"I Hate This Part" is a song by American girl group the Pussycat Dolls from their second album, Doll Domination (2008). The song was written by Wayne Hector, Lucas Secon, Jonas Jeberg, Mich Hansen and produced by the latter two along with Ron Fair and Nicole Scherzinger. It was initially recorded for Scherzinger's planned solo project, Her Name is Nicole, but after its cancellation the song was placed in the group's second album. "I Hate This Part" was released on October 14, 2008, as the second international single and impacted contemporary hit radio stations on October 20, 2008, as the fourth single in the United States by Interscope Records. "I Hate This Part" is a dance/R&B-influenced pop ballad which ditches the Pussycat Dolls's usual sexual image in favor of introspection. Lyrically, the song is about the conversation before a breakup.
Contemporary music critics wrote generally positive reviews, commending the song's production and Scherzinger's vocals. "I Hate This Part" became a moderate success and peaked at number eleven on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and topped the US Hot Dance Club Songs chart. It also reached the top ten in Australia, France, and New Zealand. A music video for the song directed by Joseph Kahn was filmed in late September 2008. It features the group at a desert with each member on a separate set exploring different emotional sides while choreographed routines were performed at the chorus. "I Hate This Part" was performed on various occasions including the 2008 American Music Awards and throughout their Doll Domination Tour (2009).
Background and composition
"I Hate This Part" was written by Wayne Hector, Lucas, Jonas Jeberg and Mich Hansen and produced by the latter two along with Ron Fair and Nicole Scherzinger who also served as the song's vocal producer. During an interview with HitQuarters, Hector discussed how "I Hate This Part" was written and composed within an hour. He asked Jeberg to play the piano while he would sing a line. Although it started as ballad, Lucas Secon conceived the idea of turning it into "an up-tempo or a mid-tempo and the title and the concept of the song." The song was recorded at the Cutfather Studios in Copenhagen, Denmark and at The Boiler Room in Santa Monica, California by Mike "Angry" Eleopoulos, Tal Herzber and Jeberg with the assistance from Johnathan Merritt. It was later mixed by Peter Mokran and Eric Weaver at Conway Studios in Hollywood, California. All instrumentation and programming was carried out by Jeberg. While recording the song, Scherzinger was inspired by English rock singer Sting and American rock singer Steve Perry. While Scherzinger was working on her solo album, she recorded around 100 songs for Her Name is Nicole. Following the cancellation of the solo project, a number of tracks including "I Hate This Part" were added to the track list of Doll Domination. "I Hate This Part" was released on October 14, 2008, as the second international single and impacted contemporary hit radio stations on October 20, 2008, as the fourth single in the United States. Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine noted that "I Hate This Part" would have made a better follow-up to "When I Grow Up" "dousing [its] campfire with its more adult sound like the way 'Stickwitu' did following 'Don't Cha' in 2005."
"I Hate This Part" is a pop ballad with influences of R&B and dance music. Instrumentation consists of a mournful piano, faux strings and syncopated rhythms. The song also features dubbing drum loops similar to Kylie Minogue's "All I See" (2008) and Jordin Sparks' "One Step at a Time" (2008). It's written in the key of F major with a time signature in common time and a tempo of 112 beats per minute and uses a simple chord progression of D4—F(add 9)—C—B♭2. Jamie Gill from Yahoo Music UK described Scherzinger's vocals as "breathless" and understated, while David Balls of Digital Spy noted the high levels of emotion on her vocals. Scherzinger uses a vocal range from F3 – F5. In the song the group goes to an even more streamlined pop approach. It's one of the several songs of Doll Domination that ditch the Doll's usual sexual image in favor of a more "introspective, sad, lonely girl approach." Lyrically the song is about the conversation before the breakup. The ending was described as a "tear soaked vocal outro".