artists Timbaland and Keri Hilson, which leaked online in Ju ...
".) Scherzinger also ventured into television, winning ''
Dancing with the Stars ''Dancing with the Stars'' is the name of various international television series based on the format of the British TV series '' Strictly Come Dancing'', which is distributed by BBC Studios, the commercial arm of the BBC. Currently the forma ...
'' in 2010, and serving as a judge on several other television talent shows, including ''
The Sing-Off ''The Sing-Off'' was an American television singing competition featuring a cappella groups. It debuted on NBC on December 14, 2009, and was produced by Sony Pictures Television and Outlaw Productions, with Mark Burnett's One Three Media (for a ...
'' (2009–2010), ''
The X Factor ''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for ''Pop Idol'' (2001–2003 ...
'' US (2011), ''
The X Factor ''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for ''Pop Idol'' (2001–2003 ...
'' UK (2012–2013, 2016–2017, 2019), and ''
Australia's Got Talent ''Australia's Got Talent'' is an Australian reality television talent show. The show is based on the ''Got Talent'' series format that originated in the United Kingdom with Simon Cowell. The first six seasons aired on the Seven Network, from 2 ...
'' (2019). Other work during this period includes her West End debut in the 2014 revival of the musical ''
Cats The cat (''Felis catus'') is a domestic species of small carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species in the family Felidae and is commonly referred to as the domestic cat or house cat to distinguish it from the wild members of t ...
'', as well as roles in the
Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
animated film '' Moana'' (2016), the television film ''
Dirty Dancing ''Dirty Dancing'' is a 1987 American romantic drama dance film written by Eleanor Bergstein, produced by Linda Gottlieb, and directed by Emile Ardolino. Starring Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey, it tells the story of Frances "Baby" Houseman ...
'' (2017), and the television special ''
Annie Live! ''Annie Live!'' is an American musical television special that aired on NBC on December 2, 2021. It was a performance of the 1977 Broadway musical ''Annie'', which is based on the comic strip '' Little Orphan Annie'' by Harold Gray. The producti ...
'' (2021). Since its inception in 2019, Scherzinger has been a panelist on ''
The Masked Singer ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
'', which was a ratings success, and she briefly reunited with the Pussycat Dolls for a planned 2020 tour. During her career to date, Scherzinger has sold over 16 million records as a solo artist and has received nominations for a
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 ...
and a
Laurence Olivier Award The Laurence Olivier Awards, or simply the Olivier Awards, are presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognise excellence in professional theatre in London at an annual ceremony in the capital. The awards were originally known as ...
. Her other ventures include clothing lines and a fragrance, as well as serving as an ambassador for the
Special Olympics Special Olympics is the world's largest sports organization for children and adults with intellectual disabilities and physical disabilities, providing year-round training and activities to 5 million participants and Unified Sports partners in 1 ...
and as a supporter of
UNICEF UK UNICEF UK, also known as the United Kingdom Committee for UNICEF, is one of 36 UNICEF national committees based in industrialised countries. The national committees raise funds for the organisation's worldwide emergency and development work. In 20 ...
.


Early life

Nicole Prascovia Elikolani Valiente was born on June 29, 1978, in
Honolulu Honolulu (; ) is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an unincorporated county seat of the consolidated City and County of Honolulu, situated along the southeast coast of the island ...
,
Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...
, to Alfonso Valiente of
Filipino Filipino may refer to: * Something from or related to the Philippines ** Filipino language, standardized variety of 'Tagalog', the national language and one of the official languages of the Philippines. ** Filipinos, people who are citizens of th ...
descent and Rosemary Elikolani Frederick of Native Hawaiian, Ukrainian and Polish descent. Alfonso left the family when Nicole was two years old. Rosemary then married German-American Gary Scherzinger, who adopted Nicole, and whose surname she eventually took. She has a younger sister, Keala. At age six, they moved to
Louisville, Kentucky Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border ...
, where her mother was a clerk, and her step-father was a welder. Scherzinger describes her upbringing as difficult as she grew up "without much money" and supported her parents by being a waitress, taking local modelling jobs, and being part of an entertainment troupe of the local amusement park,
Kentucky Kingdom Kentucky Kingdom, formerly known as Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom, is an amusement park in Louisville, Kentucky, United States. The park includes a collection of amusement rides and the Hurricane Bay water park. Kentucky Kingdom is located at the ...
. With her grandfather a priest, Scherzinger was raised as
Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
and considered herself conservative with "really strong religious beliefs" and would go to church twice a week in order to make her mother proud. At the age of 14, she joined Actors Theatre of Louisville, where she was cast in her first professional play, '' La Bête''. She graduated in 1996 from the
Youth Performing Arts School The Youth Performing Arts School (YPAS) is a performing arts school in Louisville, Kentucky, United States, that concentrates on various vocal, instrumental, theatre, musical theatre and dance disciplines for high school students. Students who a ...
(YPAS) at
duPont Manual High School duPont Manual High School is a public magnet high school located in the Old Louisville neighborhood of Louisville, Kentucky, United States. It serves students in grades 9– 12. It is a part of the Jefferson County Public School District. DuP ...
, where she participated in many plays, including
Alice in Wonderland ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' (commonly ''Alice in Wonderland'') is an 1865 English novel by Lewis Carroll. It details the story of a young girl named Alice who falls through a rabbit hole into a fantasy world of anthropomorphic creatur ...
, in which she portrayed Alice. Scherzinger was surprised she got the part as she was up "against a girl with blue eyes and blonde hair." In 2007, she was inducted to DuPont Manual Alumni's Hall of Fame as one of the youngest inductees. Since 2013, Scherzinger has endowed YPAS with a yearly $2,000, namesake scholarship. After earning a scholarship, she attended
Wright State University Wright State University is a public research university in Fairborn, Ohio. Originally opened in 1964 as a branch campus of Miami University and Ohio State University, it became an independent institution in 1967 and was named in honor of aviation ...
and majored in theatre arts with a dance minor. During this period, Scherzinger garnered the lead roles in regional productions of the musicals ''
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
'', ''
Guys and Dolls ''Guys and Dolls'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. It is based on "The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown" (1933) and "Blood Pressure", which are two short stories by Damon Runyon, and also bo ...
'', and ''
Show Boat ''Show Boat'' is a musical with music by Jerome Kern and book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. It is based on Edna Ferber's best-selling 1926 novel of the same name. The musical follows the lives of the performers, stagehands and dock worke ...
''. In her final year of college, Scherzinger was hired by
Days of the New Days of the New is an American rock band from Charlestown, Indiana, formed in 1995. The band consists of vocalist/guitarist Travis Meeks and a variety of supporting musicians. They are best known for the hit singles "Touch, Peel and Stand", "Th ...
band leader
Travis Meeks Travis Shane Meeks (born April 27, 1979) is an American musician and the lead singer, guitarist and songwriter for acoustic rock band Days of the New. At age 17, Meeks was signed to Geffen Records, and from 1997 to 2001 his band of rotating musici ...
to contribute vocals on their self-titled second studio album. Meeks sought out a singer who could "deliver some more world/operatic textures and sounds." The album's supporting tour followed, which led Scherzinger to drop out of college. Towards the tour's conclusion, Meeks stated that the two grew apart creatively, claiming she "didn't seem to understand music very well" but noted she is an "amazing entertainer." In 2018, Scherzinger received the 2017 Alumna of the Year Award from the Wright State Alumni Association.


