Melody Thornton | |
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![]() Thornton in 2009 | |
Background information | |
Born | September 28, 1984 Phoenix, Arizona, U.S. |
Origin | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
Genres | |
Occupation(s) |
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Years active | 2003–present |
Labels | |
Formerly of | The Pussycat Dolls |
Website | melodythornton |
Melody Thornton (born September 28, 1984) is an American singer and television personality. After graduating high school, Thornton became one of the main vocalists of the pop girl group the Pussycat Dolls and released the albums PCD (2005) and Doll Domination (2008) becoming one of the world's best-selling girl groups. As part of the group, she has received a Grammy Award nomination.
Following her departure from the group in 2010, Thornton independently released a mixtape, P.O.Y.B.L (2012), and an EP, Lioness Eyes (2020). Outside her music, she has competed on reality shows, Popstar to Operastar (2011), Dancing on Ice (2019) and won the fourth season of the Australian version of The Masked Singer (2022). She has also done several stage works, including playing Rachel Marron in the musical The Bodyguard .
Melody Thornton is a native of Phoenix, Arizona and was born on September 28, 1984, to a family of Mexican and African-American descent. [1] [2] [3] She was educated in Camelback High School. [4] Her first performance was at her school, where she sang "This Little Light of Mine" at the age of six, and continued to perform at local talent shows in Arizona. [5] After high school, she majored in music engineering for one semester. [5] [6]
At the age of 19, Thornton traveled to Burbank, California to audition for the Pussycat Dolls. [5] The group's founder Robin Antin, struck a deal with Interscope Geffen A&M Records' Jimmy Iovine to develop the Pussycat Dolls into a brand and create a separate recording pop group. [7] Thornton was selected to strengthen their vocal ability and joined Carmit Bachar, Ashley Roberts, Nicole Scherzinger, Jessica Sutta, and Kimberly Wyatt, [8] and signed a contract with the Pussycat Dolls partnership, receiving a percentage of the group's revenues. [7] Thornton along with Bachar supplied vocals as secondary vocalists, while Scherzinger assumed the majority of the vocals as the lead singer. [9] Thornton was the youngest and the only member who did not have a background in dance. [10] [11] The group released their first single, "Don't Cha" (featuring Busta Rhymes), which stands as the group's most successful single to date peaking at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and reaching the top in 15 other countries. [12] [13] Thornton didn't like the song in the beginning, as she found too controversial. [14] They released their self-titled debut album in September 2005. Subsequent singles, "Stickwitu and "Buttons" also reached the top five on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. [15] PCD went on to sell seven million copies worldwide and established the Pussycat Dolls as viable in the music industry earning them a reputation among the century's few breakout successes. [16] [17]
Thornton was featured on Jibbs' single "Go Too Far", which was released on March 2007; [18] it entered the top-twenty on the New Zealand Singles Chart. [19] Their second and final studio album Doll Domination was released in September 2008, the album attained its highest peak position on the US Billboard 200, but it is considered a commercial disappointment selling less than 400,000 copies in the US. [20] Doll Domination included the singles "When I Grow Up" and "I Hate This Part", which reached the top twenty on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. [21] In January 2009, the group embarked on the Doll Domination Tour, their second headlining concert tour, which highlighted stops in Europe, Oceania and Asia, [22] and grossed over $14 million. [lower-alpha 1] Following the release of the group's single 2009 "Jai Ho! (You Are My Destiny)", tensions in the group rose due to Scherzinger being billed as a featured artist on the release. This would go on to lead to a public outburst by Thornton during the group's tour appearance while opening for The Circus Starring Britney Spears. [24] The group would then announce a hiatus towards the end of the year. [25]
