To say that former Pussycat Doll frontwoman Nicole Scherzinger may be nearing the end of her 9 musical lives would be a fair assessment. For a singer whose bids to fame have boasted killer looks, discernible talent, and (not to mention) multiple sturdy platforms for lift off yet no solid launch, begs a striking question: where is the miscalculation with Miss Scherzinger?
Initially brought to the public’s eye during the infancy stages of the now-common ‘reality talent show’, Scherzinger was one of 5 finalists for the American Idol copycat ‘Pop Stars’ (on WB). The pop collective, called Eden’s Crush, saw an impressive beginning on Billboard with both a top 10 single and album. Yet, after a record label folding and no follow-up in sight, Scherzinger fell from public view until landing her next (and most successful gig to date) – Pussycat Doll frontwoman. ‘Doll Domination’ would prove to not only be an understatement, but also the purr-fect set up for its leader as the pop composite conquered Billboard charts with hit after hit. Millions sold and in the bank (not to mention a real lick of ‘celebrity’), Scherzinger leaped from her sturdiest post yet to pursue a solo career.
2007 saw the Hawaiian beauty attempt to make her first solo splash on charts with ‘Her Name Is Nicole’. Led by the thunderous T.I.-assisted, Polow Da Don-produced ‘Whatever You Like’, the debut single from ‘Her Name’ surprisingly left her name nowhere to be found on Billboard charts. With the record later shelved, Scherzinger seemed to have lost yet another footing on Billboard charts.
…until 2010 saw yet another attempt to return to charts with ‘Killer Love’. Marked as the official debut album of her solo career, the album boasted production from heavy hitmakers like RedOne and others and lifted the sex kitten to her highest heights on UK singles charts (#3 and #1 for singles ‘Poison’ and ‘Don’t Hold Your Breath‘). And, joining media mogul Simon Cowell‘s judging panel for the (once) highly anticipated ‘X Factor USA’, Nicole finally looked to board the vehicle that relaunched Jennifer Lopez’s once failing career. That is…until the ‘Try It With Me’ maestra actually…umm…tried it. ‘Poison’, ‘Don’t Hold Your Breath’, and ‘Wet’ barely made splashes on the ‘Bubbling Under Charts’ in the U.S. and quickly fizzled out. Add their parent album’s ‘Killer Love’ pushback after pushback, these shortcomings collectively all but indicated ‘Love’s’ death sentence. And, of course, Scherzinger is slipping right back into a wash, rinse, and repeat of album #1.
With killer looks, dance moves, marketable music, stage presence, and three major platforms, the singer may have hit the nail on the head when she sang ‘I got that poison’ as U.S. record buyers are sleeping on this beauty’s every musical venture. Could Nicole simply be missing the very X Factor she hopes to help Simon Cowell find?
Now you weigh in: Has Nicole’s career been just a monstrous musical misstep or a mixture of marketing mishaps?
Your thoughts?
she has the wrong songs. if she had songs that she makes as pussycat dolls she’d be successfull
Erm… she released Killer Love in 2011, and Wet and Poison were never released on iTunes. And yes, Doll Domination was AFTER the Her Name is Nicole era. Get some infos before you write a text.
NO one is interested in her as a solo performer. Yes…the other Dolls were useless, but Nicole never made ENOUGH of a mark to have a viable solo career. Beyonce (and her management) did this effortlessly. Nicole was just lead Doll.
How many people are REALLY interested in a Nicole Scherzinger album?
label and promotion
period
she is cute and that’s the only talent needed today.her label should invest on paying blogs to hype her up,jump on rappers songs or pay radios
I think Nicole is one of the strongest talents in modern pop. Humble, vocally unsurpassable and obviously destined for the top of the charts. She will continue to excel in my opinion.
She should be in a groupe PERIOD……. & she does not stand out as a solo ARTIST.
Its just whenever she performs on stage or in videos she usually over does the facial expressions. Its doesn’t fit the music and she comes across lame. She needs to stick to more urban music and have 6 backup dancers all the time.