Career


2001–2002: Eden's Crush

In 2001, Scherzinger's mother saw a commercial for
the WB The WB Television Network (for Warner Bros., or the "Frog Network", for its former mascot, Michigan J. Frog) was an American television network launched on broadcast television on January 11, 1995, as a joint venture between the Warner Bros. ...
's show '' Popstars USA'', a reality series with the aim to chronicle the group's formation until the recording of their debut album,
Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...
imprint
London-Sire Records London-Sire Records was an American-based record label owned by Warner Music Group, created in August 1999 with the merging of Warner Music Group's struggling Sire Records Group and the US division of London Recordings, which WMG had acquired fr ...
signed the group to a
recording contract A recording contract (commonly called a record contract or record deal) is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist (or group), where the artist makes a record (or series of records) for the label to sell and promote. Artists ...
before the band was named and had finalized its membership, due to the hours of network television exposure the group would receive. Initially reluctant to audition, Scherzinger later opted otherwise as she saw it as an opportunity to travel to Los Angeles. For her audition she sang
Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer and actress. Nicknamed "The Voice", she is one of the bestselling music artists of all time, with sales of over 200 million records worldwide. Houston in ...
's version of Dolly Parton's song "
I Will Always Love You "I Will Always Love You" is a song written and originally recorded in 1973 by American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton. Written as a farewell to her business partner and mentor Porter Wagoner, expressing Parton's decision to pursue a solo career, ...
" and alongside Ana Maria Lombo, Maile Misajon, Ivette Sosa, and
Rosanna Tavarez Rosanna Tavarez (born February 10, 1977) is an American singer, television host, dancer, and teacher. She rose to prominence in 2001 as a contestant on the American version of the reality television franchise ''Popstars''. As one of the show's fiv ...
, established the girl group
Eden's Crush Eden's Crush was an American girl group who were created on the American television series ''Popstars'' which aired on the now defunct WB. The group was formed in late 2000 and released the hit song "Get Over Yourself" in 2001, following the f ...
. Their debut single, " Get Over Yourself", was released in March 2001 and debuted at number eight on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and became the first female act to debut at number one on the
Hot 100 Singles Sales The ''Billboard'' charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs and albums in the United States and elsewhere. The results are published in ''Billboard'' magazine. ''Billboard'' biz, the online extension of the ''Billboard'' charts, pr ...
chart. Their debut studio album, ''Popstars'' (2001), debuted at number six on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart. They went on to tour with
'N Sync NSYNC (, ; also stylized as *NSYNC or 'N Sync) was an American boy band formed by Chris Kirkpatrick in Orlando, Florida, in 1995 and launched in Germany by BMG Ariola Munich. Their self-titled debut album was successfully released to European ...
and
Jessica Simpson Jessica Ann Simpson (born July 10, 1980) is an American singer, actress, entrepreneur and philanthropist. After performing in church choirs as a child, Simpson signed with Columbia Records in 1997, aged seventeen. Her debut studio album, '' Swe ...
, but, by the end of the year, their label went bankrupt and the group disbanded. During this time,
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. ...
, front man of
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 ...
, approached Scherzinger to become a member of the group, but her then-boyfriend,
Nick Hexum Nicholas Lofton Hexum (born April 12, 1970) is an American singer, songwriter and rapper, currently the vocalist and guitarist for the multi-platinum alternative rock band 311 and The Nick Hexum Quintet. Early life Born in Madison, Wisconsin, to ...
declined. Following the band's dissolution, Scherzinger took a detour in acting and guest-starred in television shows such as ''
My Wife and Kids ''My Wife and Kids'' is an American sitcom that ran on ABC from March 28, 2001, to May 17, 2005. The series was produced by Touchstone Television. It starred Damon Wayans as Michael Kyle, the patriarch of an African-American family. Wayans and ve ...
'' (2002) and had a cameo in the independent comedy, ''
Chasing Papi ''Chasing Papi'' is a 2003 American comedy film directed by Linda Mendoza (in her feature film directorial debut) and starring Roselyn Sánchez, Sofía Vergara, Jaci Velasquez, and Eduardo Verástegui. The women discover that their boyfriend has ...
'' (2003).