Thornton then appeared as a panelist on E!'s Bank of Hollywood in which contestants must appeal to a celebrity panel to receive money. It lasted for one season. [26] In June 2010, Thornton confirmed she had departed the Pussycat Dolls and was working on a solo album. [27]
Since her departure from the group, Thornton has remained an independent artist. [28] In June 2011 she participated in the second series of Popstar to Operastar , a British television programme in which pop stars were trained to sing opera; she was eliminated in the third week. [29] The same month she released her debut single "Sweet Vendeta" [30] which preceded the release of her debut mixtape, P.O.Y.B.L (Piss On Your Black List), the following year. It contains ten tracks which consistst of five covers and four songs solely written by Thornton. [31] In 2013 she collaborated with Bizzy Crook, LL Cool J, and Prince Kay One for their respective albums released that year. [32] [33] [34]
In 2017, Thornton returned to British television by appearing on the second series of Celebs Go Dating and Celebrity Island with Bear Grylls . [35] [36] She then landed the lead role of Rachel Marron in the musical The Bodyguard , which toured in China for several months. [37] In 2019, Thornton was eliminated on the eight-week and placed fifth on the eleventh series of Dancing on Ice . [38] This was followed with stage roles on Rip It Up – The 70s, a show inspired by music of the 70s and played the part of Cinderella in the New Wimbledon Theatre production of the family pantomime, Cinderella. [39] Thornton opted out to join the November reunion of the Pussycat Dolls in order to focus on her solo endeavors. [15] She collaborated with UK DJ producer Harrison on the dance track "Freak Like Me" and released her first solo track in seven years, "Love Will Return". A ballad that is a nod to her heritage and serves as the lead single for her debut EP, Lioness Eyes. [40] The EP, which includes seven songs was released on August 7. [41]
In 2022, Thornton competed and won the fourth season of the Australian version of The Masked Singer as "Mirrorball" [42] and the following year reprised her role as Rachel Marron in the 2023 UK and Ireland production of the musical The Bodyguard. [37] In February 2024, Thornton participated in the fifth series of The Masked Singer UK as the character "Maypole". She was eliminated and unmasked in the sixth episode. [43]
Thornton was inspired to sing after her father's favorite artists, B. B. King, Aretha Franklin, and The Jacksons. [5] In another interview, she named Mariah Carey as a vocal inspiration. [44] Her vocals were likened to Christina Aguilera's. [9]
Title | Album details |
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Lioness Eyes [41] |
Track listing
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Title | Details |
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P.O.Y.B.L |
|
Title | Year | Album | Ref. |
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"Sweet Vendetta" | 2011 | P.O.Y.B.L | [30] |
"Love Will Return" | 2019 | Lioness Eyes | [45] |
"Phoenix Rise" | 2020 | [46] | |
"I Will Wait" | |||
Title | Year | Peaks | Album | |
---|---|---|---|---|
NZ [19] | UK [47] | |||
"Go Too Far" (Jibbs featuring Melody Thornton) | 2007 | 17 | 126 | Jibbs Featuring Jibbs |
"Freak Like Me" (Harrison featuring Melody Thornton) | 2019 | – | – | Non-album single |
Title | Year | Other artists | Album(s) | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
"Space" | 2008 | The Pussycat Dolls | Doll Domination [lower-alpha 2] | [49] |
"Ease Off the Liquor" [lower-alpha 3] | 2009 | Timbaland | Shock Value 2 | [50] |
"Something About You (Love The World)" | 2013 | LL Cool J Charlie Wilson Earth, Wind & Fire | Authentic | [33] |
"Mittelfinger" | Prince Kay One | Rich Kidz | [34] | |
"24/7" | ||||
"I'll Be Fine" | Bizzy Crook | 84 | [32] | |
Title | Year | Other artist(s) | Director(s) | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
As a lead artist | ||||
