When I Grow Up (The Pussycat Dolls Song)
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"When I Grow Up" is a song by American
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 ...
the Pussycat Dolls from their second studio 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 ...
'' (2008). It was released by
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 ...
on May 27, 2008, as the lead single from the album. It was first recorded for
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 ...
's planned solo project, ''Her Name Is Nicole'', but after its cancellation and Scherzinger's return to the group, she felt that the song was better suited for the group. "When I Grow Up" was written by Theron Thomas, Timothy Thomas, and Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, who also produced the song. It is an uptempo
electropop Electropop is a hybrid music genre combining elements of electronic and pop genres. Writer Hollin Jones has described it as a variant of synth-pop with heavy emphasis on its electronic sound. The genre was developed in the 1980s and saw a re ...
and R&B song, sampling the 1966 song, "He's Always There" by British rock band
The Yardbirds The Yardbirds are an English rock band, formed in London in 1963. The band's core lineup featured vocalist and harmonica player Keith Relf, drummer Jim McCarty, rhythm guitarist and later bassist Chris Dreja and bassist/producer Paul Samwell ...
. "When I Grow Up" speaks about the desire to be famous, and was described as being "autobiographical" by Scherzinger. "When I Grow Up" was their first single following the departure of the group's longest-standing member
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 ...
. It was received favorably by contemporary music critics, many of whom highlighted it as a stand-out. It peaked at number nine on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, becoming the group's highest-charting single since " Buttons" (2006). The song has sold over two million digital copies in the United States, making the Pussycat Dolls the first female group in digital history to have three singles pass the two million mark in digital sales. The song reached the top five in countries such as Australia, Canada, France, Ireland, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, and the top ten in Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland. The song's accompanying music video premiered on June 13, 2008. Directed by
Joseph Kahn Joseph Kahn may refer to: *Joseph Kahn (director) (born 1972), a film and music video director *Joseph Kahn (journalist) (born 1964), American journalist * Joseph Kahn (shipping executive) (1916–1979), American businessman See also *Joseph Hahn ...
, it portrays the Pussycat Dolls in a traffic jam on Hollywood Boulevard. It was complimented for its dance breakdown, and was nominated in five categories at the
2008 MTV Video Music Awards The 2008 MTV Video Music Awards took place on September 7, 2008, live from Paramount Pictures Studios (which, like MTV, is owned by Viacom), honoring the best music videos from the previous year. Nominations for a majority of the categories were a ...
, the most of that ceremony, and went on to win
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 ...
. The Pussycat Dolls performed the song on television shows including ''
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'' and '' So You Think You Can Dance'', as well as several awards shows including the
2008 American Music Awards The 36th Annual American Music Awards were held on November 23, 2008 at the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live in Los Angeles, California. The ceremony was hosted by Jimmy Kimmel. The nominations were announced on October 11, 2008. Performers Presenters ...
, and throughout 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 ...
(2009).


Background

Following the commercial success of '' PCD'' (2005), and over the course of two years (2005–07), Scherzinger recorded 75-100 songs for ''Her Name Is Nicole'', her planned solo debut album. Her work as lead singer furthered Scherzinger's popularity as she began work on her own music. She stated that she enjoyed collaborating with many different artists and that although she had been writing songs for over ten years, she felt as if she was at a different level while working with such A-list writers and producers. Following the moderate success of " Baby Love", the complete lack of success of the singles such as "
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 ...
" and numerous delays, Scherzinger decided to halt production on her debut album. She then returned her focus back on the Pussycat Dolls, and recording commenced for their second studio album. During the process of recording ''Her Name is Nicole'', Scherzinger would state that many of the songs were better suited to the Pussycat Dolls including "When I Grow Up". "When I Grow Up" was written by Theron and Timothy Thomas, along with Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, who also produced the song. Scherzinger recorded the song her then titled debut album ''Her Name is Nicole'' but ultimately decided it was a better fit for the Dolls' second 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 ...
''. Paul Foley, Mike "Handz" Donaldson and Roberto "Tito" Vazquez tooled the song at 2nd Floor Studios in Orlando and Chalice Studios in Los Angeles, and was mixed by
Spike Stent Mark "Spike" Stent (born 3 August 1965) is an English record producer and mixing engineer who has worked with many international artists including Madonna, Marshmello, U2, Beyoncé, Björk, Depeche Mode, Echo & The Bunnymen, Grimes, Ed Sh ...
and Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins at Chalice Studios in Los Angeles.
The Yardbirds The Yardbirds are an English rock band, formed in London in 1963. The band's core lineup featured vocalist and harmonica player Keith Relf, drummer Jim McCarty, rhythm guitarist and later bassist Chris Dreja and bassist/producer Paul Samwell ...
' drummer Jim McCarty and bassist
Paul Samwell-Smith Paul Granville Samwell-Smith (born Paul Smith, 8 May 1943, in Richmond, Surrey, England) is an English musician and record producer. He was a founding member and the bassist of the 1960s English rock band the Yardbirds, which launched leading g ...
both received co-writing credits for the song, for its sample of "He's Always There" (1966). "When I Grow Up" made its world premiere online on May 16, 2008, and was issued as a digital download in North America on May 27. It was later serviced to
contemporary hit radio Contemporary hit radio (also known as CHR, contemporary hits, hit list, current hits, hit music, top 40, or pop radio) is a radio format that is common in many countries that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by ...
in the United States on June 1, 2008. The release of "When I Grow Up" came after the departure of member
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 ...
. It was officially confirmed, after months of speculation, on March 4, 2008, that Bachar had left the group to follow "other performance interests". At the time of her departure, she had been the longest member of the group, joining in 1995 when they were a burlesque act.