2003–2009: The Pussycat Dolls

In August 2003, opting for a solo recording contract, Scherzinger traveled to
Arista Records Arista Records () is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. The label was previously handled by BMG Entertainmen ...
office in New York with a demo CD of her own written material under her Hawaiian family name Nicole Kea. Her performance was interrupted by a citywide blackout, and she was forced to leave. Meanwhile,
Robin Antin Robin Antin is an American actress, entrepreneur, dancer, choreographer and clothing designer. In 1995, she founded the modern burlesque troupe the Pussycat Dolls. By 2005, she diversified into various media including a pop recording group with ...
, the creator of the
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.
troupe the Pussycat Dolls, struck a joint venture with
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 ...
and, along with record producers
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 ...
and
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 ...
, launched an open audition for a separate recording group. After will.i.am recommended Scherzinger to Iovine, and in hopes to obtain a solo deal, she successfully auditioned in December 2003 along with
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 ...
joining
Carmit Bachar Carmit Maile Bachar ( he, כרמית בכר; born September 4, 1974), known professionally as Carmit, is an American singer, dancer, model, actress and showgirl. She is a member of the Pussycat Dolls. She is married to longtime partner Kevin Whita ...
,
Ashley Roberts Ashley Allyn Roberts (born September 14, 1981) is an American singer, dancer, and media personality. She is a member of the pop/ R&B girl group and dance ensemble The Pussycat Dolls. Roberts released her debut solo studio album, ''Butterfly E ...
,
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 ...
and
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 ...
. As the lead singer, Scherzinger assumed the majority of the vocals and is the only member of the group to have songwriting credits on their debut album '' PCD'', which was released in September 2005. The album was preceded by "
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 ...
", which became their international breakthrough, peaking at number two on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. The album spawned other number-one hits, "
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 "
Buttons A button is a fastener that joins two pieces of fabric together by slipping through a loop or by sliding through a buttonhole. In modern clothing and fashion design, buttons are commonly made of plastic but also may be made of metal, wood, ...
", the latter of which was nominated for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals at the
49th Annual Grammy Awards The 49th Annual Grammy Awards was a ceremony honoring the best in music for the recording year beginning October 1, 2005 and ending September 30, 2006 in the United States. The awards were handed out on Sunday, February 11, 2007 at the Staples Ce ...
. In February 2006, Scherzinger signed a global publishing agreement with
Universal Music Publishing Group Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG) is a North American music publishing company and is part of the Universal Music Group. It was formerly known as MCA Music Publishing until it merged with PolyGram. Universal Music Publishing is the worl ...
, which would cover her future songwriting. Her work as lead singer furthered Scherzinger's popularity as she continued to work on her own music. Scherzinger's first solo recording was a feature on
Avant AVANT, also known as AVANT street art guerrilla collective, was the artist group active in New York City from 1980 to 1984. By 1984 AVANT had produced thousands of acrylic on paper paintings and plastered them on walls, doors, bus-stops and gallerie ...
's " Lie About Us" that was released in July 2006 and later collaborated with Diddy on " Come to Me", which became Scherzinger's first solo top-ten hit on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100. In March 2007, Scherzinger announced that her debut studio album would be titled ''Her Name is Nicole'' and was initially scheduled for a release in late summer. Four singles were released from the project—"
Whatever U Like "Whatever U Like" is the debut solo single by American singer Nicole Scherzinger, featuring rapper T.I. The duo, along with Sean Garrett and Polow da Don, composed the song for Scherzinger's planned debut studio album ''Her Name Is Nicole''. In ...
" featuring T.I., "
Baby Love "Baby Love" is a song by American music group the Supremes from their second studio album, ''Where Did Our Love Go''. It was written and produced by Motown's main production team Holland–Dozier–Holland and was released on September 17, 1964. ...
" featuring
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. ...
, "Supervillain", and "Puakenikeni"—however, all failed to make any significant impact on the ''Billboard'' charts, although "Baby Love" was a moderate success in international territories. After a number of push backs, Scherzinger decided not to release any further singles from the album and at her request, ''Her Name Is Nicole'' was eventually shelved and shifted back her focus on the Doll's second album. The Pussycat Dolls' second and final album, ''
Doll Domination ''Doll Domination'' is the second and most recent studio album by American girl group the Pussycat Dolls, released on September 19, 2008, by Interscope Records. The album's release was preceded by the departure of the group's longest-standing memb ...
'' was released in the United States on September 23, 2008, and peaked at number four on the ''Billboard'' 200. The album included singles " When I Grow Up" and "
I Hate This Part "I Hate This Part" is a song by American girl group the Pussycat Dolls from their second album, ''Doll Domination'' (2008). The song was written by Wayne Hector, Lucas Secon, Jonas Jeberg, Mich Hansen and produced by the latter two along with R ...
", which peaked at number nine and eleven on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, respectively. Both songs were originally recorded for Scherzinger's solo effort. The following year, the group embarked the worldwide
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 ...
, which began on January 18, 2009. While on tour, Scherzinger was asked to re-write the pop version of " Jai Ho" from the film ''
Slumdog Millionaire ''Slumdog Millionaire'' is a 2008 British drama film that is a loose adaptation of the novel '' Q & A'' (2005) by Indian author Vikas Swarup. It narrates the story of 18-year-old Jamal Malik from the Juhu slums of Mumbai. Starring Dev Patel ...
'' (2008). The song was entitled "
Jai Ho! (You Are My Destiny) "Jai Ho! (You Are My Destiny)" is a song by Indian composer A. R. Rahman and American girl group The Pussycat Dolls, recorded for the re-release of the group's second studio album ''Doll Domination'' (2008) and their EP ''Doll Domination – ...
" crediting
A. R. Rahman Allah Rakha Rahman (; born A. S. Dileep Kumar; 6 January 1967) is an Indian music composer, record producer, singer and songwriter, popular for his works in Indian cinema; predominantly in Tamil and Hindi films, with occasional forays in int ...
and the Pussycat Dolls while Scherzinger was credited as a featured artist causing dissatisfaction within the group. The song reached number one in 17 countries; in the US, it peaked at number fifteen on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, after charging eighty-five places consequently making the largest weekly leap from number 100. On April 5, 2009, Scherzinger performed "
America the Beautiful "America the Beautiful" is a patriotic American song. Its lyrics were written by Katharine Lee Bates and its music was composed by church organist and choirmaster Samuel A. Ward at Grace Episcopal Church in Newark, New Jersey. The two never m ...
" at
Wrestlemania XXV WrestleMania 25 (also marketed as The 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania and written as WrestleMania 25th Anniversary) was the 25th annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) ...
, at the
Reliant Stadium NRG Stadium, formerly Reliant Stadium, is a multi-purpose stadium in Houston, Texas, United States. Construction was completed in 2002, at a cost of $352 million and has a seating capacity of 72,220. It was the first NFL facility to have a retrac ...
in Houston, Texas. After the tour concluded in August 2009, the group announced a hiatus to further pursue solo careers. In December 2009, Scherzinger was announced as the third judge joining
Ben Folds Benjamin Scott Folds (born September 12, 1966) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and composer, who is the first artistic advisor to the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., since May 2017. Folds was th ...
and
Boyz II Men Boyz II Men (pronounced ''boys to men''), also known as B2M, is an American vocal harmony group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, best known for emotional ballads and a cappella harmonies. They are currently a trio composed of baritone Nathan M ...
band member
Shawn Stockman Shawn Patrick Stockman (born September 26, 1972) is an American singer, songwriter and record producer. He is best known as a member of the vocal group Boyz II Men. In addition to Boyz II Men, Stockman was a member of the group Black Men United ...
on the first season of ''
The Sing-Off ''The Sing-Off'' was an American television singing competition featuring a cappella groups. It debuted on NBC on December 14, 2009, and was produced by Sony Pictures Television and Outlaw Productions, with Mark Burnett's One Three Media (for a ...
''. She returned for the second season before being replaced by
Sara Bareilles Sara Beth Bareilles (, ; born December 7, 1979) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She has sold over three million albums and over 15 million singles in the United States. She has earned various awards and nominations including nin ...
.


2010–2012: ''The X Factor'' and ''Killer Love''

