MUMBAI: Singer-songwriter Nicole Scherzinger says she insisted on a solo deal when she joined the group Pussycat Dolls.

Scherzinger was happy to join the all-girl band, having previously rejected will.i.am's offer for her to be a part of Black Eyed Peas. Her ultimate dream was to be a singer in her own right and she saw the group as a stepping stone to achieve that, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

The singer was surprised when Don't cha became a hit track.

"When I got offered The Pussycat Dolls, I said, 'I will be in the group but I want a solo deal as well.' I knew that was my dream. I didn't realise how big Pussycat Dolls was going to be. Anybody who has made sacrifices knows that you have to do it on your own. Ambition is incredible, you need it to get anywhere in life," Scherzinger told Cosmopolitan magazine.