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The Cheetah Girls (group)

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The Cheetah Girls were an American girl group formed in 2003, primarily consisting of Adrienne Bailon-Houghton, Kiely Williams, and Sabrina Bryan. Raven-Symoné contributed as a member to two musical films and their associated soundtracks which featured the group.

The Cheetah Girls
The Cheetah Girls performing in 2008 (L–R): Adrienne Bailon-Houghton, Kiely Williams, and Sabrina Bryan
The Cheetah Girls performing in 2008
(L–R): Adrienne Bailon-Houghton, Kiely Williams, and Sabrina Bryan
Background information
Genres
Years active2003–2008
Labels
Past members

The group began as a fictional quartet for the eponymous Disney Channel original musical film, which aired in 2003. The film became the highest-rated premiere for a Disney Channel Original Movie at the time and its soundtrack was certified double platinum by the RIAA. Following the success of the film, members Bailon, Williams, and Bryan began recording as a real vocal group while Symoné opted to focus on solo projects. In 2005, the trio released their debut studio album Cheetah-licious Christmas. The following year, Symoné returned for the sequel film The Cheetah Girls 2 and its platinum certified soundtrack, which would be her final work with the group. In 2007, the group released their second studio album TCG. In 2008, the group was featured in their final musical film The Cheetah Girls: One World.

The Cheetah Girls spawned numerous merchandise lines which included clothing, dolls, and video games. The group embarked on three North American tours: Cheetah-licious Christmas Tour, The Party's Just Begun Tour, and One World Tour. They have sold over 11 million records worldwide.[1]

Career

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2002–2004: The Cheetah Girls

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The Cheetah Girls franchise logo

On August 15, 2003, the musical television film The Cheetah Girls premiered on Disney Channel. It was based on the best-selling series of young adult books of the same name by Deborah Gregory and was filmed in October and November 2002.[2] The film starred Raven-Symoné, Sabrina Byran, Adrienne Bailon, and Kiely Williams. Singer Solange Knowles was originally cast, but pulled out of the film due to the promotion and release of her debut album Solo Star. The role was then given to Williams, who along with Bailon was originally in the girl group 3LW.[3] Upon release, the film was the number one rated basic cable telecast and premiered to 6.5 million viewers, a record for Disney at the time.[4] The movie's DVD sold over 800,000 copies.[5] Several songs were recorded for the film, and though there had been no contractual plans for these songs to be released commercially, producer Debra Martin Chase was able to convince Disney to create new contracts and release the film's music as a soundtrack.[6] The soundtrack was released concurrently with the film on August 15, 2003. It peaked at number 33 on the Billboard 200 and was certified double platinum by the RIAA.[7][8] "Cinderella" was released as the sole single from the album.[9]

A sitcom based on The Cheetah Girls was in development as a potential TV series for ABC in their 2004–2005 season. ABC was set to put the show into production in early 2004, with discussions also being held to write a role for fellow 3LW member, Jessica Benson.[10] ABC did not pick up the series and a pilot for the show was not filmed.[11]

2005–2006: Cheetah-licious Christmas and The Cheetah Girls 2

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The Cheetah Girls performing during the Cheetah-licious Christmas tour in 2005

Following the success of the film, Disney began developing The Cheetah Girls as a real-life recording group.[4] Symoné opted to focus on solo projects, leaving a trio of Bailon, Williams, and Bryan.[2] The group's first release as a trio and recording act was a cover of the Hercules soundtrack song "I Won't Say (I'm in Love)" which appeared on Disneymania 3 in February 2005.[12] In October 2005, the group released their debut record under Walt Disney Records, Cheetah-licious Christmas.[13] The holiday album includes classic Christmas songs as well as several original songs, one of which was co-written by all three girls. The album peaked at number 74 on the Billboard 200 and sold over 375,000 copies as of June 2008.[14][15] The album produced the single "Cheetah-licious Christmas".[16] In November, the group contributed a cover of "Shake a Tail Feather" to the soundtrack of the film Chicken Little, which was released as a single in France.[17][18] In December, the group embarked on their first headlining tour, the Cheetah-licious Christmas Tour.[19]

In April 2006, the group's cover of "If I Never Knew You" from 1995's Pocahontas was released as a single from the compilation Disneymania 4.[20][21] That same month, the group began filming the sequel musical film The Cheetah Girls 2.[22] Raven-Symoné returned for the film, which was shot on location in Barcelona, Spain.[23] The Cheetah Girls 2 premiered on August 26, 2006, and received over 8.1 million viewers, making it the highest-rated premiere for a Disney Channel Original Movie at the time.[24] The film's soundtrack album was released on August 15, 2006, ten days before the film's premiere.[25] It peaked at number 5 on the Billboard 200 and was certified platinum by the RIAA.[8][26] The soundtrack was preceded by the single "The Party's Just Begun", which peaked at number 13 in New Zealand and at 85 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.[27][28] The album's second single, "Strut", peaked at number 55 on the Billboard Hot 100.[27] In October 2006, the group released a cover of "Route 66". The song was used to promote the Cars DVD release and was included on the special edition of The Cheetah Girls 2 soundtrack which was released the following month.[29][30]