Composition

"When I Grow Up" is an uptempo
electropop Electropop is a hybrid music genre combining elements of electronic and pop genres. Writer Hollin Jones has described it as a variant of synth-pop with heavy emphasis on its electronic sound. The genre was developed in the 1980s and saw a re ...
and R&B song that lasts four minutes and five seconds. Built around "bouncy synth lines" and a "thudding"
bassline Bassline (also known as a bass line or bass part) is the term used in many styles of music, such as blues, jazz, funk, Dub music, dub and electronic music, electronic, traditional music, traditional, or classical music for the low-pitched Part ( ...
, the song features a heavy use of sirens, handclaps, and pitch-shifted vocals. Scherzinger was cited as adopting
Britney Spears Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the " Princess of Pop", she is credited with influencing the revival of teen pop during the late 1990s and early 2000s. After appearing in stage productio ...
' breathiness against the song's sirens, shouts and "pumping beat". Jaime Gill from Yahoo Music UK described "When I Grow Up" as a "dark, dissonant club banger", while Rudy Klapper from
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 ...
compared the song's composition to that of
Basement Jaxx Basement Jaxx are an English electronic music duo consisting of Felix Buxton and Simon Ratcliffe. The pair got their name from the regular club night they held in Brixton, London, UK. They first rose to popularity in the underground house scene ...
's 2003 track " Plug It In". "When I Grow Up" contains a sample of the main
riff A riff is a repeated chord progression or refrain in music (also known as an ostinato figure in classical music); it is a pattern, or melody, often played by the rhythm section instruments or solo instrument, that forms the basis or accompani ...
of "He's Always There" by British rock band The Yardbirds, from their third studio album '' Roger the Engineer'' (1966). The song's writers, Jim McCarty and Paul Samwell-Smith, were honored for their contributions to the song at the
American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) () is an American not-for-profit performance-rights organization (PRO) that collectively licenses the public performance rights of its members' musical works to venues, broadca ...
(ASCAP). According to the
sheet music Sheet music is a handwritten or printed form of musical notation that uses List of musical symbols, musical symbols to indicate the pitches, rhythms, or chord (music), chords of a song or instrumental Musical composition, musical piece. Like ...
published by
Sony/ATV Music Publishing Sony Music Publishing (formerly Sony/ATV Music Publishing) is the largest music publisher in the world, with over five million songs owned or administered as of end March 2021. US-based, it is part of the Sony Music Group, which is itself owned ...
, "When I Grow Up" is set in common time with a tempo of 120 beats per minute. It is composed in the key of E minor, with Scherzinger's vocal range spanning from the low note of E3 to the high note of G5. Lyrically, the song is centered around the desire to be famous when one grows up. Using satirical and autobiographical lines, Scherzinger begins the song's first verse with: "Now I've got a confession / When I was young I wanted attention". The "repetitive and catchy chorus" follows, where she sings the lines: "When I grow up / I wanna be famous / I wanna be a star / I wanna be in movies".
MTV News MTV News is the news production division of MTV. The service is available in the US with localized versions on MTV's global network. In February 2016, MTV Networks confirmed it would refresh the MTV News brand in 2016, to compete with the likes ...
commented that the song contains a theme that is "getting plenty of traction these days – beware the high cost of fame." Meanwhile, group member
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 ...
said of the song's concept: "If you strive for higher and bigger things – along with that – comes hard work and dealing with a lot of stuff that you'd never assume you'd have to. So yeah, while the song is meant to be playful, it still does have that little warning twist to it". Bill Lamb from About.com named "When I Grow Up" a possible
answer song An answer song, response song or answer record, is a song (usually a recorded track) made in answer to a previous song, normally by another artist. The concept became widespread in blues and R&B recorded music in the 1930s to the 1950s. Answer son ...
to
Pink Pink is the color of a namesake flower that is a pale tint of red. It was first used as a color name in the late 17th century. According to surveys in Europe and the United States, pink is the color most often associated with charm, politeness, ...
's "
Stupid Girls Stupidity is a lack of intelligence, understanding, reason, or wit. It may be innate, assumed or reactive. The word ''stupid'' comes from the Latin word ''stupere''. Stupid characters are often used for comedy in fictional stories. Walter B ...
" (2006). Music critics were initially confused by the line "I wanna have groupies" in the chorus; mistaking the line as saying "I wanna have boobies". American comedian Ellen DeGeneres also pointed this out when they performed the song on her
talk show A talk show (or chat show in British English) is a television programming or radio programming genre structured around the act of spontaneous conversation.Bernard M. Timberg, Robert J. Erler'' (2010Television Talk: A History of the TV Talk Show ...
on September 23, 2008. Nicole Scherzinger said that "All of us started with a dream...I know when I was young, and I would sign people's notebooks, I wrote, 'Remember me when I'm famous,' and I don't know of a little kid who hasn't aspired to be someone"