"Lipstick&Guilt" | 2012 | — | Dano Cerny Marielle Tepper | |
"Smoking Gun" | ||||
"Someone to Believe" | Yaro | |||
"Bulletproof" | Bobby Newberry | Don Tyler | ||
"Goodbye" | 2015 | Noel Maitland | ||
Guest appearances | ||||
"Slow Dance" | 2009 | Keri Hilson | Chris Robinson | |
"Don't Wanna Go Home" | 2010 | Jason Derulo | Rich Lee | |
"Ballin" | 2013 | Fat Joe Wiz Khalifa Teyana Taylor | Elf Rivera | |
Title | Year | Role | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
Be Cool | 2005 | Herself | Uncredited cameo | |
Holiday Twist | 2023 | Brenda | ||
Title | Year | Role | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
Keeping Up with the Kardashians | 2007 | Herself | Episode: "Birthday Suit" | |
Bank of Hollywood | 2009 | Judge | Season 1 | |
Popstar to Operastar | 2011 | Contestant | Series 2 | |
Celebs Go Dating | 2017 | Contestant | Series 2 | |
Celebrity Island with Bear Grylls | 2017 | Contestant | Series 2 | |
Dancing on Ice | 2019 | Contestant | Series 11 | |
The Masked Singer Australia | 2022 | Mirrorball | Season 4 | |
The Masked Singer UK | 2024 | Maypole | Series 5 |
Title | Year | Role | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
The Bodyguard | 2017 | Rachel Marron | China tour | |
Rip It Up – The 70s | 2019 | — | UK tour | |
Cinderella | 2019–2020 | Cinderella | New Wimbledon Theatre | |
The Bodyguard | 2023 | Rachel Marron | UK and Ireland tour | |
Award | Year | Work | Category | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Grammy Awards | "Stickwitu" | Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals | Nominated | ||
Ashley Allyn Roberts is an American singer, dancer, and media personality. She is a former member of the pop group The Pussycat Dolls, who sold over 55 million records worldwide, becoming one of the world's best-selling female groups of all time. Roberts also had a brief career as a solo singer when she released the album Butterfly Effect (2014).
Kimberly Kaye Wyatt is an American, currently British-based singer, dancer, actress, and television personality. She is a former member of the pop girl group and dance ensemble The Pussycat Dolls and the pop duo Her Majesty & the Wolves (2010–2014). As an actress, she is known for her roles as Siyotanka in the American comedy series Poor Paul (2009–2011) and Sasha in the British musical drama series Almost Never (2019–2021).
"Buttons" is a song recorded by American girl group the Pussycat Dolls from their debut studio album PCD (2005). It was written by Sean Garrett, Jamal Jones, Jason Perry and group member Nicole Scherzinger, and produced by the former two alongside Ron Fair. It is a hip hop-influenced pop and R&B track featuring synthesizers and a Middle Eastern rhythm, with the group pleading a reluctant man to help them undress whilst adopting a submissive stance. A remix version featuring American rapper Snoop Dogg was released as the album's fourth single on April 11, 2006, by A&M Records and Interscope Records.
Jessica Lynn Sutta is an American singer, songwriter, dancer and former actress. She is a former member of the pop group the Pussycat Dolls. As a solo artist, Sutta shelved her first attempt with a debut album, Sutta Pop (2012), but went on to release two studio albums Feline Resurrection (2016) and I Say Yes (2017) and reached four number ones on US Dance Club Songs, becoming the only former Pussycat Dolls' member to reach the top of an American chart.
Nicole Scherzinger is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, actress, and television personality. She was a member of the pop group and dance ensemble The Pussycat Dolls between 2003 and 2010. With only two albums and over 55 million records sold worldwide, The Pussycat Dolls are one of the world's best-selling female groups.
The Pussycat Dolls were an American girl group and dance ensemble, founded in Los Angeles, California, by choreographer Robin Antin in 1995 as a neo-burlesque troupe. At the suggestion of Jimmy Iovine, Antin decided to take the troupe mainstream as a pop group. Antin negotiated a record deal with Interscope Geffen A&M Records in 2003 turning the group into a music franchise comprising Nicole 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?.
