Buttons (song)

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"Buttons"
Single by The Pussycat Dolls featuring Snoop Dogg
from the album PCD
B-side(s)	"Flirt"
Released	May 2006 (US) June 2006 (UK)
Format	12" single, Digital Download, CD
Recorded	September 20-24, 2005 in Phoenix, AZ
Genre	R&B Hip Hop
Length	3:52 (Main Mix)
Label	A&M Records
Writer(s)	Sean Garrett, Jamal Jones, Jason Perry, Nicole Scherzinger, Calvin Broadus (remix)
Producer(s)	Sean Garrett, Ron Fair, Polow Da Don
Certification	Platinum (U.S.)
Chart positions
#1 (New Zealand, Austria, Brazil, Indonesia) #2 (AUS, Lithuania) #3 (U.K., U.S.) #4 (Belgium, Germany, Lebanon, Ireland) #6 (Netherland, Poland) #9 (Ibero-America)
Pussycat Dolls singles chronology
"Beep" (2006)	"Buttons" (2006)	"I Don't Need a Man" (2006)
Snoop Dogg singles chronology
"Say Somethin'" (2006)	"Buttons" (2006)	"Cali Iz Active" (2006)
Alternate cover

"Buttons" is a song written by Sean Garrett, Jamal Jones, Jason Perry and Nicole Scherzinger for The Pussycat Dolls' debut album PCD (2005). Released as the album's fourth single, the song became their fourth top three single on the UK and their second top three single on the US.

Contents 1 Song information 2 B-Side 3 Formats and track listings 4 Music Video 5 Chart Performance 6 Charts 7 Trivia 8 References 9 External links

[edit] Song information

For the fourth single release, The Pussycat Dolls collaborated with Snoop Dogg. The song was altered slightly from the album version, adding in two rap verses. For the final release of the single, the version featuring Snoop Dogg is titled as the Main Mix, though most people considered it the remix.

Like "Don't Cha" and "Beep", the song has a strong sexual undertone, where the protagonist, who is described as a sexually attractive individual, teases her intended male subject to help her take her clothes off (hence the main chorus line "I'm telling you to loosen up my buttons"). However, she accuses the male subject of being intimidated as he "fronts" to do so, leading her to believe he's "all talk and no show" claiming that she's "heard what he's sayin' what he was going to do to her, but she's seen nothing". However, where most listeners would assume that the protagonist has finally become disinterested, the song ends with the impression that she's still teasing the guy to unbutton her clothes.

The lyrics were slightly altered after the final release in the rap verse performed by Snoop Dogg. The lyric "Yeah, I thought I saw a puddycat" (catchphrase of the Looney Tunes character Tweety) was changed to "Yeah, I thought I saw a pussycat". (A similar lyric was also used in the Ying Yang Twins' song Badd and the Akon song, Smack That.)

[edit] B-Side

The B-side is "Flirt" written by Nicole Scherzinger, Kara DioGuardi, and Greg Wells.

[edit] Formats and track listings

CD single #1 (A&M Records)

1. "Buttons" 3:52
2. "Flirt" 2:57

CD single #2 (A&M Records)

1. "Buttons" 3:52
2. "Buttons" [Album Version] 3:46
3. "Flirt" 2:57
4. "Buttons" [Video]

CD single (Polydor)

1. "Buttons"
2. "Don't Cha" [Live Version]

[edit] Music Video

The video was shot in March 20, 2006 by production company DNA and was directed by Francis Lawrence. It features the Pussycat Dolls with rapper Snoop Dogg. The Pussycat Dolls are dressed in suggestive black outfits, and then progress through the video performing a striptease that leads to several dance segments which include different dance portions with various props in an all sepia toned video. Nicole in one dance sequence uses a chair as a prop. Then the other members of the band appear and the dance continues. The video is influenced by both the Pussycat Dolls's old school burlesque traditions and the Middle-Eastern influence of the musical composition, incorporating props and imagery such as the trademark Pussycat Dolls's method of the silhouetting of bodies in their stage shows, jazz dance moves, and a curtain made from jewelry worn by belly dancers. A different version of the video is shown with smoke coming from some of the dolls during some sequences, and finally the floor bursting into digitally-added fire in the last sequences. As with Beep, a new piece of music, using the same riff but with a different, faster drum beat was added in, so the dolls could perform a faster dance routine. This piece of music replaces the bridge in the video.

The video has proven to be very popular and has been topping the viewer's interactive charts such as of MTV Hits, just like its predecessors. It achieved #5 in MTV (UK) Hits' "Top 100 Songs of 2006".

The video received an award at the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards in the category of Best Dance Video.

The video has become so popular that it was voted as the best video of 2006 in Vh1's Top 40 Videos of The Year, beating Hips Don't Lie by Shakira and Far Away by Nickelback.