Remixes

A number of remixes were commissioned by
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 ...
to accompany the song. On July 23, 2008, a remix of "When I Grow Up" featuring a rap verse from American rapper
Eve Eve (; ; ar, حَوَّاء, Ḥawwāʾ; el, Εὕα, Heúa; la, Eva, Heva; Syriac: romanized: ) is a figure in the Book of Genesis in the Hebrew Bible. According to the origin story, "Creation myths are symbolic stories describing how the ...
was released. Later that same day, a second remix was released online. Entitled the "Darkchild Remix", it features an entirely different beat than the original, with added vocals from American rappers Diddy,
Lil Wayne Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September 27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. His career began in 1995, at the age of 12, when he was signed by rapper Birdman (rapper), ...
and Fatman Scoop, as well as the song's producer Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins. Elements of
Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...
's "
Thriller Thriller may refer to: * Thriller (genre), a broad genre of literature, film and television ** Thriller film, a film genre under the general thriller genre Comics * ''Thriller'' (DC Comics), a comic book series published 1983–84 by DC Comics i ...
" (1984) were heavily sampled throughout the remix, most noticeably in the song's introduction. Lil Wayne's verse was later removed and replaced by a new verse by the song's composers, Rock City, due to issues with it being cleared in time for its commercial release as a B-side to "
Whatcha Think About That "Whatcha Think About That" is a song recorded by American girl group the Pussycat Dolls for their second studio album, ''Doll Domination'' (2008). The song features a guest appearance from American rapper Missy Elliott, who co-wrote it with the ...
", the second single from ''Doll Domination''. For unknown reasons, the remix was never released. Additional "club" and "dub" remixes of "When I Grow Up" by DJs Dave Audé,
Digital Dog Digital Dog are an English remix/production duo consisting of Steve Cornish and Nick Mace. The duo also produce under the aliases Jack Rokka and Elek-Tro Junkies. Digital Dog's 2007 collaboration with Betty Boo, "Take Off", topped the UK Indie ...
, Dirty South and
Ralphi Rosario Ralphi Rosario is an American house musician and founding member of the influential Chicago DJ group Hot Mix 5. Biography When Hot Mix 5 was formed in 1981 on radio station WBMX (now WVAZ), Rosario, the youngest member of the group, was still in ...
, and the electronic band
Wideboys The Wideboys are an English electronic music duo known for club remixes and for their own song "Sambuca", featuring Dennis G on vocals, which reached number 15 in the UK in October 2001. Another top 40 single, "Daddy-O" featuring Shaznay Lewis, ...
were also released in a series of Compact Disc single and digital download releases.