No one cares about her….She is just kinda weird
her album ain’t never coming out
The truth is the music industry a lot of times is not about talent but about luck and hype, and as talented as Nicole is…for some reason she lacks the personality that make people stan for her, and lacks the “magic” some ho’s like Rihanna have to choose hit songs.
ermmm get ur facts right, poison/wet/try with me is the europe single. The Single in US is only Right There which enter top40 in Billboard Hot 100 and Don’t hold your breath at the moment that cracked the Hot 100 in the first week but is no where to be found now. Sure it wasn’t a hugh success but it’s getting better i guess. I think she needs to do the catchy dance music like she was in the PCD. She was trying to be different than PCD she was trying many type of music. U gotta admit that this girl has a high music versatility but i think PCD type of music suits her the best.
Who?
PRODUCT
She was the lead singer of PCD and no matter what people think about this group, they were very well marketed and they had a string of hits. (“Beep” is my favorite PCD song.)
Nicole broke out as a sassy s*** doll among six others but all by herself, she looks weak and incomplete.
First off, HER STAGE NAME. she has a “white supremacist”(sorry for this, Nicole) type of name yet in the face she looks latina-asian-hawaian. She looks very exotic , it would make more sense for the audience if her name was Shakira, Rihanna, Kimora or something like that.
In the end, nobody can really relate to her therefore there’s not an ethnic group that claims her. J-Lo and Shakira make pop music but they are latinas first; Pitbull and Enrique Iglesias are latinos first. Rihanna does pop but she’s caribbean first. And the list goes on.
Nicole needs to build a basic target market first, above everything. If there is any indication, her single “Right there” is her most successful single to date. Nicole, change your stage name to “Scherz” or “Scheherazade” or something like that, stick to island-flavored songs and you’ll be perfect.
On her own, there’s nothing about her look or personality that would make/keep the non-stan, general public interested in listening to and buying her music. I don’t think having the “right” marketing, promotion, producers, etc. would help much, either. IMNSHO, as a solo act, Nicole is just a basic b****, regardless of whatever talent(s) she may have. The only way she can stand out is if she’s in a group with people who make her look more special than she really is when you compare her to them. Nicole just wasn’t mean to shine on her own. Not everyone can be a star, no matter how talented they are.
Nicole needs a new marketing team and a stylist ASAP because right now, I know nothing about this chick’s personality and what I do know doesn’t move me to pay attention to her music. I don’t need to know her personal business but show SOME personality or follow the Rihanna route & dress your ass off for initial attention then hit us with some hot songs!
Finally when I happen to see her perform live – her vocals are off (maybe I should check out more recent performances on Youtube) but for me as a female, a pretty face won’t move me to buy your cds or singles – the ability to sing, a catchy song or meaningful lyrics would.
she needs to date drake and let him make her music. also change her name. she is probably too old to be releasing a first lp anyway , but really she needs good material
Jameson Marshall and TS thank you,, u da ones who actually have brains around her.
I don’t know why she can’t sell records! I love her. I think she has all the components to make it since she’s beautiful, can sing, can dance her ass off and she seems sweet and humble and she’s never in any b******* press. She needs new material or something but I want to see her make it!
The writer of this blog didn’t check the facts right. All of Nicole’s new songs were a hit in Europe. Right There, Don’t Hold your Breath, Poison, and Wet were all in the Top 10. Yes, Poison and Don’t Hold your Breath was even #1 and #3 on the charts. So, how is that not successful? There are thousands of musicians around the world and do you want all of them to be no. 1 hits to declare them successful? Her song “Right There” was in the US Top 40 charts, Billboard 100, Top 40-charts.com, Top 100 itunes chart and many other charts. I should know, since I was checking it each week when it came out. If you would check her views on that song, it’s over 30 million and that also means it’s a hit worldwide. There are thousands of singers out there but it seems like the critics don’t give them hell about it, I wonder if it’s just that you guys are being hard on her more because she’s not white. Like you said, she’s beautiful, she won the talent show before, and was popular as a Pussycat Doll and that the song “Jai Ho” was no. 1 all over the world. Critics are just not fair with criticking her and why don’t you just let her be and not writing stuff like this stating, “Oh, is it the end of her carreer? Can Nicole really survive? Is she at the end of the road? Why not write a critic on another white singer out there? Hello, it’s 2011 and lets stop being racists people and lets give talented people chances and not be a HATER.