In May 2010, Scherzinger and her dance partner
Derek Hough Derek Bruce Hough (; born May 17, 1985) is an American professional Latin and ballroom dancer, choreographer, actor and singer. From 2007 to 2016, Hough was a professional dancer on the ABC dance competition series ''Dancing with the Stars'', wi ...
won the tenth season of ''
Dancing with the Stars ''Dancing with the Stars'' is the name of various international television series based on the format of the British TV series '' Strictly Come Dancing'', which is distributed by BBC Studios, the commercial arm of the BBC. Currently the forma ...
''. In July 2010, Scherzinger served as a guest judge on ''
The X Factor UK ''The X Factor'' is a British reality television music competition, created by Simon Cowell. Premiering on 4 September 2004, it was produced by Fremantle's Thames and Cowell's production company Syco Entertainment for ITV, as well as simulcas ...
'', where she formed
One Direction One Direction, often shortened to 1D, are an English-Irish pop boy band formed in London in 2010. The group are composed of Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, and previously Zayn Malik until his departure from the gr ...
, by picking up the boys and insisting with other judges that the boys together would have been a smash. Her stint was "well-received by viewers and producers." The following month, she portrayed Maureen in
Neil Patrick Harris Neil Patrick Harris (born June 15, 1973) is an American actor, singer, writer, producer, and television host. Primarily known for his comedic television roles and dramatic and musical stage roles, he has received multiple accolades throughout ...
'
Hollywood Bowl The Hollywood Bowl is an amphitheatre in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. It was named one of the 10 best live music venues in America by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine in 2018. The Hollywood Bowl is known for its distin ...
production of the
rock musical A rock musical is a musical theatre work with rock music. The genre of rock musical may overlap somewhat with album musicals, concept albums and song cycles, as they sometimes tell a story through the rock music, and some album musicals and concept ...
''
Rent Rent may refer to: Economics *Renting, an agreement where a payment is made for the temporary use of a good, service or property *Economic rent, any payment in excess of the cost of production *Rent-seeking, attempting to increase one's share of e ...
''. Her performance in the musical received praise from critics,
Charles McNulty Charles McNulty (born 1966) is the chief theatre critic for the ''Los Angeles Times'' newspaper and a recipient of Cornell University's prestigious Nathan Award for dramatic criticism, who, himself, served as chairman of the Pulitzer Prize dr ...
of the ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
'' wrote, "Scherzinger's powerhouse voice was meant for venues like the Bowl." In October 2010, Scherzinger released "
Poison Poison is a chemical substance that has a detrimental effect to life. The term is used in a wide range of scientific fields and industries, where it is often specifically defined. It may also be applied colloquially or figuratively, with a broa ...
" as the
lead single A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. Release s ...
from the album, which peaked at number three 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 ...
, and announced her departure from the Pussycat Dolls to focus on her solo career. Her debut 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 ...
'', was released on March 21, 2011, in the United Kingdom. On the
UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts C ...
the album debuted and peaked at number eight and by November it sold over 140,000 copies. The album's second single, "
Don't Hold Your Breath "Don't Hold Your Breath" is a song by American singer Nicole Scherzinger, taken from her debut album, ''Killer Love'' (2011). The song began as a demo or reference track by American artists Timbaland and Keri Hilson, which leaked online in Ju ...
" became Scherzinger's first number-one single as a solo artist in the UK Singles Chart and its third single " Right There" reached number three. "Right There" was remixed to feature
50 Cent Curtis James Jackson III (born July 6, 1975), known professionally as 50 Cent, is an American rapper, actor, and businessman. Born in the South Jamaica neighborhood of Queens, Jackson began pursuing a musical career in 2000, when he produced ...
and peaked at number thirty-nine, remaining her highest-charting single on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 as a lead artist. It was released as the lead single for the US version of ''Killer Love'', however after a number of delays, the release was never materialized. Initially hired to co-host with
Steve Jones Steve or Steven Jones may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Steve Jones (English presenter) (born 1945), English musician, disk jockey, television presenter, and voice-over artist *Steve Jones (musician) (born 1955), English rock and roll guita ...
the first season of the American ''X Factor'', Scherzinger's eventual replacement of former judge of ''The X Factor UK'',
Cheryl Cole Cheryl Ann Tweedy (born 30 June 1983) is an English singer and television personality. Born and raised in Newcastle upon Tyne, she rose to fame in late 2002 upon winning a place in Girls Aloud, a girl group created through ITV's '' Popstars: ...
amidst the audition stages as a judge caused controversy. She later received backlash and death threats after sending the result to deadlock in the quarter-final, which resulted in
Rachel Crow Rachel () was a Biblical figure, the favorite of Jacob's two wives, and the mother of Joseph and Benjamin, two of the twelve progenitors of the tribes of Israel. Rachel's father was Laban. Her older sister was Leah, Jacob's first wife. Her aunt ...
's elimination. She mentored the Over 30s; her final act,
Josh Krajcik Joshua Andrew Krajcik ( ) is an American singer-songwriter who currently resides in Columbus, Ohio. He began his career as a solo artist and later went on to form the Josh Krajcik Band with Corey Gillen and Mitch Pinkston. He was the runner-up ...
, was named the runner-up of the season. In December 2011, as part of the 25th anniversary of ''
The Phantom of the Opera ''The Phantom of the Opera'' (french: Le Fantôme de l'Opéra) is a novel by French author Gaston Leroux. It was first published as a serial in from 23 September 1909 to 8 January 1910, and was released in volume form in late March 1910 by Pierr ...
'', Scherzinger performed the song of the same name at
the Royal Variety Performance The ''Royal Variety Performance'' is a televised variety show held annually in the United Kingdom to raise money for the Royal Variety Charity (of which King Charles III is life-patron). It is attended by senior members of the British royal f ...
. Meanwhile, ''Killer Love'' was re-released with four additional songs, including the fifth and final single, "
Try with Me "Try with Me" is a song recorded by American singer Nicole Scherzinger, taken from the re-release of her debut studio album, ''Killer Love'' (2011). The song was produced by Soulshock, Carsten "Soulshack" Schack, and written by Schack, Sean Hurl ...
". In February 2012, she embarked on her first headlining tour in the United Kingdom, and later briefly appeared in
Barry Sonnenfeld Barry Sonnenfeld (born April 1, 1953) is an American filmmaker and television director. He originally worked as a cinematographer for the Coen brothers before directing films such as ''The Addams Family'' (1991) and its sequel ''Addams Family Va ...
's ''
Men in Black 3 ''Men in Black 3'' (stylized as ''MIB³'') is a 2012 American science fiction action comedy film directed by Barry Sonnenfeld and starring Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, and Josh Brolin. It is the third installment in the ''Men in Black'' film se ...
''. In June 2012, she was confirmed as the fourth judge for the ninth series of ''The X Factor UK'' to replace
Kelly Rowland Kelendria Trene Rowland (born February 11, 1981) is an American singer, actress, and television personality. She rose to fame in the late 1990s as a member of Destiny's Child, one of the world's List of best-selling girl groups, best-selling girl ...
for a reported salary of $1.17 million. Scherzinger mentored the Boys category and selected
James Arthur James Arthur (born 2 March 1988) is an English singer and songwriter. He rose to fame after winning the ninth series of ''The X Factor'' in 2012. His debut single, a cover of Shontelle's "Impossible", was released by Syco Music after the fin ...
,
Rylan Clark-Neal Ross Richard Clark (born 25 October 1988), known professionally as Rylan, is an English broadcaster and model. He finished in fifth place on the ninth series of ''The X Factor'' in 2012, and the following year, he won the eleventh series of ...
, and Jahmene Douglas to compete in the live shows. Scherzinger made history and a hugely successful judge on the UK show by becoming the only judge to have all three of her acts in the quarter-final and the second judge to have her remaining two remaining acts as the final two, with Arthur eventually winning the series. Scherzinger sang "
Don't Cry for Me Argentina "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" is a song recorded by Julie Covington for the 1976 concept album ''Evita'', later included in the 1978 musical of the same name. The song was written and composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice while they were ...
" at the ''
Andrew Lloyd Webber Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber (born 22 March 1948), is an English composer and impresario of musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 21 musicals, ...
: 40 Musical Years'' tribute show.


