In Part 1 of our POP 101 deep dive, we’re unpacking the wild, reality TV origin story of Girlicious - the girl group built by Pussycat Dolls founder Robin Antin. From on-screen drama to real-life chart success, we follow their rise from TV competition to unexpected Canadian pop royalty. We discuss their debut album and singles "Like Me", "Stupid S***", and "Baby Doll", and unpack Tiffanie’s messy exit as the group faces label changes and uncertain footing in the industry.
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- 0:00 - Intro
- 1:00 - Were we fans of Girlicious?
- 3:31 - Pussycat Dolls Present: Girlicious and Formation
- 15:05 - “Like Me”
- 21:13 - “Stupid S***”
- 25:42 - “Girlicious” debut album
- 32:44 - “Baby Doll”
- 38:03 - Tiffanie’s departure
References:
- Pussycat Dolls Present: Girlicious Finale https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qvaen67USoo&list=PLBnGEyayLwe4r3TTLLtW8UBgM0fC24o0i&index=10
- “Like Me” MV https://youtu.be/LE3ZEPSW1j8?si=tZcjfNVb8-SwG5iY
- “Like Me” Live at the MMVAs 2009 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9vwk6xop3Y&pp=ygUXZ2lybGljaW91cyBsaWtlIG1lIGxpdmU%3D
- Get With Girlicious Part 1 https://youtu.be/VdTKO9DeLkk?si=A72WWzkqlNMvyEbN
- “Stupid S***” MV https://youtu.be/MoOUn6OJZZM?si=DPAilbRe-Eo4TCDb
- “Still In Love” Live at MuchMusic https://youtu.be/yHIU__2feZc?si=b4K5O-efVkxah3s-
- “Liar Liar” Live at MuchMusic https://youtu.be/fOBEC2JJv6s?si=2RGAZq_yfL4SPmjN
- “Baby Doll” MV https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0GVfa71yIY
- Tiffanie discusses Girlicious https://youtu.be/tZsiCnVhsGI?si=3PTjkLJ6HK7CWM5Y
- MMVAs 2010 Awards https://youtu.be/RfuTXzlFTE8?si=CU64ikEQLlttzCDv
00:00:00 --> 00:00:14 You created a global sensation with the Pussycat Dolls and had a chance to launch the second coming with four new girls. But instead of world domination, you got Canada and chaos. This is POP 101, Girllicious.
00:00:17 --> 00:00:44 Make sure to follow us at CCTV Pops on all socials if you are not already. And if you want some extra content and the power to help us choose our episode topics, come join us at patreon.com slash CCTV Pops. Big special shout out to our crew members, Emily, George, Lily, Louis, Julianne, Janelle, Shaquille, Jonathan, Jasmine, Darius, and Ren. And also a big shout out to our friend Xander who helped fill in some of the gaps in our research for this episode.
00:00:44 --> 00:01:11 Yes, your professors, your pop professors went to work on this one. Y'all made it do a lot of digging, a lot of watching of interesting media. But we did it. We did the work. And here we are now to give you all the what happened and what is happenings of Girllicious, aka H-E-L-G. So were you a fan before? Yeah, let's say. It's so interesting because I remember watching the show. I remember watching both seasons of Star 2 and the Next was the guy.
00:01:11 --> 00:01:39 Pussycat Doll presents. I remember watching both seasons. Like, World Asia, she performed once, but was in the back, and then after that, nothing. And then watching Girllicious, I don't remember watching it, but I know I was watching it, you know? Like, it was CW. Yeah, it's weird. It was CW, of course I was watching it, and I didn't realize, like, how similar it was to America's Sex, Not, Model. Like, literally, same producers. Like, I didn't keep what it is. I think I really just, like...
00:01:39 --> 00:02:07 like me so much even to this day i sing it like it's a funny song people try to copy you it's like oh you have a song um but yeah i mean um i was into them for a little bit but i didn't realize that they weren't popular out here and then i got into k-pop so i kind of was already stepping away anyway yes you know so it was a little i was leaving a little bit the western sound of pop um
00:02:07 --> 00:02:19 I also watched both seasons of PCD Presents Search for the Next whatever. I don't know. There's so many like subtitles or whatever of the show. Oh my god, yeah. Yes.
00:02:19 --> 00:02:37 Anyway, I actually did follow Girlish's career kind of casually, I would say. So, like, with the first album, anytime they performed or anytime there was a new music video, I did watch it. Yeah. And when the second album era came around, I did...
00:02:37 --> 00:02:58 listened to it but I did fall off quite a bit for sure. It kind of yeah and it's hard being a fan outside of Canada because we had to rely on YouTube and the albums weren't even properly released I believe I just you know downloaded it off of Napster or whatever the equivalent was at the time right.
00:02:58 --> 00:03:16 Right. Oh, no. So, you know, I'm a fan as much of a fan as you can be, I guess, kind of just given that they really were only promoting Canada. Yeah, yeah, we tried. We tried. Yeah. But I honestly, I still listen to the first album actually quite a lot.
00:03:16 --> 00:03:31 Oh, yeah. It's so good. You know, the first album is salad. I can't wait to talk about it. Yes, exactly. All right, y'all. So let's hop right into it. Class is in session. But also, if your discretion is advised, your fave will be criticized.
