"Don't Cha" is a song written by Sir Mix-a-Lot, Busta Rhymes and CeeLo Green, and produced by the latter. The song was originally recorded and published in 2004 by Tori Alamaze, former backing vocalist for OutKast, and was released as her debut single. After minor success, and dissatisfaction with Universal Records, Alamaze gave up her rights to the song.
The Pussycat Dolls, an American burlesque dance troupe who were poised to reinvent themselves as a pop music girl group, were offered the song from Universal. The group recorded a new version of "Don't Cha" with raps from Busta Rhymes and released it in 2005 as the lead single from their debut studio album, PCD. The Pussycat Dolls' version received positive reviews from music critics, many of whom highlighted it as a standout track from the album; however, some of them criticized Busta Rhymes' appearance. The song was a commercial success, peaking at number two on the US Billboard Hot 100 and atop the Dance Club Songs and Pop 100 charts. Outside the United States, "Don't Cha" topped the charts in 15 countries. An accompanying music video for the song was directed by Paul Hunter.
Tori Alamaze version
Writing and production In January 2004, American recording artist and producer CeeLo Green finished writing and producing "Don't Cha", the chorus of which reprises the hook from "Swass" by Sir Mix-a-Lot from his album Swass (1988). The song was recorded in a basement studio in Atlanta, Georgia by Tori Alamaze, a former backing vocalist for the hip-hop duo OutKast in the same month. She had signed to his imprint label Radiculture Records. Billboard Rashaun Hall described her version of "Don't Cha" as a "midtempo dance gem" that is "backed by a driving minimalist bassline".
Release During recording sessions, at Jermaine Dupri’s studio in Atlanta, DJ Felli Fel from Power 106 in Los Angeles heard "Don't Cha" and started to play on his show. As requests increased, the song gained some regional prominence. In November 2004, Alamaze signed a record deal with Universal Motown Records, a part of Universal Music Group. “Don’t Cha” was featured in the film Beauty Shop. Around spring of 2005, while Tori was promoting the song, she discovered that the label decided to give "Don't Cha" to the Pussycat Dolls.
Critical reception Alamaze's version of "Don't Cha" received positive reviews from critics. Saptosa Foster of Vibe described it as "sultry", while Salon's Thomas Bartlett commented that the song is "strange, sad and astonishingly good." A Rolling Stone writer preferred Alamaze's version over the Pussycat Dolls'. Stylus Magazine included it on their ranking of the best singles from 2005 at number 30, adding that "at the core, Alamaze remains defiantly sexy over a tight bump-n-grind rhythm."
Charts + Weekly chart performance for "Don't Cha"Chart (2005)PeakpositionUS Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (Billboard)2US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)53US Rhythmic (Billboard)20
Release history + Release dates and formats for "Don't Cha" Region Date Format(s) Label(s) United States Urban contemporary radio Universal
The Pussycat Dolls version
In 2004, choreographer Robin Antin had struck a joint venture with Interscope Records to develop the Pussycat Dolls, a burlesque cabaret act that was performing in various venues in Hollywood, into a brand. In cooperation with then-chairman of Interscope Geffen A&M Records, Jimmy Iovine, and record producer Ron Fair, Antin formed a separate group consisting of six members based on the burlesque dance revue created by Antin. To successfully transition into a major-label recording act, Fair felt it would be best to deviate from "straight-ahead burlesque" and transition into a more traditional pop group with contemporary R&B influences. At the suggestion of Doug Morris,—then chairman of Universal Music Group—"Don't Cha" was given to the Pussycat Dolls as the label was trying to reinvent the girl group. They asked Green to rerecord the song with the Pussycat Dolls, who was initially skeptical. "I didn't know too much about them, but when I found out that [Universal-owned] Interscope Records was involved, that was an alliance I didn't hesitate to make." "Don't Cha" was initially offered to both Sugababes and Paris Hilton, but both declined. In 2006, Hilton claimed that she was presented with the track, but was not impressed with it. "I think I did hear the song, but not in the format that we all came to know and love. If I'd heard that, of course I'd have jumped at the chance". The song is considered to be the group's signature hit.
Composition
"Don't Cha" is an R&B song that lasts four minutes and thirty-two seconds. The song was written by Thomas Callaway, Anthony Ray, and Trevor Smith and produced by Callaway. According to the sheet music published by Sony/ATV Music Publishing, "Don't Cha" was composed using common time in the key of B minor, and set in a moderate hip hop tempo of 120 beats per minute. Naomi West described Busta Rhymes' rap as "garrulous".
Speaking of their collaboration, Scherzinger said, "He is so much fun. He's so humble and he just makes you feel good. We are so grateful that [Busta] did it and was a part of it with us. We feel blessed." The song's lyrics are about "taunting a hapless man with the lyrics, "Don't cha wish your girlfriend was hot like me / Don't cha wish your girlfriend was a freak like me". The chorus of the song is based on Sir Mix-a-Lot's song "Swass" (1988). Maeve McDermott distinguished "Don't Cha" from other girl group songs like the Spice Girls' "Wannabe", Destiny's Child's "Independent Women Part I" and TLC's "No Scrubs" which promote female camaraderie. Marisa Meltzer of The Daily Beast felt that the song's lyrics "put forward the belief that a woman's worth lies solely in her appearance and sexual permissiveness and just furthers the notion that women are in competition with one another over men."
