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"Don't Cha" is a song performed by American girl group the Pussycat Dolls and features American rapper Busta Rhymes. The song was written and produced by CeeLo Green who interpolates the hook from "Swass" as written and performed by Sir Mix-a-Lot. Originally recorded by Tori Alamaze as her debut single, she eventually grew discontent with her Universal Records and agrees to release her rights to the song to get out of her contract. Meanwhile, choreographer Robin Antin struck a deal with Interscope Geffen A&M Records and in cooperation with Jimmy Iovine and Ron Fair, formed a sextet spun from the burlesque group which was created by Antin, the Pussycat Dolls. Record executives offered "Don't Cha" to the group

Background
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, taken from album of the same name (1988). The song was recorded in a basement studio in Atlanta, Georgia by an upcoming singer at that time, Tori Alamaze, a former backing vocalist for the hip hop duo OutKast. In November, Alamaze inks a deal with Green's Radiculture Records and Universal Records, which is part of Universal Music Group, and releases "Don't Cha" as the lead single of her debut album which was due to release in the same year. The song was positively received by critics; Saptosa Foster of Vibe described it as "sultry" while Salon's Thomas Bartlett commented that the song is "strange, sad and astonishingly good." Stylus Magazine included Alamaze's version of "Don't Cha" 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." As the song was gaining momentum, Alamaze grew dissatisfied with Universal Records and in January 2005, agrees to release her rights to the song to get out of her contract as she felt that she "got caught up in the middle of egos and favors." This decision wouldn't help Green to oversee Alamaze’s career on a major label, but record executives were still interested in "Don’t Cha". The song continued to receive airplay in multiple radio stations and copies of the single where shipped to stores. Alamaze's version received minor success on the Billboard charts, peaking a number 53 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.

Meanwhile, choreographer Robin Antin had struck 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—Carmit Bachar, Ashley Roberts, Nicole Scherzinger, Jessica Sutta, Melody Thornton, and Kimberly Wyatt—based on the burlesque dance revue created by Antin. In order 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 skpetical. "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."

Composition
Rhymes rap was described as "garrulous"

In the composition, the group's vocals are described as "controlled and competent."

Critical reception
Stephen Thomas Erlewine from Allmusic defined "Don't Cha" as a "genius hit single" adding "there has never been a sex song quite as knowingly ironic yet undeniably sexy as this." Chuck Arnold and Ralph Novak of People magazine wrote that the group is "responsible for [2005] guiltiest pleasure." BBC Music's Lisa Haines opined that "Don't Cha" is the best on the entire album and used the word "memorable" to describe the track. Troy Patterson of Slate declared "Don't Cha" as "the song of the summer" for its "sheer ubiquity, insidious catchiness, and pure annoyance."

John Murphy from musicOMH hailed the song as "a silky, sexy little number" but labelled Rhymes' appearance as "annoying" without spoiling the song as much. Similarly, Azeem Ahmad of the same publication commented that Rhyme's appearance can't "prevent 'Don't Cha' from seeming like nothing more than a promo for some generic product aimed at young males" but remarked that "Don't Cha" isn't "purely eye candy [...] thanks to the funky swift beat, controlled and competent vocals." Nathan Rabin, writing for the The A.V. Club, described the song's message, "taunting the men of the world because their girlfriends can’t possibly compare to the women of Pussycat Dolls, whose job is looking sexy" a "pretty obnoxious sentiment."

Music video
The music video for "Don't Cha" was filmed during the week of April 11, 2005 by Paul Hunter. During an interview with MTV News, Scherzinger elaborated that the video focuses on confidence and fun. "The lyrics are, 'Don't Cha wish your girlfriend was hot like me,' But if you see the video, it's all about being who you are, having fun and being confident — and feeling hot. It's not so much about looking hot ... although looking hot is important." Scherzinger further praised Busta Rhymes for their collaboration on the set of music video, saying ""Busta Rhymes is pretty phat, man. He is so much fun. He's so humble and he just makes you feel good. ... When you're around him, you feel magical. [...] We are so grateful that [Busta] did it and was a part of it with us."

The visuals begin with the Pussycat Dolls drag racing on jeeps, which one of them is a Ford Bronco in an an abandoned waterway. Then, the group is seen arriving at an underground party where they do different activities such as jumping on a trampoline. The video is inter-cut with sequences of close-ups of the girls and Rhymes performing the song, while impromptu dance routines are featured on the chorus. Inspired by pole-dancing, the dance routine also includes a move called the slutdrop. The music video is credited as the origin of the slutdrop, which later became popular among contemporary female artists. Throughout the video Scherzinger is seen wearing a hoodie that emblazons the song's lyrics are emblazons across the top while the other members are wearing "barely there miniskirts and bare midriffs." Vice's Elizabeth Sankey wrote that music video illustrates and blends the fashion trends of 2005; Little Mean Girls-esque kilts worn with trucker caps and boho waistcoats. A brightly colored, asymmetric hairdo with low-rise, boot cut jeans, pumps and a studded basque. Boho waves with a Lycra leotard and cargo pants. Stripes!" The Pussycat Dolls' creator Robin Antin and the song's producer CeeLo Green make cameo appearances towards the end.

Reception and accolades
The music video was widely popular, receiving heavy rotation on MTV, and established the group as mainstays for subsequent videos. VH1 listed "Don't Cha" as the fourteenth most viewed video of 2005. Billy Johnson Jr. of Yahoo! Music wrote that the video is "a fantasy come true" adding "front and center, the stunning Nicole Scherzinger, surrounded by good company, pranced around in tank tops and short shorts while drag racing in convertible jeeps. They raised the bar." Richard Harrington of The Washington Post described the video as "hot-hot-hot." The Wall Street Journal's Ethan Smith commented that the video "is somewhat less racy than the average hip-hop video." Naomi West of The Telegraph wrote that the video "is no more titillating than any of Jennifer Lopez's or Beyoncé's, and a good deal less than Christina Aguilera's sweat-drenched Dirrty promo. Billboard regarded it as the best music video of the Pussycat Dolls career.

In 2005, it won Best Video at the Smash Hits Poll Winners Party. The following year, it earned earned nominations for Best R&B Video at the 2006 MTV Australia Video Music Awards, Best International Video - Group and People's Choice: Favourite International Group at the 2006 MuchMusic Video Awards, and Best Dance Video at the 21st Annual International Dance Music Awards. Billboard's Andrew Unterberger included the music video on it's list of "Top 10 Most Iconic Girl Group Music Videos" commenting that "it was inevitable that the song and video would become massive, and become massive they did" as "Don't Cha" presented them "as a virtually unstoppable army of seduction."