"Whatever U Like" is the debut solo single by American singer Nicole Scherzinger, featuring rapper T.I. and Sean Garrett. The trio, along with Polow da Don, composed the song for Scherzinger's planned debut studio album Her Name Is Nicole. "Whatever U Like" was released on July 28, 2007 on Interscope Records.
"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. It was first written for Britney Spears, but was rejected. It was then considered and 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. "When I Grow Up" 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, sampling 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.
Doll Domination is the second and final studio album by American girl group the Pussycat Dolls, released on September 19, 2008, by Interscope Records. The album's release was preceded by the departure of the group's longest-standing member Carmit Bachar. Development began in February 2008 where the group worked with previous collaborators Sean Garrett, Polow da Don and Timbaland and new ones such as Darkchild, J-Roc and Chase N. Cashe. Polow da Don, R. Kelly and Snoop Dogg also make guest performances on the album. Several songs on Doll Domination were originally recorded for the lead singer Nicole Scherzinger's debut solo album, Her Name is Nicole, which was shelved after the under-performance of its preceding singles.
"Bottle Pop" is a song recorded by American girl group the Pussycat Dolls for their second studio album Doll Domination (2008). It was written and produced by Sean Garrett and Fernando Garibay, with additional songwriting by lead singer Nicole Scherzinger. The song features American rapper Snoop Dogg, whom they previously collaborated with on "Buttons" (2006). "Bottle Pop" is an electronica song lyrically using sexual innuendo, and has been compared to works of Ciara, Flo Rida, Petey Pablo, Britney Spears, and Gwen Stefani. The song was released as the third Oceanian single from Doll Domination on February 23, 2009, by Interscope Records, with New Zealand artist Devolo replacing Snoop Dogg for its regional single version.
"Whatcha Think About That" is a song recorded by American girl group the Pussycat Dolls for their second studio album, Doll Domination (2008). The song features a guest appearance from American rapper Missy Elliott, who co-wrote it with the song's producer Polow da Don, Ester Dean, and Mickaël Furnon, who received songwriting credit due to his work being sampled. It was released on August 29, 2008, as the album's second single in the United States, and on February 23, 2009, as the third single in the United Kingdom. The electropop and R&B midtempo song samples "Je m'appelle Jane" by Jane Birkin and is built on a bhangra-inspired guitar riff. Lyrically, the Pussycat Dolls reverse roles towards an overbearing and controlling partner. Elliott references American singer Katy Perry and her song "I Kissed a Girl".
"I Hate This Part" is a song by the American girl group the Pussycat Dolls, taken from their second studio album Doll Domination (2008). It was written by Wayne Hector, Lucas Secon, Jonas Jeberg, Mich Hansen and produced by the latter two and Ron Fair. The track was initially intended for Leona Lewis and later for Nicole Scherzinger's unreleased solo album, Her Name is Nicole. After the album's cancellation, the song was ultimately given to the group. Musically, it's a pop ballad with elements of grinding R&B and dance music. Lyrically, it sees Scherzinger conversating with a partner just before they break up, adopting breathy and emotional vocals. Interscope Records released it as the second single in territories outside the United States on October 14, 2008, and sent it to the US mainstream radio on October 21, 2008, by as the fourth single.
The Doll Domination Tour was the second and final concert tour by American girl group the Pussycat Dolls. It was launched in support of their second studio album, Doll Domination (2008). The tour was announced in October 2008 with dates in Europe and Oceania revealed in the following month, the tour contained six legs and 50 shows. It began in Aberdeen, Scotland on January 18, 2009, and concluded in Beirut, Lebanon on July 31, 2009. In-between the first two legs, the group supported the first leg of The Circus Starring Britney Spears in North America. The setlist for the concerts included songs from PCD (2005) and Doll Domination as well a cover of Shirley Bassey's Big Spender. Nineteen shows were submitted to Billboard's boxscore grossing $14.3 million, with 231,711 fans attending the performances.
