Nicole Scherzinger has opened up about the creative spark behind one of The Pussycat Dolls’ biggest hits, revealing that her breathy vocal line on Buttons was inspired by Britney Spears and her early-2000s classic I’m a Slave 4 U.
Speaking to Billboard, Nicole, 47, explained that she channelled Britney’s breaths when crafting the now-instantly recognisable hook.
She recalled: “I wrote that part thinking… you know Britney’s [I’m a] Slave 4 U? ‘I’m a slave for you,’” she said, slipping into the same airy vocal style.
The group – now a three-piece comprising Nicole, Kimberly Wyatt and Ashley Roberts, both 44 – also reflected on the runaway success of their breakout smash Don’t Cha, which became a global hit and helped propel the Dolls to international fame.
Ashley recalled the moment they learned Busta Rhymes would feature on the track, saying she immediately phoned her mother in disbelief.
Kimberly added that the collaboration felt “insane” at the time.
Nicole credited CeeLo Green, who wrote Don’t Cha, for helping shape the group’s early sound.
She remembered being in the studio with him as he played through potential follow-up tracks — including a song that would soon become a worldwide phenomenon.
She said: “He played me a song called Crazy.
“I told him, ‘That’s not our song. That’s your song. Nobody can touch that.’”
Ashley was stunned to learn Nicole heard the future Gnarls Barkley hit before the rest of the world.
Nicole later recalled driving in Los Angeles when she heard Crazy on the radio for the first time, asking, “Who is Gnarls Barkley?” before realising it was the very track CeeLo had previewed for her.
The trio have reunited for a full-scale comeback that includes a huge 2026 world tour and brand-new music.
The group will return to the stage for the PCD FOREVER tour, which opens in the US this June before moving through Europe and the UK later in the year.
Their first UK date lands on September 29 in Birmingham, marking their first major shows together in years.
Alongside the tour announcement, the Dolls released a new single, Club Song, their first new material since 2019’s React.
Jessica Sutta, 43, Carmit Bachar, 51, and Melody Thornton, 41, are not part of the new era.