Commercial performance

In the United States, the song debuted on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 at number 76 on the issue dated June 14, 2008. On its second week, the song sold 34,000 digital downloads and ascended to number 31. In its fourth week, it reached its peak position of number nine, becoming the group's highest-charting single since " Buttons" which peaked at number three in 2006. It became their fourth and last top-ten hit. The song topped the Hot Dance Club Play chart, the issue dated August 2, 2008. The song has sold over 2,180,000 digital downloads in the United States to date, according to Nielsen Soundscan, making the Pussycat Dolls the first all-female group in digital history to have three singles—along with "Don't Cha" and "Buttons"—pass the two million mark in digital sales. In Canada, the song debuted at number fifteen on the
Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music industry record chart in Canada for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. The Canadian Hot 100 was launched on the issue dated March 31, 2007, and is currently the standard record chart in Canada; a n ...
. On the chart dated September 6, 2008, "When I Grow Up" ascended and peaked at number three. In Australia, the song debuted at number 45, on June 22, 2008. In its sixth week, the song peaked at number two and stayed there for three consecutive weeks. "When I Grow Up" was 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
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 shipments of 70,000 copies. In New Zealand, the song debuted on the chart at number 33. It reached number five a few weeks later. and was certified gold by the
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) for selling over 7,500 copies. In the United Kingdom "When I Grow Up" debuted and 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 ...
with sales of 29,688. On the ''Billboard''
European Hot 100 Singles The European Hot 100 Singles was compiled by '' Billboard'' and '' Music & Media'' magazine from March 1984 until December 2010. The chart was based on national singles sales charts in 17 European countries: Austria, Belgium (two charts separately ...
the song peaked at number three, and also peaked at number nine in Germany.


Critical response

"When I Grow Up" received acclaim from music critics. Bill Lamb from About.com listed "When I Grow Up" among the top tracks on ''Doll Domination'', stating that the song "bursts out of the blocks", and that it was of no surprise that it "landed in the pop top 10 with ease". On a separate review, Lamb gave the song three out of five stars. He noted that the "anonymous nature" of the group's vocals and "sexual lyrical tease" is starting to wear thin, stating: "This is more of the same, not a step forward". Lamb, however, did compliment the song as being a "catchy dance workout", and stated that the song carries their "usual sassiness" and "pounding dance beats". Nick Levine from
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, ...
echoed Lamb's comments, noting that the song is a "bolshy, hyperactive pop stomper that works just as well in the aerobics class as it does on the dance-floor." He continued: "If they keep releasing singles as infectious as this, they could last longer than we'd think." August Brown from ''
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 ...
'' called the song as the "ideological centerpiece" of ''Doll Domination''. Sal Cinquemani from
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 ...
described the song as a "catchy, full-throttle club track" and commented that it is "a perfectly concocted blend of camp and vamp for the famous burlesque troupe". Steve Perkins from BBC Music awarded the song four out of five stars writing: "It's good to see that the dynamics of the group remain fundamentally unchanged" and that the song was a strong comeback. He also noted that: "The whole song seems to be centred around the desire to be famous when you grow up, which while not my favourite of all messages to give out to The Kids". He ended his review writing "but in all fairness: who cares? It's hella catchy, and really, who's the bigger fool here – the Pussycat Dolls lyricist who wrote some vaguely nonsensical lyrics, or the reviewer who expected anything different?" Dan Cairns from ''
The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fou ...
'' said that "if every song here were as batty and brilliant as this, ''Doll Domination'' would be one of the great pop records of 2008." However, Nic Oliver from
MusicOMH MusicOMH (stylized as musicOMH) is a London-based online music magazine which publishes independent reviews, features and interviews from across all genres including classical, metal, rock and R&B. History MusicOMH was founded and launched by ...
, in a review of ''Doll Domination'', did not favor the song, saying that the song would embarrass Paris Hilton, but "sets the template for the rest of the album."


