"When I Grow Up" is a song by American girl group the Pussycat Dolls from their second studio album Doll Domination (2008). It was released by Interscope Records on May 27, 2008, as the lead single from the album. "When I Grow Up" was their first single following the departure of the group's longest-standing member Carmit Bachar. The song was originally written with Britney Spears in mind, but her label rejected it. It was first recorded for Nicole Scherzinger's planned solo project, Her Name Is Nicole, but after its cancellation and Scherzinger's return to the group, she felt that the song was better suited for the group. It was written by Theron Thomas, Timothy Thomas and Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, who also produced the song. It is an uptempo electropop and R&B song. It samples the 1966 song, "He's Always There" by British rock band The Yardbirds. "When I Grow Up" speaks about the desire to be famous, and was described as being "autobiographical" by Scherzinger.
The single was received favorably by contemporary music critics, many of whom highlighted it as a stand-out. It peaked at number nine on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming the group's highest charting single since "Buttons" (2006). The song has sold over two million digital copies in the United States, making the Pussycat Dolls the first female group in digital history to have three singles pass the two million mark in digital sales. The song reached the top-five in countries such as Australia, Canada, France, Ireland, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, and the top-ten in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland.
The song's accompanying music video premiered on June 13, 2008. Directed by Joseph Khan, it portrays the Pussycat Dolls in a traffic jam on Hollywood Boulevard. It was complimented for its dance breakdown, and was nominated in five categories at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards, the most of that ceremony, and went on to win Best Dance Video. The Pussycat Dolls performed the song on television shows including Jimmy Kimmel Live! and So You Think You Can Dance, as well several award shows including the 2008 American Music Awards, and throughout their Doll Domination Tour (2009).
Last Updated: August 31, 2021