00:03:34 --> 00:03:54 So following the airing of the first season of the show, Pussycat Dolls, present, Rob and Anton sought to create a brand new girl group. And compared to the Pussycat Dolls' more burlesque style and pop-focused sound, the new group Girlicious would be a trio focused on a more hip-hop and R&B sound.
00:03:54 --> 00:04:10 Plessy Gaddell's present Girlicious aired on the CW and featured 15 finalists competing for 10 weeks for a spot in the new group. And the contestants were judged by Lil' Kim, Robin Anton, and Ron Fair, a chairman of Geffen Records.
00:04:10 --> 00:04:38 The competition was full of improvisation challenge, group or solo performances, and as well as drama and tension between the girls. Yeah, I mean, you mentioned America's Next Time Model, so that tracks, actually. The way they edited the drama was very that. Oh my god, oh my, you're so so, right? Yes. So the competition was fierce, and during the finale, when selecting the final numbers of Girlicious, Robin Anton decided to make the trio a quartet instead. So...
00:04:38 --> 00:05:07 She chose Nicole Cordova, Tiffany Anderson, Natalie Mejia, and Christina Sayers to become Girlicious. Yes. Or GLG, for short. Yes. Girlicious Girls. That's so cute. All right. The results of the show. I remember being a Christina fan, like hardcore. I don't know what it was about her. Yeah. I was just like... Something about her was just so like...
00:05:07 --> 00:05:26 captivating and magical. I don't remember Tiffany, honestly. And I'm kind of annoyed that I did it when I was younger. I don't know why I didn't. But, you know, rewatching it. And thank you to the fan that uploaded. But being able to rewatch it and see it, Tiffany was good from the jump.
00:05:26 --> 00:05:48 Like, she was always just so solid. Nicole, she was super cute. When she finally did get her makeover, I was like, oh, there that girl is. I didn't, I was like, I didn't see it. I'm not saying I didn't see it. But when I saw it happen, I was like, oh, yeah. She was like a steady grower. And then Natalie, she was just a hot Latina girl, you know? No offense to her. Like, she obviously became a lot more, um...
00:05:48 --> 00:05:59 significant in terms of like what they sound like and adding to their sound yeah but like she wasn't terrible and i know a lot of the performances were like tuned to hell to hell like
00:06:00 --> 00:06:27 I know, it was so funny because it's just like, oh, Natalie has no talent. And then she'd be like singing amazingly. Yeah, because I'm like, hang on, like edit aside, edit aside. I don't think she sounded that bad. Not at all. Yeah. So it's like where the commentary was just so whack. I hated the fight that Tiffany had with Tiffany and Charlie had. Remember the argument they had when they did the do it Natalie, the Natalie for title challenge?
00:06:27 --> 00:06:51 Yes. Like, it was just so awkward. I will say some of those performances, them writhing on the floor. And one girl, Jenna, why was she there? Why was she there? You know, because she has the sultry. Yeah, she does. Pussycat. She was more pussycat dolls. She was. And she fits this new concept. Yeah. Yes. But yeah, that editing of her, like, lying on the floor with the dancer just, like, climbing all over her was hilarious. And it's like...
00:06:51 --> 00:07:15 And him putting her leg up. The show was such a fun rewatch. I feel like I didn't waste any of my time. And after doing some research for the show, I found out that Christina was actually pregnant while she was on the show, which would explain a lot of her emotional, I don't want to say outbursts, but a lot of the moments where she was a little like, Girl, why are you acting like this? She was pregnant.
00:07:15 --> 00:07:37 And when she got signed, she ended up terminating after. So, you know, yeah, a lot of the girls were going through some stuff for sure. But hers is a lot more telling and also kind of explains why she turned out, how she's turned out. But yeah, when you were watching this show, what were your thoughts? Because you have a good eye. I believe in your eyes.
00:07:37 --> 00:07:59 I mean, you know, I love these group creation shows. I will never get bored of watching these. Like if I had more time, I would watch every single one of these from all over the world. Like I love this process. Yes. Yeah. No, this one was super fun. I also loved rewatching it this past few weeks. Yeah. And yeah, I also remember Christina was my favorite.
00:07:59 --> 00:08:27 back in the day because I and watching it back obviously it's hard because we know now who made it in so it's easy to be like oh like I'm watching these four but she really was a clear standout just in terms of like I guess that you could say it's her stage presence in a way because in every single group even if she didn't sound the best even if she didn't dance the best there was something about her that was memorable yes I think absolutely um
00:08:28 --> 00:08:46 And it was really interesting watching her grow because I think the way they edited it, they really made her try to seem more like an underdog. Oof, yeah. But it didn't fully read because, for example, the music video challenge when they're like, oh, you're like, Charlie's covering you. And it's like, well, what do you expect? Charlie is the one that's off center here.
00:08:46 --> 00:09:10 Christina is as close to the edge of this boat as she can be. You should be telling Charlie to move a little to the left here. Yeah. Putting her on the bottom two, things like that. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. And then when they finally showed the clips in the music video, then the ones with Christina's solo shot, she's killing it. She's killing it. They just showed her like bad takes, you know what I mean? Yes. So a lot of it definitely was down to the edit, I would say. Yeah. Yeah.
00:09:10 --> 00:09:35 But yeah, it was interesting because I do remember being like, how are these girls going to get along? Oh my god, yes! Because Natalie and Christina were so isolated from everyone else. Yes, right. And honestly, the girls were pretty mean to them. Like, you know, like really saying like, you're not talented enough to be here, like blah blah blah. Nicole was just...
