THE REUNION tour of American girl group and dance ensemble The Pussycat Dolls (PCD) will make a stop in the Philippines on May 9 at the Mall of Asia Arena, Pasay City.

“I love all my girls so much and cannot wait to show you what we’ve got in store for you. It’s been a long time coming but this feels like the perfect time to remind the world what it means to be a Pussycat Doll,” member Nicole Scherzinger said in a release.

The group was initially meant to be a burlesque troupe, created by choreographer Robert Antin in 1995, but upon the suggestion of record executive Jimmy Iovine, Mr. Antin developed the group into a mainstream girl group in 2003. The original members of the PCD were Ms. Scherzinger, Carmit Bachar, Ashley Roberts, Jessica Sutta, Melody Thornton, and Kimberly Wyatt. Their debut single, “Sway,” was featured on the soundtrack of the 2004 film Shall We Dance?

In 2005, PCD achieved worldwide success with its singles, “Don’t Cha,” “Buttons,” and “Stickwitu,” all of which are songs from the group’s debut album PCD. The album went on to become a multi-platinum record and sold three million copies in the US. To date, the album has sold over 9 million copies worldwide.

Three years later, the group released Doll Domination, an album that produced the singles “I Hate This Part,” “Out of This Club,” and “Whatcha Think About That.” The album was released to mixed reviews and in the same year, the group announced that Ms. Bachar was leaving to pursue a solo career.

The group then commenced on the Doll Domination tour and during the European leg of the tour, tensions ran high when Ms. Scherzinger became a featured artist for the film Slumdog Millionaire (2008), doing a pop version of the theme song, “Jai Ho!”

It was also in 2009 that the group last performed in Manila as part of the Doll Domination tour.

The group officially disbanded after the tour after most of the members left, with Ms. Scherzinger remaining. There were attempts to revive the group with new members but they didn’t stick and eventually, Ms. Scherzinger left in 2010 to pursue her own career.

In 2017, there were rumors that the original members (except Ms. Thornton) had gotten back together and were thinking of going on tour. The PCD reunion was solidified when they were featured in the finale of X Factor: Celebrity in 2019 performing their biggest hits: “Don’t Cha,” “Buttons,” “When I Grow Up,” and their latest single, “React.”

The same year, the group announced its 2020 tour, unofficially called the “Unfinished Business” tour and the reunion tour.

“I created The Pussycat Dolls back in 1994 and never in my wildest dreams would I have thought it would become one of the most iconic girl groups of our time. I’ve been working on making this reunion happen now for years, so I am very excited that the stars have aligned for the PCD reunion!,” Mr. Antin said in a statement. “It’s with gratitude to our fans and during this amazing time of female empowerment, to be able to announce the launch of our PCD reunion, celebrating all genders, and the brilliant success and talent of the girls that helped influence a movement that was long overdue.”

The Pussycat Dolls 2020 Tour in Manila will be held on May 9 at the MOA Arena in Pasay City. Tickets go on sale starting Feb. 29, 10 a.m., on smtickets.com. For more information, visit any SM Ticket outlets or call 8470-2222. — ZBC

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