2013–2018: ''Big Fat Lie'' and television ventures

In March 2013, Scherzinger released "
Boomerang A boomerang () is a thrown tool, typically constructed with aerofoil sections and designed to spin about an axis perpendicular to the direction of its flight. A returning boomerang is designed to return to the thrower, while a non-returning b ...
", which debuted and peaked at number six on the UK Singles Chart; after its lackluster success, the associated album was scrapped. Scherzinger returned as judge on ''The X Factor'' for its tenth series for a reported salary of $2.3 million. In February 2014, Scherzinger announced that she signed a record deal with
Sony Music Entertainment Sony Music Entertainment (SME), also known as simply Sony Music, is an American multinational music company. Being owned by the parent conglomerate Sony Group Corporation, it is part of the Sony Music Group, which is owned by Sony Entertainment ...
and
RCA Records RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also A ...
for a reported $4.5 million. Scherzinger's second studio album, ''
Big Fat Lie ''Big Fat Lie'' is the second studio album by American singer Nicole Scherzinger, released on October 17, 2014, by RCA Records. Scherzinger began working on the record in the summer of 2013, enlisting Terius "The-Dream" Nash and Christopher "Tri ...
'' was released in October 2014. It experienced lackluster sales on the UK Albums Chart, which led to her eventual departure from the label the following year. The album was preceded by the singles " Your Love", "
Run Run(s) or RUN may refer to: Places * Run (island), one of the Banda Islands in Indonesia * Run (stream), a stream in the Dutch province of North Brabant People * Run (rapper), Joseph Simmons, now known as "Reverend Run", from the hip-hop group ...
" and "
On the Rocks Various unique terminology is used in bartending. Definitions and usage Straight, up, and straight up In bartending, the terms "straight up" and "up" ordinarily refer to an alcoholic drink that is shaken or stirred with ice and then strained ...
". "Your Love" peaked at number six on the UK Singles Chart and was a moderate success on other international markets. In December, Scherzinger made her West End debut starring as
Grizabella Grizabella the Glamour Cat is a main character in the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical ''Cats''. Lonely and decrepit, Grizabella seeks acceptance from the other Jellicle cats but is initially ostracised. She sings the most famous song from the musical ...
in the 2014 revival of the musical ''
Cats The cat (''Felis catus'') is a domestic species of small carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species in the family Felidae and is commonly referred to as the domestic cat or house cat to distinguish it from the wild members of t ...
'' at the
London Palladium The London Palladium () is a Grade II* West End theatre located on Argyll Street, London, in the famous area of Soho. The theatre holds 2,286 seats. Of the roster of stars who have played there, many have televised performances. Between 1955 an ...
where she played the role for a 12-week run until February 8, 2015; her performance received rave reviews from critics particularly praising her rendition of the song standard "
Memory Memory is the faculty of the mind by which data or information is encoded, stored, and retrieved when needed. It is the retention of information over time for the purpose of influencing future action. If past events could not be remembered, ...
" and garnered a
Laurence Olivier Award The Laurence Olivier Awards, or simply the Olivier Awards, are presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognise excellence in professional theatre in London at an annual ceremony in the capital. The awards were originally known as ...
nomination for Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical. She was set to reprise Grizabella in the
Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
revival of ''Cats'' but a week before rehearsals she quit after producers refused to give her top billing. On June 30, 2015, Scherzinger was crowned as the winner of the variety show '' I Can Do That'' where six celebrities compete with each other by performing skills that they never knew they had. In July she performed the
American national anthem "The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States. The lyrics come from the "Defence of Fort M'Henry", a poem written on September 14, 1814, by 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet Francis Scott Key after witnessing the bo ...
at the
A Capitol Fourth ''A Capitol Fourth'' is an annual Independence Day (United States), Independence Day concert Television special, special broadcast by PBS. It is presented from the west lawn of the United States Capitol, United States Capitol Building in Washingto ...
concert in
Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
and during the opening of the
2015 Special Olympics World Summer Games The 2015 Special Olympics World Summer Games were a multi-sport event for athletes with intellectual disabilities held in Los Angeles, United States from July 25 to August 2, 2015, in the tradition of the Special Olympics movement. These Game ...
. ''
Best Time Ever with Neil Patrick Harris ''Best Time Ever with Neil Patrick Harris'' (or ''Best Time Ever'') is an American live television variety series adaptation of the British variety series ''Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway''. The one-hour show is hosted and executive-produced ...
'', a live
variety show Variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is entertainment made up of a variety of acts including musical theatre, musical performances, sketch comedy, magic (illusion), magic, acrobatics, juggling, and ventriloquism. It is ...
premiered on September 15, 2015, on
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...
with Scherzinger as co-host; the show was cancelled after one season due to low ratings. The following month, the music panel show hosted by Ricky Wilson, '' Bring the Noise'' premiered on
Sky 1 Sky One was a British pay television channel operated and owned by Sky Group (a division of Comcast). Originally launched on 26 April 1982 as Satellite Television, it was Europe's first satellite and non-terrestrial channel. From 31 July 1989, ...
with Scherzinger and
Tinie Tempah Patrick Chukwuemeka Okogwu (born 7 November 1988), better known by his stage name Tinie Tempah, is a British rapper. He has been signed to Parlophone Records since 2009, a subsidiary of Warner Music Group. He created his own entertainment compa ...
joining him as team captains. After a 3-year break from ''The X Factor'' UK, Scherzinger returned as a judge for the
thirteenth In music or music theory, a thirteenth is the note thirteen scale degrees from the root of a chord and also the interval between the root and the thirteenth. The interval can be also described as a compound sixth, spanning an octa ...
and fourteenth series, replacing
Rita Ora Rita Sahatçiu Ora (born Rita Sahatçiu; 26 November 1990) is a British singer and songwriter. She rose to prominence in February 2012 when she featured on DJ Fresh's single, "Hot Right Now", which reached number one in the UK. Her debut studi ...
. She voiced Sina in the animated feature '' Moana'', which was released in November 2016 through
Walt Disney Pictures Walt Disney Pictures is an American film production company and subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios, which is owned by The Walt Disney Company. The studio is the flagship producer of live-action feature films within the Walt Disney Studios uni ...
. Scherzinger starred as Penny in
ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...
's television film ''
Dirty Dancing ''Dirty Dancing'' is a 1987 American romantic drama dance film written by Eleanor Bergstein, produced by Linda Gottlieb, and directed by Emile Ardolino. Starring Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey, it tells the story of Frances "Baby" Houseman ...
'', a remake of the 1987 film of the same name. It premiered on May 24, 2017. Although the movie received negative reviews from critics, Scherzinger's performance received praise. In September 2017, she launched her debut fragrance, Chosen by Nicole Scherzinger. In 2018, Scherzinger had a voice cameo in ''
Ralph Breaks the Internet ''Ralph Breaks the Internet'' is a 2018 American computer-animated comedy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. The 57th animated film produced by the studio and the sequel to ...
''.