[edit] Chart Performance

The song impacted radio in Late April/Early May in the United States. After the slight disappointment of 'Beep' on the radio charts, the record label was hoping to make 'Buttons' a bigger hit, along the lines of 'Don't Cha' and 'Stickwitu' which became Billboard Top 5 hits. With a stronger push from Interscope records, 'Buttons' was off to a great start in the states. However, the song was different than other PCD songs as this song took longer to peak. In the months of May, June and July, the song was slowly climbing up the charts. However, near the end of July the song suddenly shot into the top 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and peaked at #4 due to strong digital sales. In September 2006, the song managed to rise to a peak of #3. Even though the song had always been available digitally, the song kept gaining momentum in digital sales during the Summer of 2006, allowing its popularity to expand. This also helped the song breakthrough the top ten on the pop radio charts as it shot through the top ten, finally reaching #1 at the end of August. PCD are only one of three artists this year to have two different #1s on Top 40 Radio, with the other artists being Beyoncé with Check On It and Irreplaceable and Justin Timberlake who had back to back radio hits with SexyBack and My Love. Stickwitu was the other PCD song to reach #1 on radio that year, staying there for two weeks in January 2006.

"Buttons" got positive reviews from most of Asia viewers, which the video topped Top 10 Pop Inc MTV Asia chart for 11 weeks (non-consecutive), and spent 23 weeks on the chart. Currently, "Buttons" still holds the record for most #1s video on the chart and the longest running video on the chart. Top 10 Pop Inc is a countdown show which plays top 10 most voted and most requested videos of the week in MTV Asia. In another MTV Asia's countdown, which named "Hip Hop Countdown", which plays Top 10 most requested and most voted Hip Hop videos, Buttons also spent 24 weeks on the chart and 17 weeks at the top spot, which currently, the record for most #1s and longest running videos on the Hip Hop Coountdown still holds also by "Buttons". In both countdowns, "Buttons" also became the only video that could manage to stay in Top 3 from its debut until its 20th week. Finally, it dropped from Top 3 from the first time in its 23rd week on the Hip Hop Countdown, and in its 21st week on the Pop Inc Chart.

The single has also become a big hit internationally. The single debuted at #11 on the UK singles chart, with downloads alone, one week prior to its physical release and the following week jumped to #3. The single became the group's fourth and final consecutive top 3 hit in the UK. In Australia, "Buttons" reached #2 for two weeks and came in at #17 on the Australian 2006 end of year chart. The single also debuted at #1 in New Zealand, giving the dolls their fourth consecutive #1 hit, and their second #1 debut. "Buttons" was #8 in the end of year singles chart for 2006 in New Zealand. It also reached #1 in Austria for three weeks where it was their first #1. "Buttons" also reached #4 in Germany and Ireland and #5 on the United world chart. "Buttons" has also reached the top twenty in France where it has reached #12 several times.

In Ibero-America the single debuted in the Top 10, a great debut thanks to be #1 in Brazil estay in the Top 10 for 6 weeks peaking at #9 (4 weeks), but shorty fell from #9 to #21, and from #21 to #98.

[edit] Charts

Chart (2006)	Peak position
Hot 100 Brasil	1
UK Official Singles Chart	3
UK Official Download Chart	6
Ireland Singles Top 50	4
Hungary Airplay Top 40 [1]	1
U.S Billboard Hot 100	3
U.S Billboard Pop 100	2
Austria Singles Top 75	1
Australia Singles Top 50	2
Australia Urban Singles	1
Belgium Singles Top 50	4
Canadian BDS Airplay Chart	13
Dutch Top 40	6
Finland Singles Top 20	11
France Singles Top 100	12
Germany Singles Top 100	4
Ireland Singles Top 50	4
Italy Top 50	18
Indonesia Chart	1
Lithuania Airplay Chart	2
(PL)LISTA PRZEBOJÓW NASZEGO RADIA HIT FM [1]	2
Polish National Top 50	6
Russia Top 100	1
Sweden Singles Top 60	36
World Singles Top 40	6
Czech Airplay Chart	8

[edit] Trivia

• ECW Vixen Kelly Kelly used this song when she performed "Kelly's Expose," a striptease, during ECW on Sci-Fi for the hardly responsive crowd.^{[citation needed]}
• In the song Snoop Dogg mentions all the members names by rhyming them.
• At the 2006 American Music Awards, Jessica Sutta accidentally got her boot caught on her chair and knocked the chair over, however she carried on dancing regardlessly like a professional.^{[citation needed]}
• This song was also performed in So You Think You Can Dance as being their special guest.^{[citation needed]}
• The song was played in Ugly Betty, first season ("Queens for a Day (Ugly Betty episode)").^{[citation needed]}
• Shilpa Shetty danced to this song while Ian Watkins (Steps) sang it in Celebrity Big Brother 2007 (UK).{{[2]}}
• Snoop Dogg collaborated twice with the PCD (counting this one). They showed up together on stage in December 2005 on the Radio Music Awards in Las Vegas, where the girls performed "Santa Baby" when were joined by Santa-dressed Snoop Dogg (who also recorded this song on the album A Very Special Christmas, Vol. 3)^[2]. Snoop also starred together with Kimberly Wyatt in her movie debut in Starsky & Hutch. ^[3].
• The song is featured in the European commercial for Deichmann shoe company. Moreover all the girls do a new dance sequence for the ad.^[4]

[edit] References

• BMI.com

[edit] External links

• "Buttons" Music Video

Preceded by "Crazy" by Gnarls Barkley

RIANZ (New Zealand) number one single July 17, 2006 – July 24, 2006

Succeeded by "Promiscuous" by Nelly Furtado featuring Timbaland