"Out of This Club" is a song by American girl group the Pussycat Dolls from their second studio album, Doll Domination (2008). The song features guest appearances from singer R. Kelly and record producer Polow da Don, who both wrote the song. In the United States, it was serviced to urban contemporary radio stations on October 10, 2008, months after Kelly's acquittal of possessing child pornography in 2002. In the R&B song, lead singer Nicole Scherzinger teases Kelly to get her to settle down with piano melodies and a soft beat. The song received mixed reviews from music critics, who were split towards Kelly's artistry. The song debuted and peaked at number 24 on the US Billboard Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles chart. In 2019, "Out of This Club" was removed from digital and streaming platforms, following new allegations of sexual misconduct and assault towards Kelly.
"Hush Hush; Hush Hush" is the remix of "Hush Hush", a song by American female group The Pussycat Dolls. The track was written by Andreas Romdhane, Josef Larossi, Ina Wroldsen, Nicole Scherzinger, Dino Fekaris, and Freddie Perren and produced by the former two alongside Ron Fair and Dave Audé is included on the reissues of the group's second album Doll Domination (2008). It was released on May 12, 2009 by Interscope Records as the album's seventh overall and final single. It is also the group's final release before their disbandment in 2010 until they reformed in 2019. Originally a ballad on the album, the song was remixed for its release as a single with a more uptempo disco-influenced production and interpolation of Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive" (1978) with lyrics alluding to a doomed relationship.
"Jai Ho! " is a song by Indian composer A. R. Rahman and American girl group The Pussycat Dolls, recorded for the re-release of the group's second studio album Doll Domination (2008) and their EP Doll Domination – The Mini Collection (2009). It was released on February 23, 2009, by Interscope Records as the fourth single from the album and is an English remake of the original Hindi song "Jai Ho" which is taken from the soundtrack to the hit film Slumdog Millionaire (2008). The remake was conceived by record executives Jimmy Iovine and Ron Fair who tasked the Dolls' lead singer Nicole Scherzinger with creating a pop record that did not deviate from the original melody. Iovine and Fair also asked a number of other writers to create interpretations of the song, including Brick & Lace, The Writing Camp and Ester Dean. The final English version of "Jai Ho" was dubbed "Jai Ho! " and is sometimes also referred to as the "RF Mix" or "Ron Fair" Remix.
Doll Domination – The Mini Collection is the second extended play (EP) by American girl group the Pussycat Dolls. It was released on May 24, 2009 by Interscope Records. The EP is an extension of the group's second studio album, Doll Domination (2008), including some previously released singles, such as "When I Grow Up", "Whatcha Think About That" and "I Hate This Part", as well as three new songs. The Mini Collection was one of several reissues released throughout 2009 as further promotion for the Doll Domination era, being released in between the European and Australasian legs of the group's Doll Domination Tour. It debuted at number nine on both the Scottish Albums Chart and UK Albums Chart, and would go on to be certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for sales of at least 100,000 in the UK.
The Pussycat Dolls Tour was the planned third concert tour by American girl group the Pussycat Dolls. It was announced in 2019, when Nicole Scherzinger, Ashley Roberts, Carmit Bachar, Kimberly Wyatt and Jessica Sutta revealed that they were reforming for new music and a brand new concert tour. Former member Melody Thornton declined to reunite but decided to continue with her career as a solo recording artist. The announcement followed the release of "React", the first new song by the group in more than a decade.
"React" is a song recorded by American girl group The Pussycat Dolls and was released by Access Records on February 7, 2020. It is the group's first song in over a decade, the last being 2009's "Hush Hush; Hush Hush", and is their first independent release since partnering with First Access Entertainment. "React" sees the return of Carmit Bachar who left the group before the release of their last album, Doll Domination (2008), although it does not feature Melody Thornton, who opted out of the reunion citing the desire to continue with her own solo music career. It was written by group member Nicole Scherzinger, along with Georgia Buchanan, Johan Gustafsson, William Simister, and Hannah Wilson. It was produced by Gustafson, Will Simms, and Swedish producer Ivares.