Reception Reviews "Don't Cha" received mainly positive reviews. Sal Cinquemani of described the song as "brassy and sassy" adding that, "the Pussycat Dolls have certainly carved a niche for themselves in 21st century pop history. Stephen Thomas Erlewine also favored the song saying "there has never been a sex song quite as knowingly ironic yet undeniably sexy as this." Writing for musicOMH, John Murphy described "Don't Cha" as "a silky, sexy little number that will become ubiquitous by the end of the month." However, he added that Busta Rhymes is annoying. "It's a shame that Busta Rhymes is as typically annoying as ever, but he doesn't spoil the song too much." Spence D. from IGN wrote that the track's "sultry swagger-n-shuffle is the type of stuff that nasty boys and girls might enjoy grinding to." A reviewer from Contactmusic.com gave the song 4 out 5 stars favoring the "serious dose of high energy and raunchy message," while criticized the song for not having "any vocal talent." Lisa Haines from BBC described the track as "memorable". She continued saying "[it's] a groovy R&B duet with Busta Rhymes, is easily the best." Isaac McCalla from About.com praised the song. "This single is a serious dose of high energy, wickedly fun and slammin' house music." Azeem Ahmad also from musicOMH in a separate review commented, "strangely enough 'Don't Cha' isn't purely eye candy." However, he was critical stating: "not even Busta Rhymes' cameo appearance can prevent 'Don't Cha' from seeming like nothing more than a promo for some generic product aimed at young males." Chuck Arnold and Ralph Novak of People magazine wrote that the group is "responsible for [2005's] guiltiest pleasure."
Accolades and recognition The song was nominated for Top Selling Single of the Year at the 2005 Billboard Music Awards. At the 2006 Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Awards the song won the award in the category for Hot R&B/Hip-hop Songs Sales. At the 21st International Dance Music Awards, the song was nominated in the Best R&B/Urban Dance Track and Best Pop Dance Track categories, winning the former. In May and August the song was listed as one of the recipients of the Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) Pop Awards and Urban Awards. The same year, the song was nominated for Best R&B/Soul Single, Group, Band or Duo at the 2006 Soul Train Music Awards.
VH1 ranked "Don't Cha" at number 96 on their list of the 100 Greatest Songs of the 2000s. The Daily Telegraph listed the song at number 58 on the "100 songs that defined the Noughties." Billboard magazine ranked "Don't Cha" at number 30 on their list of the 100 Greatest Girl Group Songs of All Time; Frank Digiacomo wrote that, despite Tori Alamaze exuding "the sinewy sexual tension that the song's refrain, [...] It took the star power of the Dolls, to get it all the way to [number two]." Based on chart performance on the Billboard Hot 100, "Don't Cha" is the 29th most successful song by a girl group on the chart.
In September 2011, Billboard ranked "Don't Cha" third best song of the Summer of 2005. To acknowledge the most popular films, television shows, celebrities and music of the 2000s decade, "Don't Cha" was featured in VH1's I Love the 2000s. Billboard also ranked the song number 29 on the list of Top 40 Girl Group Songs Of All Time, and third on the Favorite Girl Group Single poll the same week. "Don't Cha" has appeared on multiple Fuse countdowns including number 41 on Girls Who Run The World, number 51 on Top 100 Pop Breakthroughs, number 14 on Top 100 Sexy Beats. and number 17 on 4Music's Biggest R&B Hits of the Naughties.Biggest R&B Hits of the Naughties, as presented by 4Music on Tuesday July 8, 2014
Chart performance In the United States, "Don't Cha" debuted at number 95 on the Billboard Hot 100 on the issue dated May 7, 2005. In its tenth week, "Don't Cha" entered the top ten at number eight. The track reached number two in its sixteenth week, becoming their highest-charting single in the country. The song stayed there for three consecutive weeks, behind Mariah Carey's smash "We Belong Together". Despite the song not reaching the top position on the Billboard Hot 100, it reached number one spot on the Hot Dance Club Play and Pop 100 and charts for three and seven consecutive weeks respectively. "Don't Cha" set the record for the highest-charting single by a girl group on Billboards Hot Digital Songs. "Don't Cha" took three-and-a-half years to reach the two million mark in paid downloads, and by May 2011 the song has sold three million copies according to Nielsen Soundscan. The song was certified quintuple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), for sales of five million units.
In Australia, "Don't Cha" debuted at number one on the ARIA Singles Chart and remained in the pole position for seven non-consecutive weeks between August and September earning the group a distinction for having the longest stay at number one since Eminem's "Lose Yourself" which topped the chart for 12 weeks in 2002–03. Moreover, it was one of the three songs to remain in the top ten for 14 weeks. It has been certified double times platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). In New Zealand, the song reached number one in its first week and spent more than half of its time on the chart in the top ten. It was certified gold, selling over 7,500 copies, according to the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ).