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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