EXCLUSIVE: Carmit Bachar found fame as one of the founding members of the Pussycat Dolls, but earlier this year, she was stunned to find out her bandmates were reuniting – without being consulted
As one-sixth of the Pussycat Dolls, Carmit Bachar achieved more than one could dream about. With sell-out tours and platinum records, the singer and dancer was often travelling between several countries each week, performing to thousands of fans.
But this year, things took a drastic turn when it was revealed that the iconic girl group would be reuniting. It later transpired that the group would now consist of Nicole Scherzinger, Kimberly Wyatt and Ashley Roberts.
Former members Melody Thornton, Jessica Sutta, and Carmit, a founding member of the group, had been excluded and learned of it through the media.
Jessica and Carmit, however, were part of the 2019 reunion, which Nicole later cancelled. Last year, Kimberly told the Mirror that she had been working on plans for the band, but it had been “difficult” getting each member on the same page.
“It was definitely disappointing not having direct communication,” Carmit said of learning that the group would be plotting a comeback. But rather than being bitter, she explained: “I chose to stay focused on my own growth, my new music and protecting my peace.”
On whether her former bandmates, who are currently touring, have reached out, Carmit replied: “I’ll always honour what we built together. What happened after speaks for itself.”
Following the decision to tour as a trio, fans of the band, famed for hits including Don’t Cha and React, have expressed their anger on social media. “I hear them and understand their feelings completely,” Carmit said, adding: “I just channel all that love and passion straight into my solo work and give them 100per cent of me.”
Collectively, the group has sold around 54 million records worldwide, grossing an estimated $250 million during their tenure. Ashley previously revealed that the money was never split equally among the band.
Although some fans of the band have purchased tickets to see Nicole, Kimberly and Ashley, their tour hasn’t gone without hiccups. Only recently, Nicole suffered a malfunction, which meant she missed performing a track in Poland due to issues with her in-ear monitors.
It’s also been hit with poor sales across the UK. On October 10, the Don’t Cha hitmakers will perform at Manchester’s Co-op Live, the biggest indoor UK arena, but only a fraction of the tickets for the 23,500-capacity venue have sold.
Instead, just two blocks have sold out completely. Several VIP Buttons Behind The Scenes Experience tickets, costing £645.60 are available, along with standard tickets priced at £106.75. Their final performance is slated for October 13 at London’s O2 Arena, but promoters have now launched a special deal to sell more tickets. A group of four tickets can now be purchased for £150, including booking fees.
For context, the cheapest ticket on Ticketmaster is £78.10 for a seat in Level 4 of the arena. This offer, with the O2, is valid until the date of the show. Elsewhere, there’s a huge sale across the whole tour. Earlier this month, Ticketmaster sent out an email, advising users of a “group ticket offer” for every show, meaning fans can get four tickets for £150, across the whole tour.
The group had already cancelled a string of dates across the United States but honoured a scheduled performance at WeHo Pride in Los Angeles. But while she’s not performing with the Dolls, it’s fair to say that Carmit’s schedule is just as busy, with several performances each week.
Last weekend, she took to the stage at the Sony Hall in New York, delivering a unique spin on a performance of Don’t Chat, featuring the Voodoo Orchestra. Addressing performing alone, she said: “When you’re surrounded by people with good energy, everything just feels more fun.
“Doing what I love with people I love and being in the spotlight on my own terms feels like exactly where I belong.” Despite the negativity surrounding the reunion tour, Carmit holds nothing but positive memories from her time in the band.
“It was a complete whirlwind,” she said of the instant fame the group achieved. The singer continued: “In a different country every day, touring nonstop, music videos, photo shoots, radio stations and some of the coolest experiences.
“Connecting with fans all over the world was incredible, and it’s a chapter I feel so lucky to have lived. I still carry that connection with those fans to this day, and I cherish the memory of getting to perform on that level.” Her fondest memories are, of course, performing to fans of the band, where “thousands of people” would sing every lyric back to the group. “That collective energy is unforgettable,” she commented.
One performance in particular has a strong presence in Carmit’s mind. She revealed: “Live Earth [climate change awareness concert] at Wembley Stadium was probably the most impactful and memorable show we were a part of.” Earlier this month, Carmit treated fans with the release of her EP, Carmit Part II – a process which she says was “liberating”.
“It feels incredible,” she said of releasing new music. Carmit went on to say: “Releasing this second chapter is pure liberation, full of remixes and a new unreleased track that I know my fans are gonna love, Déjá Vu.” Déjá Vu, however, had been locked in the archives for almost 20 years, having initially been recorded in 2008.
Of the track, Carmit says it “captures a moment in time”. It was around this time that Carmit left the group, later disclosing that she had been forced out. But while she has been credited with both lead and backing vocals on earlier Dolls tracks, the single is fully Carmit, having written and composed it.
She said it was “empowering” to now have such control over her work. She disclosed: “It was a collaboration with Jared Gosselin and Phillip Bianco. Being in total creative control allowed me to tell the stories exactly the way I wanted.”
Despite being in the industry since 1993, Carmit is still blown away by the levels of support from her fans, aptly named Foxes. Speaking of her memories with them, she gushed: “Seeing them tell their nostalgic stories with the old songs and how they’re feeling with the new ones. Their loyalty and energy after all these years constantly blow me away.”
Carmit Part II is available to stream now.
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