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  • 6 days ago
The new season of ‘Building the Band’ kicked off today, and Nicole Scherzinger opens up about working with Liam Payne and forming One Direction, why Lizzo would be included in the modern day Pussycat Dolls, why she wanted to be part of the show and more!

Have you watched the new episodes of ‘Building the Band?’ Let us know in the comments!

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Transcript
00:00I thought it was so beautiful to see the journey to see Liam come full circle.
00:06You know, especially my relationship with him having helped form the band of One Direction.
00:12And I'm thinking about, wow, what would the Pussycat Dolls look like today?
00:17The Pussycat Dolls would look like Lizzo, Demi Lovato, Billie Eilish, right?
00:26So it's unconventional.
00:27Honestly, I'm old, Joey, and that's why I'm so good at this.
00:33I've been doing this for a really long time.
00:36You know, I'm just curious for you as someone who has kind of been on both sides.
00:39You've done the band, you've mentored, you've judged.
00:41What was it about building the band that made you want to be part of this project?
00:46Obviously, I have been in a few bands.
00:49Actually, three bands.
00:51You should do your homework on that one.
00:52Eden's Crush, Pussycat Dolls.
00:55Days of the New.
00:55It was a rock band.
00:57Not many people know that.
00:58That one I did not know.
01:00I think the main thing that I was really excited about being a part of this project is it felt
01:05like a social experiment.
01:08I just love the fact that a band was being put together with themselves without ever having
01:15seen each other, that it was solely based off of music compatibility and chemistry and connection.
01:24I mean, sight unseen.
01:26I mean, who's ever done that?
01:28I don't think anyone's ever done that.
01:29One thing I thought was interesting in the show, you talked about putting the power kind
01:34of back in the singer's hands.
01:35You know, it's not formed by a label.
01:38They're forming their band themselves.
01:41You know, and you mentioned a few times in the show.
01:43So why is that so important to you, like giving the power over to the artists?
01:46Just because only the artists can tell you who they really are.
01:53The industry is so oversaturated now, especially with social media.
02:01There is just so much stuff out there so people can read through the BS.
02:08People know the difference between what's real and what's not real.
02:13What's resonate, what doesn't resonate, what moves them, what doesn't move them.
02:17And so that was so important for our show, for this show to be real.
02:22And it doesn't get any more real than having a band put themselves together, you know,
02:29without any record execs or labels telling them what they have to do, what they have to look like.
02:37That doesn't work anymore.
02:39That's the old formula.
02:41And we even had that when we were going through this trial process.
02:45I was like, this would have been amazing 10 years ago.
02:50Yeah.
02:50But it's just, everything's so, you know, so easily accessible and everything's on your phone in the moment.
02:58So it's just important.
02:59And that's what's so cool about the show is we get to watch these contestants in real time form these bands that they choose to be together in
03:08and see how that unfolds naturally.
03:12Mm-hmm.
03:13And, you know, you've mentored before.
03:16You've helped put One Direction together, which is pretty amazing.
03:19You know, whether it's a One Direction or some of the bands on this show,
03:23what is it that you look for in a band to think they can take it to the next level?
03:28That chemistry, that natural chemistry, it has to just work.
03:34It has to work.
03:36That natural chemistry, it has to work organically because that's the only thing that's going to move you.
03:42That's the only thing that's going to make you care.
03:44That's the only thing that's going to give you, like, the electric bolts, as I call them,
03:48to be like, ah, they have something that I actually care about, that actually works, that moves the needle.
03:54Like I said, there's too much stuff out there today.
03:57It's got to be something amazing.
03:58It's got to hit you off the bat.
04:00Right off the bat, it's got to be like, bam, right?
04:03Knock you out of the park.
04:04There's too much competition out there.
04:06Yeah, endless.
04:06And there's a billion shows, but there ain't no show like this.
04:09These bands are put together.
04:10It's not normal.
04:11We weren't put together that way.
04:12You know, I also wanted to ask, so, you know, you helped mentor Liam,
04:16and, you know, in this show, he stepped into that role for other people.
04:19What was it like watching him kind of come into that power?
04:24I mean, I thought it was so beautiful to see the journey, to see Liam come full circle.
04:32You know, especially my relationship with him having helped form the band of One Direction,
04:38and then to see him have such a wildly global, phenomenal success with One Direction,
04:46and with his solo career, and then to be able to mentor these bands.
04:55It was really beautiful because I saw the joy that it brought to Liam.
05:00I saw that this was, I felt like this was his happy place.
05:05I felt like he, like myself, A.J., Kelly, we've lived this.
05:12We've learned it.
05:13And to be able to bestow any type of inspiration and knowledge and wisdom and experience
05:18on any of these contestants in these bands, it brought us all joy.
05:23But particularly Liam, I felt this really inspired him, and this was his happy place.
05:35This was his happy place because he really, Liam was such a beautiful heart,
05:44and he loved to give back, and he loved to help.
05:49And then that's why I say I felt this was his happy place of being of such service.
05:56He was very funny, very natural on the show.
05:59And I just want to say I'm truly sorry for your loss with regards to that.
06:02Thank you so much.
06:03He's with us in spirit.
06:05Yes.
06:05And I know that, I know, I know how proud he was of this show,
06:11and I know the joy that he got from doing this show.
06:14And so I feel like we are paying, we are just honoring him in the show.
