" When I Grow Up " was debuted live on American talk show '' Jimmy Kimmel Live ! '' on May 20 , 2008 . On May 27 , 2008 MTV News reported that the Pussycat Dolls were among many set to perform at the 2008 MTV Movie Awards on June 1 , 2008 . Scherzinger talked about the performance saying : " This is a big deal for us . We just want to kill it . It 's all about the Dolls right now , and we 're coming strong . " The girls performed wearing spandex-and-leather getups , while a backdrop was displayed in the background with images of flashbulbs , tabloid headlines and diamonds . They were joined by '' America 's Best Dance Crew '' winners the Jabbawockeez who descended from the ceiling wearing matching red T-shirts with stark-white masks covering their faces , and baseball caps perched at 45-degree angles atop their heads . Of the performance , Geoff Boucher from the '' Los Angeles Times '' commented : " the Pussycat Dolls ' set climaxed with a powerful pyro display that left celebs in the first few rows feeling a bit roasted " . MTV Buzzworthy described the performance as " sexy " and " sultry " . However , Tod Martens , in another review for the '' Los Angeles Times '' , criticized their performance . He commented : " They appeared onstage looking like they had escaped a taping for a sexed-up Jazzercise video . " He also wrote that Scherzinger never commanded the song except on " the cut 's final seconds when she turned her vocals up to a growl " and noted JabbaWockeez 's appearance as " annoy ing "
2008 MTV Movie Awards
2008 MTV Movie Awards
When I Grow Up (The Pussycat Dolls song)