Parodies and cover versions

The song has been parodied on the video-sharing website
YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
including a spoof called "I Wanna Be a Pussycat Mom" posted by The Momma Mary Show on September 9, 2013. On June 3, 2008, the song was parodied by YouTube superstar Britney Houston as she recreated herself as part of the "Britneycat Dolls" and commented, "When I do these things, I suallytry to give a twist to the choreography. But he Pussycat Dolls havea signature move, and I just had to put it in there intact." It was posted on
MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
.com. "When I Grow Up" was later performed by
Simone Battle Simone Sherise Battle (June 17, 1989 – September 5, 2014) was an American singer. She was a finalist on ''The X Factor'' in 2011 and a member of the girl group G.R.L. from 2012 until her death in 2014. The group was best known for thei ...
while auditioning for '' The X Factor'' in 2011. It has also been covered by
Mayday Parade Mayday Parade is an American Rock music, rock band from Tallahassee, Florida. Their debut EP ''Tales Told by Dead Friends'' was released in 2006, and sold over 50,000 copies without any label support. In July 2007, Mayday Parade released their de ...
on the compilation album '' Punk Goes Pop 2'' in 2009, and The Glee Project in 2012.


Use in media

The song was featured in the 2008 comedy film '' The House Bunny'', the 2010 video game ''
Just Dance 2 ''Just Dance 2'' is a 2010 dance rhythm game developed by Ubisoft Paris and Ubisoft Milan and published by Ubisoft. The game was released exclusively for the Wii on October 12, 2010, in North America and in Australia and Europe on October 14, 2010, ...
'', and the premiere episode, from the thirteenth season of '' RuPaul's Drag Race''. The song and its video were also featured briefly on the pilot for the Nickelodeon series ''
Big Time Rush ''Big Time Rush'' is an American musical sitcom television series created by Scott Fellows that originally aired on Nickelodeon from November 28, 2009, to July 25, 2013 and is currently available in Paramount+. It focuses on the Hollywood misa ...
''.


Music video

The song's music video was shot on Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles, with director
Joseph Kahn Joseph Kahn may refer to: *Joseph Kahn (director) (born 1972), a film and music video director *Joseph Kahn (journalist) (born 1964), American journalist * Joseph Kahn (shipping executive) (1916–1979), American businessman See also *Joseph Hahn ...
. American recording artist
Britney Spears Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the " Princess of Pop", she is credited with influencing the revival of teen pop during the late 1990s and early 2000s. After appearing in stage productio ...
filmed a cameo appearance for the video on June 4 at the
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. Di ...
lot in Los Angeles. An on set "insider" said that Spears' scene was short, only consisting of her driving in a passing car and waving to the other girls. On June 12, 2008, it was announced by MTV News that the cameo had been cut from the final video. Scherzinger was asked why Spears got cut from the video. She said: "I honestly am not so sure. You shoot a lot of things when you do a video. Some things stay in but other things don't make the cut and Britney just didn't make it. I've seen a little clip of her performance and she looked adorable so I really wish she was in it! Hopefully we'll work together in the future." A short clip of the music video was released online on June 12, 2008; a day before the video's premiere on June 13, 2008, on FNMTV. In the video, the Pussycat Dolls are shown sitting in a car in the middle of a traffic jam, where Scherzinger flashes a ring that says "famous". They sing the introduction of the song in the car before jumping out. When the chorus kicks in, the women leave the car and stand on the roofs of the other cars and start dancing a routine. Then they walk down a street of Hollywood stars with bubbles floating all around them. As they walk down the street, they also stop to sing on a bench. As the second chorus starts, the Dolls climb scaffolding and begin to dance. During Scherzinger's solo, she stands in a small area with the Pussycat Dolls logo to the left and a mirror to the right, with lights flashing. The Dolls then dance in the breakdown section with the logo behind them and the camera zooms out to reveal filming equipment and playback screens. Nick Levine from Digital Spy, wrote that: "The Pussycat Dolls have a novel way of amusing themselves during traffic jams" and described the dance breakdown as "entertaining" and "nostalgic". In Australia, the video was criticized for the video being too raunchy. On August 17, 2008, it was announced that the video was nominated for Video of the Year,
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 ...
,
Best Art Direction The Academy Award for Best Production Design recognizes achievement for art direction in film. The category's original name was Best Art Direction, but was changed to its current name in 2012 for the 85th Academy Awards. This change resulted fro ...
,
Best Cinematography This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards. Best Actor/Best Actress *See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...
, and
Best Choreography The MTV Video Music Award for Best Choreography is a craft award given to the artist, the artist's manager, and choreographer of the music video. From 1984 to 2007, the full name of the award was Best Choreography in a Video. The biggest winner ...
at the
2008 MTV Video Music Awards The 2008 MTV Video Music Awards took place on September 7, 2008, live from Paramount Pictures Studios (which, like MTV, is owned by Viacom), honoring the best music videos from the previous year. Nominations for a majority of the categories were a ...
, having the most VMA nominations of that year. The ceremony was held on September 7, 2008, and the video won the award for the Best Dancing. The music video was the fifteenth-most streamed video on
MTV.com MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
in 2008.