00:09:35 --> 00:09:53 trying to float in the middle as best as she could, you know? Yes, she was. She was definitely, I, she is so obviously in this group. I feel like, you know, I think someone said near the beginning, they're like, there's only like two blonde girls here now already. And if you know a blonde girl is going to make it in and they're not going to choose the rocker girl. Yeah.
00:09:53 --> 00:10:17 So it's like, Nicole, it was like so clear. She has pure star quality as well. And it's so interesting watching it back because her voice reminds me a bit of Rosé from Blackpink. That's hysterical. You know, she has that kind of like nasal, like kind of sultry-ish kind of thing going. I will say Nicole is maybe a bit better in terms of like her vocal agility. Yes. Yeah.
00:10:17 --> 00:10:42 Yeah, Tiffany has such a good voice. And I think it was Ron Fair that was like, you have a recording voice. Oh my god, when she got into the studio and was sounding like, oh my god, that was so good. And I'll talk more about her voice later on because I love it. But yeah, they really made her seem like such a mean girl in the edit. Like her and Charlie together. And so yeah, I was just kind of like, how are they going to make this work?
00:10:42 --> 00:11:09 Right. I will say, I think I think them talking them in like week nine or so. Well, what was week nine in the edit? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Definitely sealed the deal because I was just like, at least they could talk to each other because I was like, how the F did y'all make this work? But actually I'm sitting down having that conversation held. I'm pretty sure there's a lot more to the conversation. But like you saying, hey, I'm like the prettiest girl here. That does suck. You know what? You're right. And I shouldn't have said this. You know what? I'm sorry.
00:11:09 --> 00:11:33 Sweet clean, you know? Yes, yes, yes, yes. Which I appreciate. Yeah. And, you know, yeah, back to Natalie as well. Look, she found her lane in the group. Oh, heck yeah. Like, you cannot have four, like, power belters. You need that one that can take on the whispers and the sultrier parts and stuff like that. So I also thought that she really did well in the show.
00:11:33 --> 00:12:02 I think so too. I have no complaint. I was watching her. Yeah. And I don't appreciate some of the comments that were made for her. Like, like Ron, but I saw her, I saw her, I showed her a clip in a, in a room. All the guys were like, yeah, who's the hot Latin one. I'm like, ew, men are gross. Yeah. I can't stand men. You know, like that irritated me. But at the time I could see the appeal. You look like J-Lo. She's like nothing like J-Lo, but was she pretty? Is she pretty? Yes, absolutely. Does she add a certain flair? Absolutely. So I think it's a wrap.
00:12:02 --> 00:12:29 Yes. Good dancer. Oh, my God, star. So, yeah, I feel like the ultimate choice was made the right way. No offense to Charlie. She's great. But, like, the four of them, perfect. Perfect. Absolutely perfect. Yeah. I did see, I was reading through old comments from, like, fan forums and stuff from back in the day. Oh, my God, stop. And I did see one comment that was like, they're like the American shikababes the way they look. Like, it's like, you have all the shades. Yes. Ha, ha, ha, ha.
00:12:29 --> 00:12:58 Stop. Oh man. It's giving brats. It's giving brats. Yes. Oh, I mean, yeah. Some of the songs do too. What a waste. Okay, so then what do you think of the name Girlicious as well? You know what? I hate it. I hate it. Oop. Okay, okay. Hear me out. Hear me out. Hear me out. I think because they were trying to market these girls to a younger demographic, which was not the right idea. Yeah. I mean, you could, okay, isn't that a terrible idea considering like what song came out of it?
00:12:58 --> 00:13:16 But like the trajectory in the full album after considering what you wanted your audience to be was a terrible idea. So I think in terms of who they were trying to market to, Girllicious is solid. And even still, like what, 15, 100 years later, I can type in Girllicious and their information pops up like the SEO.
00:13:16 --> 00:13:40 solid not solid solid solid SEO I'm laughing I'm so sorry it's so solid because I would I would love to type my name Chantel Nicole and not have a TLC um 90 day fiance show pop up but here we are fighting for my life so kudos to them um I think my issue with it is it doesn't really reflect look like it
00:13:40 --> 00:14:08 I am obviously a girl group stan, so pretty much anytime a new girl group comes out, I'm going to take a look or take a listen. Right. But for most people, they hear that there's a new girl group called Girlicious. I feel like that's like an automatic turnoff for a lot of people. That word itself just sounds so immature. Yeah. And it's weird. There's like an innocent aspect to it where it's like, oh, are they aimed towards like tiny young girls? Or are they like really like...
00:14:09 --> 00:14:27 um valley girl yeah yeah like oh wow yeah you know it almost goes both ways and both of those can be like i feel like that that implication would turn a lot of people off yeah that's out and it's like kind of embarrassing right if you're just like the straight guy and you're like yeah i've been listening to girlicious
00:14:27 --> 00:14:44 Or if you were pretending to be straight. Yeah. No, but you know what I mean? It's like not. What's easy? Like Priyanka? It's just not a nice. Right. No. It's not. I don't love it. No, you're right. Okay. Hang on. All right. Real quick. Real quick. Real quick. What would you have named the group? Okay. This takes too much thought.
