Pussycat Dolls
Sunset strip: Tut, tut, have those girlie groups no shame? Look at them bumpin' and grindin' on MTV, leaving nothing to the imagination. Sure why don't they just get strippers in and have done with it? Actually, they just did. Meet Pussycat Dolls, a burlesque revue-turned-pop act, who are about to spice up the charts with their eye-popping blend of raunch and r 'n' b. Their debut single, Don't Cha, topped the Billboard Hot 100 for six weeks. The tune has just toppled Gorillaz off the No 1 spot in the UK and the video, featuring Busta Rhymes, amply displays the girls' considerable booty- shaking skills, honed over a number of years performing burlesque shows onstage in LA.
Can the can: Pussycat Dolls were put together by choreographer Robin Antin, who gathered a number of her girlie friends together and worked up a few saucy dance routines in the garage of actress Christina Applegate. The troupe's first leader was none other than model/presenter Carmen Electra, who fronted this brash, bold rock'n'roll burlesque. Applegate alerted Johnny Depp to this nascent naughty girl act, and he gave them a Thursday night residency at his Viper Room venue. The ladies were an instant hit, attracting such celebrity voyeurs as Leonardo DiCaprio, Marilyn Manson (his girlfriend, Dita von Teese, performed with the troupe), and Playboy tycoon Hugh Hefner. This was no glorified lap-dance act, however; the troupe's appeal lay in its suggestive mix of Terpsichore and tease, with the girls performing 1940s style cabaret and lip- synching to Björk, Big Spender and tunes from Chicago.
Angels delight: It wasn't long before a bevy of famous ladies were queuing up to strut their stuff with Pussycat Dolls. Celebrity guest dancers throughout the years have included Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Charlize Theron, Paris Hilton and Scarlett Johansson. Gwen Stefani danced and sang with the girls, and this may have given Antin the idea to transform her cabaret queens into full-on pop stars. Antin immediately auditioned new members, including Popstars: USA winner Nicole Scherzinger and dancer Carmit Bachar, who was the featured dancer in the video for Ricky Martin's La Vida Loca. The fresh septet made a memorable appearance in Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, and signed to A&M records.
Dollar signs: With the success of Don't Cha, Pussycat Dolls will probably be too busy to perform their burlesque show, but you'll be able to catch them shaking their booty on MTV and every other music TV channel in the universe. They have also opened a Pussycat Dolls Lounge in Las Vegas, where a second troupe will keep the flame burning. And for those girls (and boys) who want to emulate their hot new heroines, there's a clothing and make-up range on the way.