As a matter of fact, I just checked it right now and the views of the song “Right There” is close to 50 million views and “Don’t Hold Your Breath” is now almost 30 million views. Even Lady Gaga and Rihanna don’t have all songs that are that many views. You guys are being hard on her and why don’t you give her a chance seriously? Nicole can sing, dance, act, write music, play musical instruments, record produce, emcee, judge and entertain. She is also beautiful, gorgeous, stylish and s*** to top it off. Some singers can only sing and might not even look good. She’s the whole package but do you critic those other singers? Lets not be RACISTS since it’s now 2011 and lets give people the chance to succeed because karma happens.
With the right mindset, support & venue she will be alright. As long as she believes in herself she can work wonders. I think she’s versatile enough to do anything. She should l always have options to do whatever she loves to do, that will keep the money rolling in… Having a Vision is the Key 2 It All…
She needs to just put her foot down and release the album, she is doing well in the UK she needs to build on that and stop worrying about the US. She is making the same mistake as all the other female singers and that is if you do not make it in the US your career is finished.
For me it’s her. She lacks personality and that young cutsie girlie thing she does is really annoying. This along with mediocre songs make for more misses than hits. At the age Nicole is she needs to be making music that women and not Tweens can relate to. People know shes hit 30 already and needs re market herself.
I wish people would stop giving these flop ass singers a chance. Are y’all forgetting that she was a B**** to the other dolls? That’s why they don’t talk to her anymore. Only two of them spoke about this in interviews. Karma is getting back at Nicole and this is what she gets. She doesn’t deserve to be a star because she sells her bony ass and has a horrible singing voice! She sounds like a grandmother who has smoked too many damn cigarettes for years when she sings! And she can barely dance. Face it, she will never make it. She needs to take her 34 year, old ass back to Hawaii and become a hula dancer for the rest of her life.
She should have stayed in her group, where she was GREAT. Stupid move trying to go Solo. #FAIL.
Amen!!!@Lola
Chance after a chance and all she does is fail.
The only good album release through out her career group and solo was PCD’s debut.
Did someone just say her vocals were unmatched? Lol
Beyonce,Christina,Jennifer Hudson,adele,Leona,pink,Jesse j,fantasia,Kelly Clarkson,Charice,letoya London,Jazmine Sullivan,dorinda,Tiffany Evan ,ledisi the list goes on and on sing way better than she does or ever will.
There was this chick with her on pop stars that blew her ass out the water every time they sang together but she didn’t make the group because she was ugly.
Necole is like Kelly Rowland not meant to be an star.
Sometimes, a flop is just a flop and you have to accept that. If the Nicole stans think she’s great, that’s fine. No problem there. But just because YOU think she’s star material doesn’t mean that everyone else will or should feel the same way. Stop trying to analyze why she isn’t a bigger star and just accept her status in the industry and move on.
and, Killer Love should be shelved already instead of continuing to be pushed back. Apparently her label doesn’t have faith that it will sell in the US, so they might as well end the charade and resign it to the same fate as Her Name Is Nicole.
She has no personality… And she is a b****… No connection is made between her and an audience.. She isnt giving nothing that we dont get from artists better and more talented then her… She is through…
First of all, I re-read the article for those of u who r reporting “nicole” facts and while what u said may have ben true, the writer never said it was untrue! Lol. U peeps kill me
And yes, nicole is just boring. Like kelly rowland. Pretty, hot songs, no star quality
What exactly do YOU get from putting HER down?
