Nicole Scherzinger has reflected on a "difficult time" while being in the six-strong pop group The Pussycat Dolls that found fame in the Noughties.
The 45-year-old, who now has a solo career as a musician and Broadway performer in the award-winning production of Sunset Boulevard, revealed the hardships the group faced as a girl group trying to sustain commercial success while consistently touring and putting out new releases.
Scherzinger said the experience gave her sleeping problems because the band was "never allowed to sleep in our schedule".
The "When I Grow Up" singer called that strenuous schedule a "recipe for disaster", but now, she says new musicians entering the industry are given more support.
"It's a lot different now. They have rules set in place and, you know, it's more of a woke community now," she told The Times. "But it wasn't like that when we were doing it. It was just kind of like, 'Work them to the bone until they're passed out.'"
Scherzinger, who was in her mid-twenties when the band got their break with their platinum debut album PCD, performed alongside original band members Carmit Bachar, Ashley Roberts, Kimberly Wyatt, Jessica Sutta and Melody Thornton.
The singer recalled experiencing body dysmorphia when the band was formed, because her body was thrust into the spotlight, and she had to catch up with her bandmates who were already trained dancers.
"In the beginning, that was my biggest issue. The other girls were dancers first. So as dancers, you dance modern, and when you're in class you're pretty much dressed in underwear," she explained. "A dancer's body is the instrument; it's beautiful. That's the art. But I was a singer first. It was difficult for me in the beginning because I didn't feel comfortable in my skin."
In the end, though, Scherzinger said she got to decide what clothes she wore and could say "'No, I want to wear trousers.' I wanted to look like will.i.am and Gwen Stefani. So I got to wear clothes that I felt empowered in and then the girls got to choose what they wanted too".
The Pussycat Dolls had a brief TV on The X Factor: Celebrity five years ago and planned a reunion tour. But in 2022 it was "put on hold", with Dolls members Sutta and Bachar claiming that Scherzinger had pulled out without telling them. Meanwhile, the band's founder Robin Antin is reportedly suing Scherzinger over the situation.
Speaking about the lawsuit, Scherzinger said: "We were in negotiations and everything was going well and, honestly, the lawsuit came out of nowhere. It was a complete shock and disappointment and heartbreak for me. But I'm not a victim; I'm a victor. And I stood my ground. I knew where I stood, which is why I responded with eight counter-claims. But, you know, I'm hopeful for the future. I'm very hopeful."
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