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I think that Nicole's solo career was pretty much a colossal flop not so much because the music was lacklustre, but rather because it simply lacked a strong or coherent direction. Interscope clearly poured a lot of resources into the album and enlisted essentially every producer who is currently relevant (Timbaland, Pharrel, Polow Da Don, Akon, Stargate, Kanye, the list goes on), but all the talent and money in the world can't really help an artist who has no real vision. Not to say her solo work was bad, but it was just vapid and souless, if well produced. Of course, the same can be said on PCD, perhaps even more so, but the key difference is that they have a very definite identity. There music may be fluff, but Robin Antin obviously has a very specific campy, kitschy, and trashy aesthetic and sound she wants the Dolls to represent. With Nicole on her own though, it was exceedlingly apparent that neither the label nor herself new how to effectively rebrand and market herself as a solo act.
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