00:14:44 --> 00:15:03 Dang it. Okay. Guys, listen, drop it in the comments below. We need to think. We'll think about it as the episode goes on, as the class is still in session. So, guys, while you are listening to your professors, be sure to doodle down some comments of the possible names that Girllicious could have had. Back to the lesson. Yeah.
00:15:03 --> 00:15:17 Yes, back to the lesson. Okay, so moving on. They're now a group. So in April 2008, on the finale of the television show, Girlicious premiered their debut single, Like Me, to excited fans.
00:15:22 --> 00:15:40 The single was met with lukewarm reception in the U.S., debuting and peaking only at number two on the U.S. bubbling under Hot 100 singles chart. However, Like Me became a hit in Canada and a hit number four on the Canadian Hot 100.
00:15:40 --> 00:16:06 And the music video for Like Me was directed by Robin Anton's brother, Stephen Anton, and premiered, as we said, following the season finale. And the video features Girllicious in a boxing ring dancing with the song's producer, Jazzy Faye. Yes. And I do remember, and I was reading all these comments, that the video for this and Stupid also released the day before the finale so everyone knew who won.
00:16:06 --> 00:16:26 You know what? Yeah, that was dumb. That was... I'm sorry. Like, I don't understand who was like... That was a record label, like, disconnect. Absolutely. There was like... You know what it was? They were probably like, oh, this song is supposed to come out on this day. And they timed it for midnight. Yeah. Dummies.
00:16:27 --> 00:16:53 dummies like it's one phone call one phone call literally one focal you're right though i think that is it the midnight the midnight train like here's the thing if you that the song needs to come out like you know at least i mean some other voices are pretty obvious but at least you can hide it a little bit but don't put up the music video before the finale uh that is so dumb it's so dumb and so dumb and so dumb i do wonder if that would that that affected its chart placement
00:16:53 --> 00:17:18 No. No. Here's the thing. The ratings were not good for this TV show. Like, the CW was, you know, on its way down. Yeah. You know, honestly, the whole girl group thing was kind of dying in the U.S. anyway. Like, this is towards the end of the Pussycat Dolls. It's towards the end of Danny D. Cain. Danny D. Cain, yeah. No, you're right. You're so right. You're... Oh, goodness. Well, well, you know...
00:17:18 --> 00:17:42 This sounds good. Yeah. Okay. Thanks for that save. I was just like, oh, goodness, Lord. Yeah. What do you think of Like Me? What do you think? The video was everything to me. I remember watching it and thinking, wow, they're so pretty. Wow. They look so cool. And the song is very hooky. Now, if you're one of our newer viewers or an old viewer,
00:17:42 --> 00:17:57 Listen, at this point, K-pop has become such a huge thing. This is a K-pop song. Like, if you guys want to know what a K-pop song sounded like, this is what a K-pop song sounds like. I would never listen to K-pop, babe. You've listened to it already. You know what I'm saying? Like, there's a hook. There's a hook.
00:17:57 --> 00:18:26 There's a belt. There's a lot of earwormy parts. The song is really good. And it's a shame that it didn't pop off here in America. I think at this point, people were kind of just checking out a little bit because whatever was going on, I think it was like what? Beyonce had released B-Day-ish around this time. Rihanna had just done her Good Girl slash Good Girl Reloaded. That was this era. It was a lot going on. They were fighting...
00:18:26 --> 00:18:54 even leona lewis was out at this point like it's just a lot going on that we were not we weren't coming back and paying attention to this um the video was great the girls are playing up the camera and considering how they had just come recorded the show became a group um recorded the album lord knows what that time span looked like but they looked like they had really good chemistry they were like really performing and i mean they developed actual charisma as opposed to just like
00:18:54 --> 00:19:20 energy and stuff like that. But yeah, literally you had Nicole Lee vocal. You have Christina also, I guess you can make her a visual or a center. You have Natalie doing the rapping and also the dancing. And then you have this main vocal belting. She wants to be me and that's too bad. It's Tiffany. And she sounds good. So again...
00:19:20 --> 00:19:47 a ways like i like the approach that they were taking getting jazzy fae was a good idea yeah i i wish we would have got another song like this honestly from them yeah i mean the brief definitely makes sense i think i said this in our robin and tin pop-off yeah that the beat is similar to don't you like the whole attitude of it it's literally part two right yes because it's also that same i mean instead of talking to a man this time you're saying
00:19:47 --> 00:20:07 like you're talking to other women. Yeah. And being like, you're jealous of me. I think she doesn't like me. Which, I mean, that concept definitely hasn't aged too well in the current, you know, cultural landscape. Oh, that's valid. But I still love it. It's so catchy. Yeah. And honestly, having come from a competition show where they were competition,
00:20:07 --> 00:20:23 It's kind of a commentary on the situation they were in too, right? Like they were directly competing with each other. Yes, totally. And yeah, like you said, girls all sound really good. The vocal split is perfect. Yeah. And yeah, they look really good.
00:20:23 --> 00:20:44 As a group, they are killing it. There's so much potential in this group. And the performances are super strong too. This is really the only single that we get a ton of television performances for. They did award shows. They did like little like local TV shows. They were everywhere. And every performance is so consistent. They're all singing live.
00:20:44 --> 00:21:01 Yeah. The dancing is in sync and their energy matches. And some of that choreograph- I still remember some of that choreography. Like just from watching this so much back in the day. So yeah, it really is sad that it didn't do well. You know?