Following the film's premiere, the group embarked on The Party's Just Begun Tour from September 2006 to March 2007. The tour grossed over $43 million USD.[31][32] Two of the concert dates were recorded for the live album, In Concert: The Party's Just Begun Tour, which was released July 10, 2007.[33]

2007–2008: TCG, The Cheetah Girls: One World, and disbandment

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The Cheetah Girls performing in October 2008

In March 2007, the group's cover of "So This Is Love" from Cinderella was included on Disneymania 5.[34] While touring on The Party's Just Begun Tour, the group worked on material for a second studio album.[26] Bailon noted: "We'll be making a real album, not a soundtrack - it's important for people to see us as a real musical group."[35] Sabrina Bryan stated that they hoped to gather an audience of older fans while simultaneously staying true to their younger fan base.[26]

On September 25, 2007, the group released their second studio album TCG.[36] The album peaked at number 44 on the Billboard 200 and sold over 120,000 copies by June of the following year.[27][14] The album was preceded by the single "So Bring It On" on August 25, 2007; the song was the theme of Twitches Too.[37] "Fuego" was released as the second single from the album and peaked at number 27 on Billboard's Hot Dance Club Play chart.[38][39]

The third Cheetah Girls film was announced for pre-production in early 2007. Adrienne Bailon revealed in March 2007 that the film would be filmed for a three-month period in India and that it would have a theme centered around Bollywood.[40] Raven-Symoné confirmed in August 2007 that she would not appear in the third film, and later revealed that this was due to her feeling "excluded" and "ostracized" on the set of the second film.[41][42] The group began filming their third and final Cheetah Girls movie, The Cheetah Girls: One World, in January 2008. The group covered "Someday My Prince Will Come" which appeared on Disneymania 6 in May.[43] The Cheetah Girls: One World premiered on August 22, 2008 and its soundtrack was released on August 19. While the film was a ratings hit, debuting with 6.2 million viewers, the soundtrack failed to match the success of their previous soundtrack releases and sold 140,000 copies in its first two months.[44] In the fall of 2008, the group embarked on the One World Tour. In late December 2008, the group disbanded.[45][46]

Legacy

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The Cheetah Girls were the first multi-ethnic girl music group to come out of the Disney Channel. The group featured young women of various races, backgrounds, and sizes, and also showcased music from cultures around the world. The second movie took the group to Spain; songs such as “Amigas Cheetahs” and “Fuego” featured Spanish lyrics and utilized costumes that are typical of Spanish culture.[47]

The group was largely popular at the same time as the more “grown-up” multi-ethnic girl group, The Pussycat Dolls. The Cheetah Girls had comparatively tame choreography and dressed in innocuous clothing, which helped the group gain popularity with tweens and parents alike.[48] The message in The Cheetah Girls films is that stardom is attainable as long as you remember that your close personal relationships are more important.[49] The films communicated an idea of feminism to young viewers.[50]

Celebrities such as Fifth Harmony,[51] The McClain Sisters,[52] Zendaya,[53] Olivia Holt,[54] Coco Jones[55] and Brittany O'Grady[56] have mentioned The Cheetah Girls as idols or an inspiration. Musicians Cardi B and North West have also paid homage to The Cheetah Girls.[57][58]

Filmography

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Year Title Roles Notes
2003 The Cheetah Girls Raven-Symoné as Galleria Garibaldi, Adrienne Bailon as Chanel Simmons, Sabrina Bryan as Dorinda Thomas and Kiely Williams as Aquanette Walker Filmed in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and Manhattan, New York City
2006 The Cheetah Girls 2 Filmed in Barcelona, Spain
2008 The Cheetah Girls: One World Adrienne Bailon as Chanel Simmons, Sabrina Bryan as Dorinda Thomas, and Kiely Williams as Aquanette Walker Filmed in Udaipur, India

Discography

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Main article: The Cheetah Girls discography

Albums

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Soundtracks

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Tours

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Main article: The Cheetah Girls tours

Merchandise

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There are Cheetah Girls-based clothing lines, toys, and video games. The clothing line was made available in Sears stores.[59] A doll line was released in 2007, inspired by the Disney Channel Original Movies.[59]

Several video games featuring the group were released for the Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS, including The Cheetah Girls, The Cheetah Girls: Pop Star Sensations, and The Cheetah Girls: Passport to Stardom.