2019–present: ''The Masked Singer'', Pussycat Dolls reunion and solo comeback

Scherzinger began 2019 with appearing as a panelist on ''
The Masked Singer ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
''; a reality singing competition where celebrities sing covers of famous songs while wearing costumes that conceal their identities. The program's premiere was the highest- rated unscripted television series debut in the United States since ''The X Factor US'' in 2011, and has since been a ratings success for the network. In May 2019, Scherzinger was announced as a judge on the ninth season of ''
Australia's Got Talent ''Australia's Got Talent'' is an Australian reality television talent show. The show is based on the ''Got Talent'' series format that originated in the United Kingdom with Simon Cowell. The first six seasons aired on the Seven Network, from 2 ...
''. Between October to December 2019, she appeared as judge on ''The X Factor'' spin-off's ''
Celebrity Celebrity is a condition of fame and broad public recognition of a person or group as a result of the attention given to them by mass media. An individual may attain a celebrity status from having great wealth, their participation in sports ...
'' and '' The Band''. On the finale of ''The X Factor: Celebrity'', the Pussycat Dolls, consisting of Sutta, Bachar, Roberts, Scherzinger, and Wyatt, reunited with a live medley performance of their previous singles and their new song, "
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 ...
". 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 over 400 complaints from viewers who criticized the band's perceived provocative nature of their performance. The third season of ''The Masked Singer'' premiered in February 2020 as the
Super Bowl LIV Super Bowl LIV was an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2019 season. The American Football Conference (AFC) champion Kansas City Chiefs defeated the National Football Conferenc ...
lead-out program and was viewed by over 27.3million people—the series' most watched episode. The Pussycat Dolls' "React" was released in the same month, to moderate success. Scherzinger voiced Miranda Trese on
Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
original anime series, ''
Trese ''Trese'' () is a Filipino komik series written by Budjette Tan and illustrated by Kajo Baldisimo. It tells the story of Alexandra Trese, a detective who deals with crimes of supernatural origin. Its first issue was published in October 22, ...
'', which premiered on June 10, 2021. Scherzinger played the role of Grace Farrell on NBC's
musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film and television, a genre of film and television that incorporates into the narr ...
television special A television special (often TV special, or rarely television spectacular) is a standalone television show which may also temporarily interrupt episodic programming normally scheduled for a given time slot. Some specials provide a full range of ent ...
''
Annie Live! ''Annie Live!'' is an American musical television special that aired on NBC on December 2, 2021. It was a performance of the 1977 Broadway musical ''Annie'', which is based on the comic strip '' Little Orphan Annie'' by Harold Gray. The producti ...
'' that aired on December 2, 2021. The Pussycat Dolls reunion
tour Tour or Tours may refer to: Travel * Tourism, travel for pleasure * Tour of duty, a period of time spent in military service * Campus tour, a journey through a college or university's campus * Guided tour, a journey through a location, directed ...
was put on hold after Scherzinger was sued by the group's founder Robin Antin. It was officially cancelled in January 2022, with reasons cited as logistical difficulties due to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
and business issues between Scherzinger and Antin. Shortly after in April that same year, Scherzinger held a three-night musical showcase at The Sun Rose, Hollywood. During the event, Scherzinger sang a number of musical theatre productions, as well as announcing a return to solo music. Speaking about the event, Scherzinger said "It was important people get to see me in this intimate setting, to truly hear me, and experience my love and connection of music through singing. … to create a space for me where I can live out my full potential as an artist, without having to be defined by any style or genre of music." She also confirmed the release of a new EP of music, ''Warrior'' and debuted one of its songs "Never Going Back". She also confirmed that she remains unsigned at the time of writing. On June 17, 2022, and according to Belfast news outlet ''The Newsletter'', it was revealed Scherzinger is set to debut an interior design range including bedding under the name 'Nalu'. The venture is licensed through Bedeck, a manufacturer who have produced similar ranges with
Ted Baker Ted Baker is a British high-street clothing retail company known for suits, shirts, and dresses. It was founded in 1988 in Glasgow, Scotland. The company is owned by Authentic Brands Group, after its £211 million acquisition in October 2022. T ...
and
DKNY DKNY is a New York City–based fashion house for men and women, founded in 1984 by Donna Karan. History Karan worked for 15 years at Anne Klein, including 10 as its head designer. In 1984 Karan and her late husband Stephan Weiss were offered t ...
. Northern Irish design agency Anthology were also involved in the project. The same day, it was also reported that Scherzinger would be releasing a new single "The Drop", a collaboration with French DJ
David Guetta Pierre David Guetta ( , ; born 7 November 1967) is a French DJ and music producer. He has over 10 million album and 65 million single sales globally, with more than 10 billion streams. In 2011, 2020 and 2021, Guetta was voted the number one D ...
in the week commencing June 20, 2022. Said single is a collaboration between Scherzinger, Guetta and
Dimitri Vegas Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike are a Belgian–Greek DJ duo composed of brothers Dimitri Thivaios and Michael Thivaios. They were ranked No. 1 on ''DJ Mag''s Top 100 DJs list in 2015 and 2019, and were ranked No. 2 in 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2020 ...
, while also featuring Azteck. It was released on June 24, 2022.


Artistry


Influences

Scherzinger has named
Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer and actress. Nicknamed "The Voice", she is one of the bestselling music artists of all time, with sales of over 200 million records worldwide. Houston in ...
as her idol and biggest influence. She said that she wanted to be "Whitney Houston growing up" and praised the singer's vocal abilities and stage presence. She noted, "no one can sing er songslike her. She had such a powerful energy about her that when she sang it was like she had wings — she filled the universe with her voice. Hers was a divine gift and it happened to come in the most beautiful package." She revealed, Houston's "
The Greatest Love of All "The Greatest Love of All" is a song written by Michael Masser, who composed the music, and Linda Creed, who wrote the lyrics. It was originally recorded in 1977 by George Benson, who made the song a substantial hit, peaking at number two on the ...
" was the song that made her want to do music. As she grew older she also listened to artists such as
Ella Fitzgerald Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917June 15, 1996) was an American jazz singer, sometimes referred to as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella". She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing, timing, in ...
,
Billie Holiday Billie Holiday (born Eleanora Fagan; April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959) was an American jazz and swing music singer. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and music partner, Lester Young, Holiday had an innovative influence on jazz music and pop si ...
,
Roberta Flack Roberta Cleopatra Flack (born February 10, 1937) is a retired American singer. She topped the Billboard Magazine, ''Billboard'' charts with the No. 1 singles "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face", "Killing Me Softly with His Song", "Feel Like M ...
,
Sade Sade may refer to: People * Marquis de Sade (1740–1814), French aristocrat, writer, and libertine * Sade (singer) (born 1959, Helen Folasade Adu), British Nigerian musician and lead singer of the eponymous band * Sade Baderinwa (born 1969), WAB ...
,
Alanis Morissette Alanis Nadine Morissette ( ; born June 1, 1974) is a Canadian-American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her emotive mezzo-soprano voice and confessional songwriting, Morissette began her career in Canada in the early 1990s with tw ...
, and
Tina Turner Tina Turner (born Anna Mae Bullock; November 26, 1939) is an American-born Swiss retired singer and actress. Widely referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Rock 'n' Roll", she rose to prominence as the lead singer o ...
. She has also stated that
Andrew Lloyd Webber Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber (born 22 March 1948), is an English composer and impresario of musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 21 musicals, ...
's music has been influential to her as an artist as she grew up listening to musicals such as ''
Jesus Christ Superstar ''Jesus Christ Superstar'' is a sung-through rock opera with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice. Loosely based on the Gospels' accounts of the Passion, the work interprets the psychology of Jesus and other characters, with ...
'', ''
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat ''Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat'' (often colloquially known as ''Joseph'') is a sung-through musical with lyrics by Tim Rice and music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on the character of Joseph from the Bible's Book of Genesis. Thi ...
'', ''
Evita Evita may refer to: Arts * Evita (1996 film), ''Evita'' (1996 film), a 1996 American musical drama film based on the 1976 concept album of the same name * Evita (2008 film), ''Evita'' (2008 film), a documentary about Eva Péron * Evita (album), ''E ...
''. Following the death of
Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. Th ...
in late of April 2016, Scherzinger posted a lengthy tribute citing him as a "mentor" and "inspiration" to her career. While on stage Scherzinger borrows personas of
Tina Turner Tina Turner (born Anna Mae Bullock; November 26, 1939) is an American-born Swiss retired singer and actress. Widely referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Rock 'n' Roll", she rose to prominence as the lead singer o ...
and
Mick Jagger Sir Michael Philip Jagger (born 26 July 1943) is an English singer and songwriter who has achieved international fame as the lead vocalist and one of the founder members of the rock band the Rolling Stones. His ongoing songwriting partnershi ...
; "the way he prances around stage and the poise he has on stage. But I love urner'sattitude and sass. I steal from her all the time, especially being the lead singer of this group, the Pussycat Dolls, to be fearless and just have that attitude and that soul behind you." She cited
Janet Jackson Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreog ...
's sixth studio album, ''
The Velvet Rope ''The Velvet Rope'' is the sixth studio album by American singer Janet Jackson. The album was released on October 7, 1997, through Virgin Records. Prior to its release, she renegotiated her contract with Virgin for US$80 million, the largest rec ...
'' (1997), as her main inspiration for her second album, ''Big Fat Lie'' (2014), while the music video for "Your Love" was inspired by Jackson's
Love Will Never Do (Without You) "Love Will Never Do (Without You)" is a song by American singer Janet Jackson. Composed by songwriters and record producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, it was recorded for the singer's fourth studio album, ''Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814'' ( ...
(1989) clip. During the recording process, she stated that
Sam Smith Samuel Frederick Smith (born 19 May 1992) is an English singer and songwriter. After rising to prominence in October 2012 by featuring on Disclosure's breakthrough single "Latch", which peaked at number eleven on the UK Singles Chart, they ...
's 2014 album ''
In the Lonely Hour ''In the Lonely Hour'' is the debut album by English singer and songwriter Sam Smith. It was released in the United Kingdom on 26 May 2014 via Capitol UK and Method Records. In the United States, it was released on 17 June 2014 through Capitol ...
'' inspired her to get "emotionally raw." Scherzinger has also incorporated her Hawaiian heritage into her music; her single "Puakenikeni" (2007) was named after the
flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechani ...
that is indigenous to that state. The music video of the song "Right There" featured Hawaiian and Tahitian fashion and dance moves. Stylistically, Scherzinger draws inspiration from
Jennifer Lopez Jennifer Lynn Affleck (' Lopez; born July 24, 1969), also known as J.Lo, is an American singer, actress and dancer. In 1991, she began appearing as a Fly Girl dancer on the sketch comedy television series ''In Living Color'', where she rema ...
,
Sienna Miller Sienna Rosie Diana Miller (born December 28, 1981) is an American-British actress. Born in New York City and raised in London, she began her career as a photography model, appearing in the pages of Italian ''Vogue'' and for the 2003 Pirelli cal ...
, and
Gwen Stefani Gwen Renée Stefani (; born October 3, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, fashion designer and actress. She is a co-founder, lead vocalist, and the primary songwriter of the band No Doubt, whose singles include "Just a Girl", "Spiderwebs ...
. During her twenties, Scherzinger tried to emulate Lopez by dying her hair blonde.