Nicole has her fair share of fans and I would know because I’m one of them and I think that she’s an incredibly underrated performer. She’s talented, ambitious, funny, smart, a hard worker, modest, compassionate and always good to her fans. There are a LOT of people who are successful in the music industry right now that truly DON’T deserve their fame. It’s unfortunate that people like Katy Perry and Selena Gomez can go about their business and careers without facing any of the criticism that Nicole does EVEN THOUGH Nicole is a classically trained opera singer who’s been putting in the work for a while now and actually deserves a lot more credit than she’s given.
To whoever wrote this article, GET OVER YOURSELF.
Sincerely,
Nicole’s Killer Lovers
She’s pretty….
I have often wondered the same thing – she is prettier & more talented than a lot of IT girls that have come & gone over the years, yet no real solo success. Perhaps bc she is of Asia descent? Not many Asians have made it big in the US music career: CoCo Lee, Jin & Seiko anyone?
There is a disconnect with her as a solo performer. Its empty. Being the beauty out front in the group helped take attention away from her shortcomings. Yes she can sing and dance and is beautiful
Nicole has a great voice. She’s very talented She can sing,dance and is beautiful. It’s almost like she fed off of her groups energy. She was bringing it in the group. Now, by herself she can sing, but she needs to add more persoality. She also needs so major hits, and by that i mean instant hits.
SHE’S WHACK, HER MATERIAL IS WHACK, FLOP. NEXT =====>
Nicole will never sell any records lol, but sometimes it isnt always about that. She seems like a sweet person though.
I’m one of Nicole’s fan, but it is true that she needs a way more than her Humility or Hard work in this business. She needs something that really sticks to what the public wants her to do: she has got everything to kick ass, but she is playing it too safe. Too bad.
@mishka totally agree with u on the thing about her name, i love nicole, but her last name is hard for some ppl to read, lol
@richard couldnt agree more
@LOLA F*** you hater, ur just f***** jealous of her cuz shes F***** BEAUTIFUL and ur just one ugly ass b****
and about the post, her name is nicole songs werent that good so it had a reason why it flopped but i dont really know the reason why shes flopping in the us now, cuz all of her recent singles on killer love are kinda similar to other songs that top hot 100 so easily, and she is one of the best performers ever, later this year, she was known as the 9th best singer/dancer (performer) by rolling stones, (mj was number1 , bey was 2 ) , what else do u need to be a big star?
SOONER this year*
Nicole has always comes across like she just has to be seen.Always in the front.She can’t share.Let’s face in the group PCD she was the singer and the other girls were her backup singers.Proof,the name change to PCD to Nicole and the PCD,i mean why would u give in to that if ur a group?Ironically,she’s now on her own and can’t make a splash to save her life.lol.karma comes around.
“what else do u need to be a big star?”
I would say about 80-90% percent luck. If fate’s not on your side, your pretty much screwed. beauty and talent don’t always equal success, esp if your livelihood depends upon the buying habits of a fickle, unpredictable public.
@NOPE, DON’T SEE IT FOR HER
oh….. yeah, ur probably right
Actually Nicole is doing really well in the U.K, and most other European countries, just because you assume America doesn’t think she is that good, doesn’t make her bad. some post further up posted some list of names who were all better than her & i didn’t have a clue who half of them are, America is NOT The only market out there for music, and people need to stop thinking the world starts and ends in America. Over here in the U.K She is doing fantastically & we love her music & By the way, No ONE individual can judge her & say shes a b**** or whatever, you don’t know her, you don’t have a clue about her life, & yeah she could be a b****, but i don’t know her & i ain’t gonna judge her, but i like her music so i’l buy it.
i love nicole,the uk love her to death,her songs do supa well here,i am a die hard fan!
after what you done to rachel crow your a joke who wants a record from you your a disgrace she won it and you know it what a joke no more x factor for me or songs from you you need to leave the show
your a joke rachael won your a discrace
Needs new management.