Book series
Further information: The Cheetah Girls (novel series)

The Cheetah Girls is a book series that was written by Deborah Gregory and first published in 1999. The original series was the inspiration for the first movie; later books were released as movie tie-ins. The tie-ins include: The Cheetah Girls Junior Novel (released October 25, 2004; written by Deborah Gregory), The Cheetah Girls 2 Junior Novel (released July 18, 2006; written by Alice Alfonsi) and The Cheetah Girls: One World Junior Novel (released July 22, 2008; written by Kirsten Thorpe).

References

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  1. ^ "Cheetah Girls Get 'A Bit More Adult' in American Adventure!'". MTV. Archived from the original on April 25, 2022.
  2. ^ a b "How 'Cheetah Girls' Paved The Way For Disney Channel's Future Musical Movies". International Business Times. 2018-08-15. Retrieved 2019-03-06.
  3. ^ Ellenbogen, Rachael (September 27, 2018). "'The Cheetah Girls' Almost Starred Solange Knowles As This Main Character". International Business Times. Retrieved 2020-08-04.
  4. ^ a b "Hey, Hey, It's the Cheetah Girls" (PDF). Broadcasting & Cable. October 10, 2004. p. 10.
  5. ^ Carter, Brooke (2017-03-31). "Raven Symone Net Worth 2018 - How Rich Is She Now?". Gazette Review. Retrieved 2019-03-06.
  6. ^ "How 'Cheetah Girls' Paved The Way For Disney Channel's Future Musical Movies". International Business Times. 2018-08-15. Retrieved 2019-02-27.
  7. ^ "Billboard 200". Billboard. January 3, 2004. Retrieved 2024-10-01.
  8. ^ a b "American album certifications – Cheetah Girls – Cheetah Girls". Recording Industry Association of America.
  9. ^ "Cardi B Singing Cheetah Girls' "Cinderella" Will Take You Right Back To Your Youth — VIDEO". Bustle. 2018-03-29. Retrieved 2024-10-02.
  10. ^ Archive-Corey-Moss. "3LW Bringing 'Cheetah Girls' To TV, May Get Real In Atlanta". MTV News. Archived from the original on May 2, 2015. Retrieved 2019-03-05.
  11. ^ "Long-Standing 'Cheetah Girls' Rumor Debunked By Stars Sabrina Bryan, Kiely Williams". International Business Times. 2019-08-15. Retrieved 2019-12-09.
  12. ^ Disneymania, Vol. 3 - Disney | Album | AllMusic, retrieved 2024-09-30
  13. ^ A Cheetah-licious Christmas - The Cheetah Girl... | AllMusic, retrieved 2024-09-30
  14. ^ a b "TV on the Radio". Billboard. June 21, 2008. p. 26.
  15. ^ "Billboard 200". Billboard. December 17, 2005. Retrieved 2024-10-01.
  16. ^ "Aly and AJ Outshine Cheetahs". Hartford Courant. 2005-12-17. Retrieved 2024-10-01.
  17. ^ Chicken Little (Single extrait de la bande originale du film) (CD Single). France: Walt Disney Records. 2005. 0946 3 46736 0 0.
  18. ^ Walt Disney Records (October 25, 2005). "Get Ready to Shake Your Tail Feather to the Sounds of Walt Disney Records' "Chicken Little Soundtrack"; Featuring Fresh (Not Frozen) Hits from Patti LaBelle and Joss Stone, The Cheetah Girls, Barenaked Ladies and Five for Fighting" (Press release). Business Wire. Archived from the original on August 23, 2015. Retrieved August 23, 2015.
  19. ^ "The Cheetah Girls Announce First-Ever Headlining Tour Dates; Hollywood Records Recording Act Aly & AJ Are Featured Special Guests" (Press release). Burbank, California: Business Wire. October 17, 2005. Archived from the original on January 2, 2014. Retrieved January 1, 2014.
  20. ^ Disneymania 4 - Disney | Album | AllMusic, retrieved 2024-10-01
  21. ^ If I Never Knew You - The Cheetah Girls | Album | AllMusic, retrieved 2024-10-02
  22. ^ "Work on 'The Cheetah Girls 2' begins". Triblive. April 11, 2006. Retrieved 2024-10-01.
  23. ^ "The Cheetah Girls 2: When In Spain | Barcelona Film Commission". www.bcncatfilmcommission.com. Retrieved 2024-10-01.
  24. ^ Grein, Paul (2024-04-24). "TV Soundtracks With the Most Weeks at No. 1 on the Top Soundtracks Chart". Billboard. Retrieved 2024-09-30.
  25. ^ The Cheetah Girls 2 - The Cheetah Girls | Album | AllMusic, retrieved 2024-10-01
  26. ^ a b c Billboard Staff (2006-10-27). "Cheetah Girls Eyeing All-Inclusive Fourth Album". Billboard. Retrieved 2024-10-01.