00:21:01 --> 00:21:26 You know, yes. It sucks. They were so young, but they did a really good job. And guys, as we mentioned, alongside Like Me, the music video for Stupid-ish premiered following the show's finale. And in this music video, directed by Robin Anton and co-choyographer Mikey Mendon, Girlicious is dressed in school uniforms, running around, dancing, and removing articles of clothing.
00:21:31 --> 00:22:00 The single initially reached number 20 on the Canadian Hot 100, based solely on digital downloads, and it remained on the chart for 10 weeks. Nice. So this one is a departure from that cool, like, you know, unbothered girl that we have with Like Me. This one's brighter. They're outside. They're wearing schoolgirl outfits. What do you think about the whole, I guess, total shift? I mean, I feel like this would actually work better now.
00:22:00 --> 00:22:20 The Charlie XCX fans Oh my gosh Would be here for this Yeah You know They could have opened The Brat Tour That they would have been Here for Yeah Right It would have worked I will say I remember Absolutely despising this When it first came out Yeah Yeah
00:22:20 --> 00:22:43 It has grown on me over the years because it actually is well-written and it's fun. Yes. But I think what it was is the music video was so Playboy. Yeah. Playboy fantasy. Oof. And that confused me, I think. Right. Because you're right. I was like, who is their audience here? Mm-hmm.
00:22:43 --> 00:23:11 Like, are they going for young tween girls? Right. Because that's kind of what Like Me was kind of going for, I would say. Yes, absolutely. I mean, this video, clearly not. You know, like, visually for sure not. Like, who is it for? Like, it's not like, you can't be trying to gear yourself towards old straight men, because that's weird. Yeah. Because visually you are, but sonically you're not. Yeah. So I think all of that in play with, like, with the song that's,
00:23:11 --> 00:23:17 Mildly annoying, personally. Right. I just, I don't fully understand...
00:23:17 --> 00:23:42 Yeah, there's a disconnect, a complete disconnect. And I remember there was a reporter that had a news segment and had Robin Antet on the show. And they were like, who are you marketing yourself towards? She goes, this is for young girls. We had young girls come on the show. We were building the group and et cetera, et cetera. And I was like, honey, absolutely not. You know, I don't hate the song. I think I knew the song existed when I was...
00:23:42 --> 00:23:58 younger and even like listening back. I was like, oh yeah, I remember this song. Our CCTV producer, Louis, really loves this single because it reminds him of classy, classic, trashy pop music from that era. Yeah. And it does have that whole vibe. The kind of Kesha vibe.
00:23:58 --> 00:24:20 Yes. Yes. So it wasn't like it was off trend. I think the issue was it was just visually shocking. Yeah. They were scripting. They were scripting. At the end of the day, they were scripting, you know. I think, like you said, the focus on the male gaze was wrong and you should have been focusing on the gaze, the male gaze, honey, not the gaze of the men. No one cares about the men.
00:24:20 --> 00:24:45 Yeah, like, who was Kesha going for? Like, TikTok and all of those. We are who we are, etc. Yeah. It was, like, college age. Was that kind of the goal there? Maybe. I mean, yeah, that makes sense. Yeah, but, like, it was not good. I think what really just gave it the whole, oh, no, this shouldn't have happened, was the removal of clothing and them dancing in the lingerie. That should have happened. Yeah. I mean, the whole, like, pillow fight thing, it was, like...
00:24:45 --> 00:25:07 This is literally a Playboy shoot. Yes, it is. Yikes. So yeah, I feel like if they went... Yeah. Whoever was marketing Kesha at the time... That should have been your go-to. Whatever. That angle was maybe the way to go. Yeah. Yeah. I wonder what the conversation was. This is crazy. Oh, well. Yeah. Okay, well...
00:25:08 --> 00:25:37 Moving on. In July through September 2008, Girlicious was featured as the opening act of the Canadian leg of the Backstreet Boys Unbreakable tour, which is an awesome opportunity. Yeah. And while in Canada, they featured in a series called Get With Girlicious that followed the girls on this very successful tour. And it was a behind-the-scenes look on their lives since becoming a group. And we actually did get to see that they were all getting along. Yeah. Mostly, at least on camera, right? Yes. They could make it better than they did at the TV show, at least.
00:25:37 --> 00:26:06 Right. So then in August of 2008, Girllicious released their self-titled debut album. And while it was not released in the U.S., it was successful in Canada, debuting at number two on the Canadian albums chart and eventually being certified platinum. And two songs from the album, Liar Liar featuring Flo Rida and Still in Love, were so popular that they actually charted at number 43 and number 99 on the Canadian Hot 100, respectively. Yeah.
00:26:07 --> 00:26:29 Okay, there's hope. There is. You know, like I mentioned, the year that this album came out, it was a huge year. Bleeding Love by Leona Lewis. Rihanna was having the biggest year of her pixie-headed life. Britney was coming back with hits like Womanizer. Like, I can go on and on. Like, there's a lot going on. Competition in the U.S. was...
00:26:29 --> 00:26:39 crazy big almost too big um i have no clue what the canadians like um but they're like this yeah but this
00:26:40 --> 00:27:05 Them picking this album from a new group is surprising to me. It's just so interesting how something can be popular in one country but not in another. But it's like, go where the love is, obviously. You know, work with that. But I'm just like, what were y'all thinking? It's so interesting. And then we took Drake in the weekend. Not saying that they're bad artists. I'm just like saying, like, it's interesting how these people came from Canada. We love Justin Bieber, even.
