When I Grow Up (Pussycat Dolls Song) - Critical Response

Critical Response

"When I Grow Up" was received favorably by music critics. Bill Lamb from About.com listed "When I Grow Up" among the top tracks on Doll Domination, stating that the song "bursts out of the blocks", and that it was of no surprise that it "landed in the pop top 10 with ease". On a separate review, Lamb gave the song three out of five stars. He noted that the "anonymous nature" of the group's vocals and "sexual lyrical tease" is starting to wear thin, stating: "This is more of the same, not a step forward". Lamb, however, did compliment the song as being a "catchy dance workout", and stated that the song carries their "usual sassiness" and "pounding dance beats". Nick Levine from Digital Spy echoed Lamb's comments, noting that the song is a "bolshy, hyperactive pop stomper that works just as well in the aerobics class as it does on the dance-floor." He continued: "If they keep releasing singles as infectious as this, they could last longer than we'd think."

August Brown from Los Angeles Times called the song as the "ideological centerpiece" of Doll Domination." Sal Cinquemani from Slant Magazine described the song as a "catchy, full-throttle club track" and commented that it is "a perfectly concocted blend of camp and vamp for the famous burlesque troupe". Steve Perkins from BBC Music awarded the song four out of five stars writing: "It's good to see that the dynamics of the group remain fundamentally unchanged" and that the song was a strong comeback. He also noted that: "The whole song seems to be centred around the desire to be famous when you grow up, which while not my favourite of all messages to give out to The Kids". He ended his review writing "but in all fairness: who cares? It's hella catchy, and really, who's the bigger fool here – the Pussycat Dolls lyricist who wrote some vaguely nonsensical lyrics, or the reviewer who expected anything different?" Dan Cairns from The Times said that "if every song here were as batty and brilliant as When I Grow Up, Doll Domination would be one of the great pop records of 2008." However, Nic Oliver from MusicOMH, in a review of Doll Domination, did not favor the song, saying that the song would embarrass Paris Hilton, but "sets the template for the rest of the album."