Musical style and voice

Scherzinger possesses a
soprano A soprano () is a type of classical female singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261  Hz to "high A" (A5) = 880&n ...
range. Scherzinger's vocal abilities have received contrasting opinions; Adam White of ''
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 ...
'' considers her as "an incredible vocalist" but notes that her voice is not distinct. Her vocal performance on ''Killer Love'' (2011) received similar reviews from music critics. Michael Cragg of ''The Observer'' wrote, "Scherzinger's not inconsiderable voice is used as a blank canvas" with producers projecting suggestions from other artists. Stephen Thomas Erlewine from Allmusic wrote that, she "sings with the finesse of a demo singer, serving the needs of the song without betraying a hint of personality." Caroline Sullivan of ''The Guardian'' described her vocal performance as "powerful and true," though notes it's "more evident live than on record." Andrew Lloyd Webber praised Scherzinger's recording of "Memory" calling it the "best recording of anything of [his] music ever done." Scherzinger has called herself a perfectionist when it comes to her releasing music claiming she had decided to shelve five albums, most notably, ''Her Name Is Nicole''. While recording for the album Scherzinger incorporated Pop music, pop, contemporary R&B, R&B, Hip hop music, hip hop, and Rock music, rock genres. Her intent was to differentiate herself from her role as the lead vocalist of the Pussycat Dolls and establish herself as a solo artist. Her debut album, ''Killer Love'' skewed towards Europop and explored new genres such as, Dance music, dance and Electronic music, electronic. The album consists two-thirds of up-tempo songs and one-third ballads. In ''Big Fat Lie'' Scherzinger returned to "various pop and dance tropes familiar from the past decade or so of American pop." The themes of the album revolve around fame, love, sex, relationship issues, and addresses her struggles with bulimia. Scherzinger selects to record songs that would lend themselves to being performed live. Her stage presence has been praised; Jarett Wieselman of the ''New York Post'' placed her at number two on her list of the Five Best Singer/Dancers adding, she has a "consistent ability to serve up hard-hitting routines while singing live." While reviewing Scherzinger's tour Sullivan of ''The Guardian'' wrote that she is "able to out-dance her four dancers." ''Rolling Stone (magazine), Rolling Stone'' magazine readers voted Scherzinger as their ninth Favorite Dancing Musician. Described as being "provocative" when performing on stage, Scherzinger states that her stage persona "comes from a strong place, not a weak place, and there's a big difference. There's a big difference when you see someone who still has class and is empowering."


Public image

Scherzinger is best known as the lead singer of The Pussycat Dolls and is credited with leading the group into becoming one of the world's List of best-selling girl groups, best-selling girl groups of all time, selling over 55 million records worldwide. Her prominent role was met with criticism from critics and her fellow members. Despite being the only member who achieved mainstream recognition, Scherzinger has struggled to develop a successful solo career, specifically in her native country. According to ''Billboard'', the cancellation of ''Her Name Is Nicole'' in 2007 hampered Scherzinger's solo career, while both of her albums—''Killer Love'' (2011) and ''Big Fat Lie'' (2014)—were released in territories except the United States. Music critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine characterized Scherzinger as "the least distinctive diva of the new millennium." Writing for ''
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 ...
'', Adam White has described Scherzinger's career as "a perfect case study in all the right ingredients not automatically producing a great result;" [...] she's never taken off as a pop star in her own right, instead achieving greater visibility and success as a reality TV judge and spokesperson for products." Nick Duerden of ''The Independent'' described Scherzinger as the "ultimate modern celebrity" thanks to her work with the Pussycat Dolls, her television ventures and her publicized personal life. He opined that despite her possessing natural talents, she doesn't have "Lady Gaga's edge, Katy Perry's chutzpah nor Rihanna's élan" adding her "drive, passion, [and] unstinting commitment to succeed" is what sets her apart from other singers. Scherzinger has developed an image as a sex symbol and "one of the hottest women on the planet." Since 2006 she has been featured on ''FHM''s "FHM's 100 Sexiest Women (UK), 100 Sexiest Women" list peaking at number nine in 2011 and 2014. In 2012, VH1 ranked her eighth on their list of "100 Sexiest Artists", while ''Complex (magazine), Complex'' magazine ranked her twenty-ninth on their list of "The 100 Hottest Female Singers of All Time".


Personal life

Scherzinger considers herself shy and keeps her personal life to herself and declines to answer questions in interviews that pertain to her relationships. When asked, Scherzinger states, "My music is the only place I'm open about it." Scherzinger was engaged to
Nick Hexum Nicholas Lofton Hexum (born April 12, 1970) is an American singer, songwriter and rapper, currently the vocalist and guitarist for the multi-platinum alternative rock band 311 and The Nick Hexum Quintet. Early life Born in Madison, Wisconsin, to ...
, lead singer of 311 (band), 311, whom she dated from 2000 to 2004. Scherzinger commenced a high-profile relationship with Formula 1 World Champion Lewis Hamilton, after meeting at the 2007 MTV Europe Music Awards in Munich. Their on-and-off relationship of seven years was a Tabloid journalism, tabloid fixture in the British press. They separated for the final time in February 2015. In 2016, she was involved in a romantic relationship with Bulgarian tennis player Grigor Dimitrov that ended in early 2019. In January 2020, Scherzinger confirmed her relationship with former Scottish rugby player Thom Evans. In late 2012, Scherzinger spoke of her experiences with bulimia at the height of the popularity of the Pussycat Dolls. She struggled with body dysmorphia before an early photo shoot with the group triggered her bulimic behavior, which lasted nearly a decade. She eventually overcame the disorder through therapists and life coaches.