Live performances

"When I Grow Up" debuted live on American talk show ''
Jimmy Kimmel Live! ''Jimmy Kimmel Live!'' is an American late-night talk show, created and hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, broadcast on American Broadcasting Company, ABC. The nightly hour-long show debuted on January 26, 2003, at Hollywood Masonic Temple in Hollywood, Los ...
'' on May 20, 2008. On May 27, 2008, MTV News reported that the Pussycat Dolls were among many set to perform at the
2008 MTV Movie Awards The 2008 MTV Movie Awards was the 17th annual movie awards show and was broadcast live on Sunday, June 1, at the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City, California. The ceremonies were hosted by Mike Myers. Performers *Coldplay — "Viva la Vida" * ...
on June 1, 2008. Scherzinger talked about the performance saying: "This is a big deal for us. We just want to kill it. It's all about the Dolls right now, and we're coming strong." The girls performed wearing spandex-and-leather getups, while a backdrop was displayed in the background with images of flashbulbs, tabloid headlines and diamonds. They were joined by ''
America's Best Dance Crew ''America's Best Dance Crew'', often abbreviated as ''ABDC'', was an American competitive dance reality television series that features both national and international dance crews. The show was produced by singer, record producer, and former ''Am ...
'' winners the Jabbawockeez who descended from the ceiling wearing matching red T-shirts with stark-white masks covering their faces, and baseball caps perched at 45-degree angles atop their heads. Of the performance, Geoff Boucher from the ''Los Angeles Times'' commented: "the Pussycat Dolls' set climaxed with a powerful pyro display that left celebs in the first few rows feeling a bit roasted". MTV Buzzworthy described the performance as "sexy" and "sultry". However, Tod Martens, in another review for the ''Los Angeles Times'', criticized their performance. He commented: " hey appearedonstage looking like they had escaped a taping for a sexed-up Jazzercise video." He also wrote that Scherzinger never commanded the song except on "the cut's final seconds when she turned her vocals up to a growl" and noted JabbaWockeez's appearance as "annoy ng. "When I Grow Up" was also performed at '' So You Think You Can Dance'' on June 13, 2008. On August 2, 2008, the Dolls performed the song and presented at the
MTV Asia Awards 2008 The MTV Asia Awards 2008 returned on August 2, 2008 after a one-year hiatus. The event was held at the 6,000-seat Arena of Stars in Genting Highlands, Malaysia. This was the first time the award show was held in Malaysia. This was the sixth and fin ...
in
Kuala Lumpur , anthem = '' Maju dan Sejahtera'' , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Malaysia#Southeast Asia#Asia , pushpin_map_caption = , coordinates = , su ...
, Malaysia, along with " Buttons" (2005). The group then performed the song at the
Walmart Soundcheck Walmart Soundcheck was a series of musical performances and interviews released exclusively by Walmart, starting in 2006. Each recording consisted of a four-to-six-song set performed live, plus an interview, and was released as a digital album as ...
, along with " I Hate This Part", "Takin' Over the World", "Buttons" and "Don't Cha". On November 21, they performed a medley of "I Hate This Part" and "When I Grow Up" at the
2008 American Music Awards The 36th Annual American Music Awards were held on November 23, 2008 at the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live in Los Angeles, California. The ceremony was hosted by Jimmy Kimmel. The nominations were announced on October 11, 2008. Performers Presenters ...
. The performance included stripper poles, and the girls donned all-rubber outfits. The Pussycat Dolls also performed "When I Grow Up" at the
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 ...
(2009). Maureen Ellis of the ''
Evening Times The ''Glasgow Times'' is an evening tabloid newspaper published Monday to Saturday in the city of Glasgow, Scotland. Called ''The Evening Times'' from 1876, it was rebranded as the ''Glasgow Times'' on 4 December 2019. On November 26, 2019, they performed "When I Grow Up" in a medley on The X Factor: Celebrity with " Buttons", "
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 ...
" & "
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 ...
" to promote their 2020 reunion tour. On February 22, 2020, they performed "When I Grow Up" in their performance at G-A-Y.


