Nicole Prascovia Elikolani Scherzinger (/ˈʃɜːrzɪŋər/ SHUR-zing-ər née Valiente; born June 29, 1978)[1] is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, actress, and television personality.

[5][6][7] Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, and raised in Louisville, Kentucky, Scherzinger began acting at the age of 14 and studied musical theatre at Wright State University.

In pursuit of a musical career, Scherzinger dropped out of college and toured with the American rock band Days of the New before finding mild success with Eden's Crush, a girl group created through The WB's talent competition show Popstars.

Scherzinger carved out a solo career outside the group; her debut album, Her Name is Nicole, was shelved due to insufficient commercial response from its promotional singles.

However, her debut album was released as Killer Love (2011)—which was supported by the singles "Right There" (featuring 50 Cent), "Poison" and "Don't Hold Your Breath"—followed by its sequel, Big Fat Lie (2014).

[14][13] With her grandfather a priest,[15] Scherzinger was raised as Roman Catholic and considered herself conservative with "really strong religious beliefs" and would go to church twice a week in order to make her mother proud.

[17] In her final year of college, Scherzinger was hired by Days of the New band leader Travis Meeks to contribute vocals on their self-titled second studio album.

[22] In 2001, Scherzinger's mother saw a commercial for the WB's show Popstars USA,[13] a reality series with the aim to chronicle a music group's formation until the recording of their debut album.

[13] For her audition she sang Whitney Houston's version of Dolly Parton's song "I Will Always Love You" and alongside Ana Maria Lombo, Maile Misajon, Ivette Sosa, and Rosanna Tavarez, established the girl group Eden's Crush.

[29] Following the band's dissolution, Scherzinger took a detour into acting and guest-starred in television shows such as My Wife and Kids (2002) and had a cameo in the independent comedy, Chasing Papi (2003).

[31] After will.i.am recommended Scherzinger to Iovine,[29] and in hopes to obtain a solo deal, she successfully auditioned in December 2003 along with Melody Thornton joining Carmit Bachar, Ashley Roberts, Jessica Sutta and Kimberly Wyatt.

[30][32] As the lead singer, Scherzinger assumed the majority of the vocals and is the only member of the group to have songwriting credits on their debut album PCD, which was released in September 2005.

[48] In December 2009, Scherzinger was announced as the third judge joining Ben Folds and Boyz II Men band member Shawn Stockman on the first season of The Sing-Off.

[56] Her performance in the musical received praise from critics,[57] Charles McNulty of the Los Angeles Times wrote, "Scherzinger's powerhouse voice was meant for venues like the Bowl.

[73] Scherzinger mentored the Boys category and selected James Arthur, Rylan Clark-Neal, and Jahmene Douglas to compete in the live shows.

[75] In March 2013, Scherzinger released "Boomerang", which debuted and peaked at number six on the UK Singles Chart;[76] after its lackluster success, the associated album was scrapped.

[83] In December, Scherzinger made her West End debut starring as Grizabella in the 2014 revival of the musical Cats at the London Palladium where she played the role for a 12-week run until February 8, 2015;[84] her performance received rave reviews from critics particularly praising her rendition of the song standard "Memory" and garnered a Laurence Olivier Award nomination for Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical.

[87] In July she performed the American national anthem at the A Capitol Fourth concert in Washington, D.C. and during the opening of the 2015 Special Olympics World Summer Games.

[90] The following month, the music panel show hosted by Ricky Wilson, Bring the Noise premiered on Sky 1 with Scherzinger and Tinie Tempah joining him as team captains.

[101][102] On the finale of The X Factor: Celebrity, the Pussycat Dolls, consisting of Sutta, Bachar, Roberts, Scherzinger, and Wyatt, reunited with a live medley performance of their previous singles and their new song, "React".

[104] The third season of The Masked Singer premiered in February 2020 as the Super Bowl LIV lead-out program and was viewed by over 27.3 million people—the series' most watched episode.

[112] On June 17, 2022, and according to Belfast news outlet The Newsletter, it was revealed Scherzinger is set to debut an interior design range including bedding under the name 'Nalu'.

[124] As she grew older she also listened to artists such as Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Roberta Flack, Sade, Alanis Morissette, and Tina Turner.

[133][134] Scherzinger's vocal abilities have received contrasting opinions; Adam White of The Daily Telegraph considers her as "an incredible vocalist" but notes that her voice is not distinct.

[144] According to Billboard, the cancellation of Her Name Is Nicole in 2007 hampered Scherzinger's solo career,[152] while both of her albums—Killer Love (2011) and Big Fat Lie (2014)—were released in territories except the United States.

"[135] Nick Duerden of The Independent described Scherzinger as the "ultimate modern celebrity" thanks to her work with the Pussycat Dolls, her television ventures and her publicized personal life.

He opined that despite her possessing natural talents, she doesn't have "Lady Gaga's edge, Katy Perry's chutzpah nor Rihanna's élan" adding her "drive, passion, [and] unstinting commitment to succeed" is what sets her apart from other singers.

[157] Scherzinger commenced a high-profile relationship with Formula 1 World Champion Lewis Hamilton, after meeting at the 2007 MTV Europe Music Awards in Munich.

[172][173] In October 2010, she portrayed Trixie at the 35th anniversary concert of The Rocky Horror Picture Show that raised money for the Painted Turtle, a Hole in the Wall Foundation camp for kids with serious medical conditions.

[179] In August 2019, she took part in the protests against the building of the Thirty Meter Telescope on Mauna Kea; a place considered a holy spiritual site for native Hawaiians.