06:20And that is such a beautiful thing.
06:22I'm so excited for people to see him in his highest light giving back,
06:27doing what he does best.
06:29Yeah.
06:29One of the things that he does best.
06:31Yes, that's very true.
06:32Liam Payne, I'm our star mentor.
06:35Nicole Scherzinger.
06:37The real fun's about to begin.
06:38The real fun and the real work.
06:40You know, I wanted to talk about your feedback on the show that you give to folks.
06:43I was, you do such a nice job giving real feedback, you know,
06:47without pulling punches, but without being mean.
06:50Do you have like a philosophy or an approach to constructive criticism?
06:54You know, like how would you,
06:55if someone else was about to step into your role on a show,
06:58how would you tell them to advise other people, you know,
07:01how to uplift without bringing down?
07:03Honestly, I'm old, Joey, and that's why I'm so good at this.
07:09I've been doing this for a really long time,
07:11and the best thing, the reason my superpower is,
07:15is I've done it all.
07:16I started out in Eden's Crush.
07:19Yeah.
07:20And Pop Stars.
07:21You know, I've been in several groups myself,
07:24from a rock group to a pop group to the Pussycat Dolls.
07:27And I really love what I do,
07:33and I really care,
07:35and I want to see the best in people.
07:37I like, my superpower is seeing like the person,
07:41their talent,
07:42and how can I bring out the best in you as a human and as an artist.
07:47And that's just like,
07:48I'm so grateful that I'm able to have that gift.
07:50I think it's just important.
07:52It's find the strengths
07:54and focus on the strengths.
07:57And how can we build confidence in that place?
08:01How can we encourage?
08:03How can we empower?
08:04And that's what we should do for anyone,
08:06not only in building the band,
08:08but in life.
08:09Do you know what I mean?
08:11But that's so important.
08:13It's our job to find your superpower,
08:17find your strength in what you do,
08:19and encourage and uplift from that place.
08:23Because all the other stuff is just noise,
08:26and we have to chisel away at the noise
08:29in order to be the divine ninjas that we are.
08:32I've never said that before,
08:34and I don't even know if that makes sense.
08:36Divine ninjas?
08:37I love that.
08:38I'm going to start using that.
08:41You know, I also wanted to ask about,
08:43there was something you said in the show
08:44that really struck me.
08:45You were talking about how girl groups,
08:47it used to be being sexy for others,
08:50but it's changed.
08:51Now it's about being sexy for yourself.
08:53I just thought that was so interesting.
08:54Can you talk more about that?
08:56When I was thinking about the Pussycat Dolls,
08:59because I'm so proud of the Pussycat Dolls,
09:02and I'm thinking about,
09:03wow, what would the Pussycat Dolls look like today?
09:06The Pussycat Dolls would look like Lizzo,
09:10Demi Lovato, Billie Eilish, right?
09:15So it's unconventional.
09:16It's not what you would think.
09:18And I was like, why is that so,
09:20for me that's so important
09:22because today, 10 years ago, 20 years ago,
09:27being sexy was about being sexy for someone else.
09:31But now being sexy is about feeling sexy
09:33within your own skin.
09:35Being strong is about owning and embracing
09:40and loving and accepting yourself.
09:43And like I said, it's awesome.
09:50It's called evolution.
09:52It's called times are changing.
09:54And that's where we are today.
09:56And I think that's such a beautiful thing,
09:59is about inclusivity,
10:00is about accepting yourself,
10:02not trying to conform and be put in a box.
10:07And that's why this show is so special
10:09because we did break all the rules.
10:11And we're doing, I'm going to tell you,
10:13when we first started, we were like,
10:15let's hope for the best.
10:19Yeah, you don't know.
10:21And as it was happening in real time for us,
10:24we were like, this is really working.
10:29And working in a way that
10:30I don't think we could have even imagined.
10:32It was better than what we could have imagined.
10:35We just allowed the chemistry and the universe
10:37to do its thing.
10:39And these beautiful talents
10:41to just naturally evolve and grow together.
10:46What surprised you the most about doing this show?
10:49The biggest surprise was the talent that came out of it.
10:54Some of the bands that formed themselves
10:56in the beginning, I was like,
10:58I think that's the winner.
10:59Mm-hmm.
11:01And that's not what ended up happening in the end.
11:04Wow.
11:05When people, when you have that chemistry,
11:07when you have that bond,
11:09when you have that connection,
11:10how it is unbreakable and unshakable,
11:13and it literally becomes your superpower.
11:18And no one can stop you.
11:20No label, not what anyone else thinks,
11:23no producers.
11:24Like, these bands were able to really do it
11:28on their own.
11:29Yeah.
11:30With the help of awesome producers as well.
11:34You know, if through some time travel,
11:36sci-fi magic,
11:37Pussycat Dolls were on this show,
11:40what advice would you give to your younger self?
11:42You know, we're coming up 20 years for the first album.
11:46Wow.
11:47What advice would I give to myself?
11:50You know, I was on a show.
11:51I was on pop stores about 57 years ago.
11:55Mm-hmm.
11:55And I was just myself.
12:01Honestly, that's all I can say
12:03is just be your authentic self
12:05and lead with your heart
12:06and make sure you carry your balls with you.
12:11Because everybody got big balls these days.
12:14Everybody got big balls.
12:15Because unlike when I was growing up,
12:18everyone grew up very comfortable.
12:21Everyone now grows up in front of a camera.
12:25Mm-hmm.
12:26And I was a bit shy growing up.
12:28So just lead with your own authenticity
12:35and your own heart.
12:37That's the most important thing.
12:38I think heart is just so important
12:42because so many people have such great talent,
12:46but we don't know where their intentions or whatever lie.
12:50It doesn't matter.
12:51I think your heart,
12:53if you have a big enough heart,
12:55it will give you the confidence
12:56and it will lead you all the way.

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