Formats and track listings

* Digital download # "When I Grow Up" – 4:05 * Digital single # "When I Grow Up" – 3:58 # "When I Grow Up" (Video) – 4:09 * Digital EP # "When I Grow Up" – 4:06 # "When I Grow Up" ( Dave Audé Audacious Club Dub) – 7:56 # "When I Grow Up" (
Wideboys The Wideboys are an English electronic music duo known for club remixes and for their own song "Sambuca", featuring Dennis G on vocals, which reached number 15 in the UK in October 2001. Another top 40 single, "Daddy-O" featuring Shaznay Lewis, ...
Remix Club Dub) – 6:36 * European CD single # "When I Grow Up" (Main) – 4:07 # "When I Grow Up" (Dave Audé Audacious Radio Mix) – 3:40 * German CD single # "When I Grow Up" (Main) – 4:02 # "When I Grow Up" (Dave Audé Club Dub Remix) – 7:56 # "When I Grow Up" (Wideboys Club Dub Remix) – 6:39 # "When I Grow Up" (Video) – 4:09 * Italian 12-inch single : A1. "When I Grow Up" (Digital Dog Remix Club) – 6:42 : A2. "When I Grow Up" (Wideboys Remix Full Club) – 6:35 : B1. "When I Grow Up" (Dirty South Remix) – 8:45 : B2. "When I Grow Up" (Ralphi Rosario Remix Club) – 9:36 : B3. "When I Grow Up" (Main) – 3:59 * UK "The Remixes" CD single # "When I Grow Up" (Dave Audé Audacious Mixshow) – 6:04 # "When I Grow Up" (Digital Dog Club Mix) – 6:24 # "When I Grow Up" (Wideboys Club Mix) – 6:36 # "When I Grow Up" (Dave Audé Audacious Club Dub) – 7:56 # "When I Grow Up" (Dave Audé Audacious Radio) – 3:42 # "When I Grow Up" (Main) – 4:09 * US 12-inch vinyl : A1. "When I Grow Up" (Main) – 3:58 : A2. "When I Grow Up" (Instrumental) – 3:58 : B1. "When I Grow Up" (Main) – 3:58 : B2. "When I Grow Up" (Instrumental) – 3:58


Credits and personnel

Credits are adapted from the ''Doll Domination'' liner notes. ;Technical * Recorded at: 2nd Floor Studios, Orlando and Chalice Studios, Los Angeles. * Contains elements of the composition: "He's Always There", written by Jim McCarty and
Paul Samwell-Smith Paul Granville Samwell-Smith (born Paul Smith, 8 May 1943, in Richmond, Surrey, England) is an English musician and record producer. He was a founding member and the bassist of the 1960s English rock band the Yardbirds, which launched leading g ...
. ;Personnel * Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins – songwriting, producer, additional vocals, audio mixing * Rock City (Theron and Timothy Thomas) – songwriting, additional vocals * Jim McCarty – songwriting * Paul Samwell-Smith – songwriting * Paul Foley – recording * Mike "Handz" Donaldson – recording * Roberto "Tito" Vazquez – recording *
Spike Stent Mark "Spike" Stent (born 3 August 1965) is an English record producer and mixing engineer who has worked with many international artists including Madonna, Marshmello, U2, Beyoncé, Björk, Depeche Mode, Echo & The Bunnymen, Grimes, Ed Sh ...
– audio mixing


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Decade-end charts


Certifications and sales


Release history


See also

*
List of number-one dance singles of 2008 (U.S.) The ''Billboard'' Dance Club Songs chart ranks the most-played songs being played in dance clubs throughout the United States. Under the title Hot Dance Club Play in 2008, the first number-one song of the year was Dave Gahan's "Kingdom", and it ra ...
*
List of best-selling singles of the 2000s (Australia) The highest-selling singles in Australia are ranked in the Australian Recording Industry Association singles chart, also known as the ARIA Charts, published by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). The data are compiled from a sa ...


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:When I Grow Up (Pussycat Dolls song) 2008 singles Music videos directed by Joseph Kahn Song recordings produced by Rodney Jerkins Songs written by Rodney Jerkins The Pussycat Dolls songs Interscope Records singles Songs written by Timothy Thomas Songs written by Theron Thomas Songs written by Jim McCarty Songs written by Paul Samwell-Smith 2008 songs Songs with feminist themes Songs about fame