  27. ^ a b c Zellner, Xander (2024-06-17). "Fictional Bands Who Reached Billboard's Charts: The Wonders, August Moon, 4*TOWN, Spinal Tap & More". Billboard. Retrieved 2024-10-01.
  28. ^ "charts.org.nz - The Cheetah Girls - The Party's Just Begun". charts.nz. Retrieved 2024-10-01.
  29. ^ Warnick, Ron (2006-10-22). "The Cheetah Girls' version of "Route 66"". Route 66 News. Retrieved 2024-10-01.
  30. ^ "The Cheetah Girls 2 [CD/DVD] - The Cheetah Gir..." AllMusic. Retrieved 2024-10-01.
  31. ^ 2007 most Powerful Girls list Archived March 6, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  32. ^ "The Cheetah Girls 2 – Box Office Data, Movie News, Cast Information". The Numbers. November 28, 2006. Retrieved 2012-03-28.
  33. ^ In Concert: The Party's Just Begun Tour - The ... | AllMusic, retrieved 2024-10-01
  34. ^ Disneymania 5 - Disney | Album | AllMusic, retrieved 2024-10-01
  35. ^ Bailey, Noah W. "The Corny Girls". Dallas Observer. Retrieved 2024-10-01.
  36. ^ TCG - The Cheetah Girls | Album | AllMusic, retrieved 2024-10-01
  37. ^ "The Cheetah Girls". MySpace. Archived from the original on October 11, 2007.
  38. ^ "The Cheetah Girls - TCG CD Review". Kidzworld. Retrieved 2024-10-01.
  39. ^ "Dance Club Songs". Billboard. March 15, 2008. Retrieved 2024-10-01.
  40. ^ Adrienne Bailon at the Meet The Robinson's premiere
  41. ^ "Raven-Symoné and Kiely Williams Just Revealed Some Major Cheetah Girls Tea on Instagram Live". Seventeen. April 10, 2020.
  42. ^ "Raven Symone Out of Cheetah Girls' Third Movie Installment". National Ledger. August 6, 2007. Archived from the original on March 6, 2016. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  43. ^ Disneymania, Vol. 6 - Various Artists | Album | AllMusic, retrieved 2024-10-06
  44. ^ Ruggeri, Melissa (2008-11-06). "Cheetah Girls hang onto wholesome". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Retrieved 2024-10-06.
  45. ^ A 'Cheetah Girls' Reunion Movie Could Happen Under One Condition, According To Adrienne Houghton
  46. ^ Former Cheetah Girls singer Kiely Williams interested in reuniting with Sabrina Bryan and Adrienne Bailon Houghton
  47. ^ "Raven-Symone takes 'Cheetah Girls' to Spain". TODAY.com. 21 August 2006. Retrieved 2019-03-11.
  48. ^ BICKFORD, TYLER (2012). "The new 'tween' music industry: The Disney Channel, Kidz Bop and an emerging childhood counterpublic". Popular Music. 31 (3): 417–436. doi:10.1017/S0261143012000335. ISSN 0261-1430. JSTOR 23325786. S2CID 162705688.
  49. ^ McNamara, Mary (2008-08-22). "Cheated by 'Cheetah Girls'". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved 2019-03-11.
  50. ^ Decaille, Nia (23 May 2017). "'The Cheetah Girls' Was A Primer For Intersectional Feminism". Bustle. Retrieved 2019-03-11.
  51. ^ "Fifth Harmony's November 2015 Cover Shoot!". LATINA.com. Retrieved 2020-05-03.
  52. ^ "The Cheetah Girls Live On With This Song Cover". 955thelou.com. 11 January 2018. Retrieved 2020-05-03.
  53. ^ "FACT-CHECKED Series: Zendaya And 15 Things You Might Not Know About The Star Of 'Euphoria'". HollywoodInsider.com. 27 August 2019. Retrieved 2020-05-03.
  54. ^ "Olivia Holt Is the Ultimate Cheetah Girls Fan!". TheReal.com. Retrieved 2020-05-03.
  55. ^ "Coco Jones Talks Being Inspired By Aretha Franklin, The Cheetah Girls & 'The Office'". April 22, 2022. Retrieved October 18, 2024 – via YouTube.
  56. ^ "Star's Brittany O'Grady Tells Adrienne Why She And The Cheetah Girls Meant So Much to Her". TheReal.com. Retrieved 2020-05-03.
  57. ^ "North West and Penelope Disick Enlist Friends for Epic Cheetah Girls Halloween Costumes". People.com. Retrieved 2024-10-18.
  58. ^ "Cardi B Is An Honorary Disney Princess After Her Immaculate Cheetah Girls Cover". MTV.com. Archived from the original on April 1, 2018. Retrieved 2020-05-03.
  59. ^ a b "One Of The Cheetah Girls is of Hispanic Descent". People en Español. Retrieved 2024-10-01.
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