00:27:05 --> 00:27:32 open for them at one point you know i'm saying dog open for them at one point like so i actually did read and yeah canadian fans please give us some more context here yeah but from my understanding the television show aired on a much bigger channel in canada oh yeah much music right i i assume so since they had so much yeah with them so that's a huge channel so i think just their viewership across the country was much higher than like the cw
00:27:33 --> 00:28:02 You know what? You're right. So I think that was a big part of it as well. Yeah. And MTV stopped doing the whole music thing. It was just more like Teen Mom and Jersey Shore stuff. And that's when I stopped watching MTV because I was like, I'm not watching this mess. Yeah. But yeah, I mean, they have some really big names from the time on the album. You have like Sean Kingston, Flo Rida, Cardinal, Fishide. Yeah. So yeah, those are good names for an album. I do wonder what happened to that demo that they recorded on the show. That song wasn't that good anyway. You loved it?
00:28:02 --> 00:28:19 I didn't love it, but I thought it was kind of cute with the verses. At least that song had a little bit more oomph to it because this album didn't have a lot of oomph. It had some moments, but there weren't a lot of upbeat tracks. In the first couple of songs, after the first three or four songs, you had to wait until the end to get...
00:28:19 --> 00:28:49 Like me and stupid-ish, you know? Here I Am was a powerful track, a very unexpected kind of like ballad moment. And also I do wonder why they covered a Barbra Streisand song the way we were, just to leave it as like a tucked away album track. So like certain things are just like, okay, go off. And also something that really bothers me, I was listening to this album on Apple Music and they have it listed under hip hop rap category. So this whole try to make them urban thing,
00:28:49 --> 00:29:15 That was a little too literal. I don't know why it's still filed under hip-hop rap when it's clearly a pop album, but go off. And on a positive note, I do like how they look like brat dolls on the album cover. So yeah, something good came out of it. But again, there's just a lot of just like, kind of sort of maybes. I hopes, I wishes. But overall just, hmm. Like I like the album, but...
00:29:15 --> 00:29:37 Yeah. But, you know. I actually really like the album. Yeah, I agree. I think the way we were is really the most random thing there. And I actually forgot that was on there because that's not one that I saved off of it. But I do remember being very pleasantly surprised hearing the album. Yeah. Because, you know, if you just listen to Like Me and Stupid-ish, you don't really know what you're going to get.
00:29:37 --> 00:29:55 Oh, yeah. No, totally. And neither of those are really representative of the album at all. Not at all. Like, it really does sound like Pussycat Dolls. It sounds like Danity Kane. Oh, yeah. A lot of this stuff. Yeah. And I mean that in a good way. Like, it balances the kind of pop and R&B and kind of hip-hop influences there.
00:29:55 --> 00:30:18 Yeah, there are a lot of songs I love on it I think Do About It is super strong as a star Yeah Liar Liar Oh yeah Definitely Missed Opportunity singles wise Like the fact that it charted on its own Just for being great Yeah With no real release And ended up doing better than the next single It's absolutely wild And I always loved the dance routine for Liar Liar 2
00:30:18 --> 00:30:43 Oh yeah? Go on, show me. Go ahead. The whipping and the hit, everything, all the pops. Yes. But yeah, I agree. There's definitely a lot of mid-tempo on here. Mm-hmm. But they're actually good songs. Yeah. Like, My Boo is one of my favorites. I love it too, yeah. Save the World is like this kind of slinky, kind of mysterious moment. Oh yeah, Save the World's tomorrow and you know, Save Me Tonight. I was like, yeah.
00:30:43 --> 00:31:10 And still in love with Sean Kingston. Yeah. So catchy. And again, that charted on its own too. Like such a missed opportunity. So weird. So yeah, I actually think the whole album is quite strong. Actually, they sound so good. They do. You really get to hear all four of them shine as well. Some really nice harmonies too. And the little promo gigs they were doing at the time, like I was watching the whole Much Music special. I watched the whole Orange Lounge little gig that they did. Right. Yeah.
00:31:10 --> 00:31:31 Again, the mics were on. They were dancing so hard. Yeah, they were. They had stamina. Yeah, and they were really, like, doing everything they could to keep the crowd interested. Yeah. And it's like, ah, there's just so much potential here. I cannot believe this wasn't picked up by a UK label.
00:31:31 --> 00:31:49 Because the Pussycat Dolls were bigger in the UK than they ever were in the US. Oh, get out. The UK loves girl groups. Yeah, this is true. And I don't, not so, I mean, Kesha, I think, did pretty well in the UK too. But so maybe stupid-ish and that kind of sound may have worked. But honestly, if they leaned into the still in love and the do about it.
00:31:49 --> 00:32:16 kind of thing that would have worked. Yes, I'm saying like something like that. That would have worked in the UK. And I think that is the biggest missed opportunity. I can see why the US, like this wasn't the time for them. Right. Here, given everything you said. Yeah. But UK and the Europe and Europe, it would have, it had more opportunity. But then if you remember, Robin Anton had Paradiso Girls at the same time. Yeah. To put them in Europe. Yeah. Yeah.
00:32:16 --> 00:32:30 Like, ugh! She was stretching... What's the word? Spread too thin. Yes, she was spread too thin. Ugh. Terrible. You just need the next girl group. You don't need three next girl groups. You need one.
