The year was 2006.
Katy Perry posed with Tom from Myspace for clout.
Every guy under the age of 22 had this haircut.
And the Pussycat Dolls weren't in the best place. Like, something was brewing.
But thanks to them, it’s now the 15th anniversary of one of the most awkward and iconic performances of all time.
I'm talking about the 2006 American Music Awards performance of "Buttons."
BUT BEFORE YOU WATCH THE CLIP, most people don't know this, but the Pussycat Dolls had more than one singer. Like there were actually other people singing in the group besides Nicole.
There was Nicole Sherzinger and there was Melody Thornton.
Melody, while she considered herself to be a singer, never really got a chance to sing lead.
In 2012, Nicole even admitted to singing 95% of the group's vocals, which, like, facts.
Sooo, back to the iconic performance. Things came to a head at the 2006 AMAs when Melody took the lead and started wailing.
Nicole was clearly and visibly caught off guard. She was about to lose it.
The 30 seconds is somewhat legendary in the fan community:
In honour of the Pussycat Dolls reunion, a moment for the time Melody Thornton went rogue doing adlibs and Nicole Scherzinger was visibly raging
And now it's the 15th anniversary of it!
15 years ago today, melody thornton made nicole scherzinger visibly mad at the ‘fashion rocks’ event while performing ‘buttons’
Years later, we found out Melody wasn't part of the Pussycat Dolls reunion, and now we know one of the reasons why... well, we can guess.
Melody told the Mirror UK: “I was a singer, not a trained dancer, but wasn’t allowed to sing and was told I couldn’t dance."
And now let's pick up the story in modern times.
In early 2020 (just before rona), the Pussycat Dolls made their triumphant return to the stage on the X Factor UK.
View this video on YouTube
They released the song "React" and honestly, no gay hyperbole, it became instantly iconic.
View this video on YouTube
The video was equally legendary.
I mean, come on!!
But then the pandemic happened and their world tour was indefinitely postponed. A true pandemic loss. Gay rights were canceled.
Now, a year and a half later, there's drama.
The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that Nicole is being sued over the group's reunion.
Robin Antin, who is the founder of PCD, is the one suing Nicole.
In the suit, Antin says Nicole was originally supposed to make 49% of the reunion profits, but since the pandemic canceled the tour Nicole refuses to perform until her contract is renegotiated. Apparently she now wants 75%.
The suit claims that Live Nation is demanding re-payment of the $600,000 they spent towards the tour that never actually happened.
So, she's being sued.
Nicole's lawyer responded via the Hollywood Reporter calling the claims ludicrous and false: "Robin’s ludicrous and false claims are a desperate attempt to divert blame for her own failures by trying to impose obligations on Nicole that simply do not exist. Robin will fail in her efforts to trade on Nicole’s hard-earned success to pull herself out of a deep financial hole she has created by her own poor business and professional decisions."
Now excuse me while I watch this incredibly dramatic acoustic performance of "React." All I wish for them is happiness (and also a proper reunion tour). Seriously, please get it together so I can see this on tour!!