Politics

Scherzinger endorsed Barack Obama's Barack Obama presidential primary campaign, 2008, 2008 presidential campaign; she appeared in the music video for will.i.am's song "Yes We Can (will.i.am song), Yes We Can" (2008), which was inspired by Obama's speech after the New Hampshire primary, 2008, 2008 New Hampshire primary. She has taken a public Pro-Life stance, and avoids identifying herself as a feminist. She says instead, "I'm just for women. I'm also for the human race in general." She is a supporter of LGBTQ rights and in 2017, through ''Billboard'', Scherzinger published a "love letter" to the LGBTQ community in which she praised the community for "standing strong against adversity and [for being] a community that unites for change."


Philanthropy

Following the 2010 Haiti earthquake, along with various other artists, she was featured on the charity single "We Are the World 25 for Haiti", and participated in George Clooney's and Wyclef Jean's Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief telethon that benefited people affected by the tragedy. In October 2010, she portrayed Trixie at the 35th anniversary concert of ''The Rocky Horror Picture Show'' that raised money for the Painted Turtle, a Hole in the Wall Foundation camp for kids with serious medical conditions. Inspired by her aunt who has Down syndrome, she became a global ambassador for the
Special Olympics Special Olympics is the world's largest sports organization for children and adults with intellectual disabilities and physical disabilities, providing year-round training and activities to 5 million participants and Unified Sports partners in 1 ...
and recorded "O Holy Night" for ''A Very Special Christmas'' (2013) with all proceeds benefiting the organization. Since 2014 Scherzinger is an
UNICEF UK UNICEF UK, also known as the United Kingdom Committee for UNICEF, is one of 36 UNICEF national committees based in industrialised countries. The national committees raise funds for the organisation's worldwide emergency and development work. In 20 ...
supporter and has traveled to Guyana, Manila, Manila, Philippines, and Kenya, where she visited the organization's supported centers benefiting children in poverty. She later performed "Brave (Sara Bareilles song), Brave" with the SU2C choir for Stand Up to Cancer UK, Stand Up 2 Cancer to raise money for cancer research on October 17, 2014. Scherzinger along with numerous other artists were featured on the single "Love Song to the Earth", which was released in September 2015 ahead of the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference, as part of the global campaign to raise awareness on climate change. In September 2016, Scherzinger along with numerous other artists were featured on Where Is the Love?#2016 version, the remake of the Black Eyed Peas song "Where Is the Love?" where all proceeds went towards will.i.am's non-profit foundation, i.am.angel Foundation. In August 2019, she took part in the Thirty Meter Telescope protests, protests against the building of the Thirty Meter Telescope on Mauna Kea; a place considered a holy spiritual site for native Hawaiians.


Other ventures


Fashion

In April 2010, Scherzinger teamed up with clothing store C&A to launch her own collection of lingerie, shoes, handbags and jewelry in Brazilian stores. A collaboration with online fashion retailer Missguided was released in March 2014, where she designed a 30-piece range. Their collaboration helped the retailer increase profit by 70%.


Endorsements

In cooperation with Unilever, Scherzinger recorded Duran Duran's "Rio (song), Rio" (1982). In December 2011, Scherzinger began endorsing the ''imPress Nails'' manicure line and has her own signature series. From 2012 to 2014, Scherzinger was the ambassador for ''Herbal Essences''. In March 2013, she was announced as an ambassador for British Airways promoting first class routes to Moscow. In April 2013, it was announced that Scherzinger will be the face of Müller (company), Müller Corner, a range of luxury yogurts and front TV and print campaigns. In September 2014, Scherzinger joined ''Proactiv+'' as the new celebrity ambassador for the skin care company. On November 29, 2016, Scherzinger was announced as the new face of Perfectil, a vitamin product. She featured in a television commercial for Vitabiotics, Vitabiotics' new Perfectil advertising campaign in March 2017.


Discography

* ''
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) * ''
Big Fat Lie ''Big Fat Lie'' is the second studio album by American singer Nicole Scherzinger, released on October 17, 2014, by RCA Records. Scherzinger began working on the record in the summer of 2013, enlisting Terius "The-Dream" Nash and Christopher "Tri ...
'' (2014)


Filmography

Film * ''
Chasing Papi ''Chasing Papi'' is a 2003 American comedy film directed by Linda Mendoza (in her feature film directorial debut) and starring Roselyn Sánchez, Sofía Vergara, Jaci Velasquez, and Eduardo Verástegui. The women discover that their boyfriend has ...
'' (2003) * ''Love Don't Cost a Thing (film), Love Don't Cost a Thing'' (2003) * ''
Men in Black 3 ''Men in Black 3'' (stylized as ''MIB³'') is a 2012 American science fiction action comedy film directed by Barry Sonnenfeld and starring Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, and Josh Brolin. It is the third installment in the ''Men in Black'' film se ...
'' (2012) * '' Moana'' (2016) Television * ''
Dirty Dancing ''Dirty Dancing'' is a 1987 American romantic drama dance film written by Eleanor Bergstein, produced by Linda Gottlieb, and directed by Emile Ardolino. Starring Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey, it tells the story of Frances "Baby" Houseman ...
'' (2017) * ''
Annie Live! ''Annie Live!'' is an American musical television special that aired on NBC on December 2, 2021. It was a performance of the 1977 Broadway musical ''Annie'', which is based on the comic strip '' Little Orphan Annie'' by Harold Gray. The producti ...
'' (2021)


Awards and nominations


See also

* List of artists who reached number one on the UK Singles Chart * List of people from the Louisville metropolitan area


Notes


References


External links

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Scherzinger, Nicole Nicole Scherzinger, Living people 21st-century American singers 21st-century American women singers A&M Records artists Actresses from Honolulu Actresses from Los Angeles Actresses from Louisville, Kentucky American actresses of Filipino descent American adoptees American contemporary R&B singers American dance musicians American expatriates in England American fashion designers American female hip hop singers American film actresses American voice actresses American hip hop singers American musicians of Filipino descent American people of Native Hawaiian descent American people of Polish descent American people of Ukrainian descent American philanthropists American sopranos American television actresses American women activists American women fashion designers American women pop singers American women singer-songwriters Catholics from Hawaii Catholics from Kentucky Dancing with the Stars (American TV series) winners DuPont Manual High School alumni Epic Records artists Interscope Records artists Kentucky women musicians LGBT rights activists from the United States Musicians from Honolulu Musicians from Louisville, Kentucky Native Hawaiian people of Filipino descent Judges in American reality television series Popstars contestants Racing drivers' wives and girlfriends RCA Records artists Singers from Kentucky Singers from Los Angeles Songwriters from Kentucky Synth-pop singers Television personalities from Louisville, Kentucky The Pussycat Dolls members Wright State University alumni Singer-songwriters from California Singer-songwriters from Hawaii 1978 births