00:32:31 --> 00:32:52 And you can turn them to the next big thing. Yep. Yep. You know? Yep. They could have done Patron with tequila, but what else? Yeah, totally. Come on. Yeah. Hello. All right, guys. So the final single from this album was Baby Doll, and it was released in October 2008. The single peaked at 55 in the Canadian Hot 100.
00:32:58 --> 00:33:16 Baby doll. What a song. I love baby doll. I love this song. I think this one's actually quite K-pop coded as well. It is. I need that. See, I'm saying it. Yeah. Jumping like Cadillac. That's right. Because yeah, it has like that post-chorus rap is one of the best parts. I love Tiffany leading the chorus as well.
00:33:16 --> 00:33:45 Yeah. Her tone. I want it all. I'm not going to sing it because, you know, life is lifin'. And I'll probably sound crazy. But yeah. No, but I think I'm going to give Tiffany her props here because we won't have much more opportunity to. Oh, my God. Given what happens. Oh, my God. Spoiler alert. But, like, Nicole and Christina have very, very pop voices. Yes. It's very pure. It's quite piercing as well. Mm-hmm.
00:33:46 --> 00:33:48 And then Tiffany comes in.
00:33:48 --> 00:34:16 more rasp a bit more soulful uh and then you have natalie who's doing kind of the sultry thing and then like the talking parts yes um so tiffany was so important here on this album and she is the best part of this song so just need to shout that out absolutely i will say i'm glad it got a music video again they look great on camera all the colors are very dynamic it does feel very pussycat dolls coated with the way they were styled and everything
00:34:16 --> 00:34:25 You feel like it was Pussycat Dolls? I feel like it was more like, what's the word for it? Like that hip hop style that was popular with like step up and stuff. Pussycat Dolls did that.
00:34:26 --> 00:34:54 Think about when I grow up. You're right. You know, I mean, let's say I was given more superhero to me in those outfits, but I see what you mean. Oh, yeah, that's fair. You know, saying like how they leaned into Natalie like being I don't think she's Mexican, but she is Mexican. They lean into the whole Tola style. You know what I'm saying? That's why I'm kind of just like, I get you. That's fair. But like, you know, I will say like the whole branding overall is very similar with them. Like when they like when Pusat Dolls would do live performances, I could see them wearing what Girllicious is wearing.
00:34:54 --> 00:35:16 So I get what you're saying. I get what you're saying. They got dressed down more for live performances. But in the music video, they were giving action figures or burlesque, hit-up girls, upscale version of that. I like the video as well. I think Nicole's braids are adorable on her, even though I was just like, I don't know.
00:35:17 --> 00:35:47 I don't know and I looked I was like you know what she ain't doing nothing they're cute like let me stop like nitpicking um it's definitely baby doll is defo defo feels like a sugar baby song like but I in my mind it sounded like it because I was like baby doll what you mean what you mean but like I get it I get the sentiment now that I'm an adult like I'm an adult now I'm like oh if you can afford to treat me you should do it like hello give me the roses on the date give me the good food on
00:35:47 --> 00:36:07 the plate. Like, give me all of that. And I totally get it. So, yeah. But, yeah, I mean, maybe the song just didn't fit into the trends of the music that was happening out here. But they did what they did. Like, the video was good. They looked really good. They looked like they had kind of settled in after Like Me, even though Stupid-ish didn't do anything.
00:36:07 --> 00:36:31 But yeah, like you said, back to Tiffany, like she sounds good on this whole album. Forgot to say that. I'm sorry. But yeah, she definitely helps them sound different. I think Natalie and Tiffany's contributions in the whole like sonic of the album and as the group, they definitely make them stand out. As opposed to just sounding like two like pop girls singing a pop R&B track for sure.
00:36:31 --> 00:36:51 Also, I'm very curious what happened here because obviously, you know, they attempted Like Me. It did nothing in the U.S. They still had the American record deal at that point. So did they just completely give up because Babydoll was not even attempted to be released in the U.S. And I'm curious if it would have at least done a little bit more, maybe.
00:36:52 --> 00:37:13 Maybe, maybe, maybe, maybe. This is one of those things I really want to talk to one of the girls and be like, yo, what was going on? What was the conversation? Guys, listen. Reach out to them. Tag them. Let them know we're talking to them. All right? Nicole, Natalie, Tiffany, let us know if you want to talk to us about this. But yeah. Yeah.
00:37:13 --> 00:37:42 So we're done with the first album era, mostly. So the group spent the rest of 2008 and the first part of 2009 continuing to tour in Canada. And they also got the opportunity to open for Britney Spears' circus tour at the Canadian dates, which is awesome. Yeah, totally. I think it would have helped them, actually, if they got to open for the U.S. dates, too. But the Pussycat Dolls got that slot. I saw that. I went to that. Oh, that's right. Yeah. I mean, who else could they have opened for in the U.S., right? Yeah.
00:37:43 --> 00:37:55 I mean, they clearly have opportunities, but only in Canada, right? They only open for the Bashi Boys in Canada as well. Which is crazy. I mean, honestly, do you think that if they would have toured for, like, an American artist, like, something would have could have happened?
00:37:56 --> 00:38:17 Maybe. Maybe. Maybe. Like, God dang it, y'all. Yeah, maybe. What a waste. Well, in June 2009, it was announced that Tiffany had left Girlicious. The official MySpace page reflected this change by removing Tiffany from their top friends and editing her out of all the photos in their photo album. Like, that is such a sign of the time.
00:38:17 --> 00:38:43 You're gone from the top A's wild. Oof. So Tiffany confirmed her departure from Girllicious in her own YouTube video released in June 2009. And she explained that management had a meeting with her at the airport and told her that she would no longer be needed in the group. The new record label wanted to shift their sound away from the quote-unquote urban image and sound.
00:38:43 --> 00:39:07 And she also mentioned that there were personal differences and conflicting values among the group members as well. And days later, at the end of June 2009, Rob and Anthony and Girlicious appeared live at the 2009 Much Music Video Awards. And that night they won the award for most watched video for Like Me. And during their speech, there was no mention of Tiffany. Rude.
00:39:08 --> 00:39:37 Absolutely rude. I hate it. Tiffany was her secret sauce. Like I said, she was her secret sauce. They had something special in her voice. Yeah. Like, can the other girls sing? Absolutely. You have Natalie with the raps that you and I keep identifying as earwarming parts. So, obviously, she matters in the group, too. But, like, without Tiffany, there is a generic sound. Yeah. They need something. It's upsetting that she essentially got the boot right after being placed in...
00:39:37 --> 00:39:57 second in this group literally were they ranked like that no it was nicole first then tiffany and then the last two was nat i don't know if the order really mattered it should because that means you were like without a shadow of a doubt like why would you make tiffany win when you know she's a she's a you know a star i'm like stuttering over here she's a store she's a star
00:39:59 --> 00:40:19 It's so annoying. Okay, maybe the rank does not matter. But in my mind, it does. I think it's only because of the K-pop shows when they pick the people. Oh, yeah. And they have actual point system. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. But let's be real here. Tiffany was that sound that they wanted at first. There was no like, oh, we don't want her in the group. It was just like, calm down, little girl. You're giving us theater.
00:40:20 --> 00:40:48 when we want you to be a little bit more pop refined. You know what I'm saying? Like, that was the only complaint that they had for her. But yeah, they loved her. They loved it back then, but now she's, like, wrong for the group. And I also feel bad because she was treated wrongly because she's a black member. Like, I just lost an opportunity because I'm black, and it sucks. It hurts your feelings. It's not fun. And also, how dare they pull a Farrah Fawcett, not Farrah Fawcett, Farrah Franklin on her, talking about, you don't want to leave your luggage at the, it's better to fly without your luggage. Like, are you kidding me? Yeah.
00:40:49 --> 00:40:58 They hit her with a fare. Well, hopefully she was told while she still had her luggage before she left for whatever destination that they went to.
00:40:59 --> 00:41:26 Imagine you pack your bag, you're ready to go, and they're like, actually, keep your ass here. You're not getting on display. Right! Come on, bro, I'm done. Like, come on. It's so frustrating. What are your thoughts about this whole thing? Because did you hear about this? Like, did you know about this? Yeah, I remember hearing about it. I remember hearing about it. I didn't know. I don't think I had ever walked—I never went so deep as to actually find out why. You know, I was very casually just kind of seeing what they were up to, you know? Right. Um—
00:41:26 --> 00:41:53 But like I said, and like you just said, she is quite important to this group. Like, both vocally and visually. And this whole, I guess, stereotype or idea that you can't be... Or that once you have a Black person in the group, you're suddenly urban or whatever. Right. And they can't sing dance pop music. That's crazy. That's absolutely crazy. And, like...
00:41:54 --> 00:42:09 I mean, I know, of course, people argue that Christina is also black, right? You know, there's clearly a different... She's a biracial girl. Yeah, there's, you know, a different shade going on there. And...
00:42:10 --> 00:42:33 I will say, having now watched Tiffany's whole video, I mean, it sounds like the group was not getting along at all. She does allude to the partying and the substances that the other members were partaking in. Yeah. That she did not agree with. It took you with that. Yeah. But...
00:42:33 --> 00:42:48 Regardless of that, it sounded like she would have been happy to continue, right? Yeah. And, yeah, at the end of the day, she really was kicked out because she's black. Like, that's crazy. Dark-skinned black. Right. When I look at the comments, a lot of people are...
00:42:49 --> 00:43:09 don't like it they don't understand why it happened yeah a lot of the commentary was like her voice is so good and things like that so it's interesting even might you actively sing and and with like certain girl groups you're like oh okay yeah the group was better off without you were like oh this new member is actually pretty good a lot of that was not the commentary around this at all
00:43:09 --> 00:43:37 Not the case. And honestly, listening to the second album, she's missed. Because like you said, without her, you're missing a little bit more of just some vocal dynamic because Christina and Nicole have such a classic pop voice that it all sounds a little generic. Yeah. Yeah. Also, again, let me just say the UK would have appreciated Tiffany. I just want to say.
00:43:37 --> 00:44:01 You know what? Yeah, I can imagine her singing some Liberty X. Exactly. Exactly. They knew. They knew you could have a black girl in a pop group. Absolutely. After giving Tiffany the boot, the group planned to shift their sound, leaning more towards a dance pop and electropop sonic. And as mentioned earlier, they signed a new record deal with Universal Music Canada.
00:44:04 --> 00:44:13 Time for a recess break. Come back for part two where we discuss the rebuilt second album era, the messy split, plus what the girls have been up to since then. See you there.