Natalie Mejia, who rose to fame on "Pussycat Dolls Present: Girlicious," is calling out what she describes as a “hypersexualized” culture. The Natalie Mejia Exposes ‘Hypersexualized’ 2000s Pop Scene first appeared on The Blast

A former Girlicious member is speaking out and taking a hard look back at the early 2000s pop scene. Natalie Mejia, who rose to fame on “Pussycat Dolls Present: Girlicious,” is now calling out what she describes as a “hypersexualized” culture that pushed young female artists to prioritize image over comfort.

Natalie Mejia Admits Industry Pressure Pushed Her To Embrace Risqué Image

Looking back on her time in the group, formed by Robin Antin, Mejia admitted she felt pressure to conform to the industry’s expectations at the height of her career.

“I was chasing the success, and it meant so much to me to finally get into the position of having this big label and this management and these people behind you and I think for me, I was like, ‘Oh I guess this is what it takes,'” she told The Daily Mail.

At the time, Girlicious followed in the footsteps of the The Pussycat Dolls, embracing bold, revealing looks that mirrored the era’s emphasis on sex appeal.

Mejia Says Motherhood And Changing Times Shifted Her View On ‘Hypersexualized’ Era

Now 37 and a mother, Mejia says both personal growth and societal changes have reshaped how she views that chapter of her life. “I think the times have changed so much as well,” she said. “We’re kind of looking at different things about like Me Too and just the young adolescent girl being so hypersexualized, it’s important that everybody’s comfortability level is respected.”

She continued, “I think it’s making space for an elegance or an image that you can still be sexy and beautiful and lovely but not have to be completely vulnerable in your bare skimpies if you don’t want to.”

Natalie Mejia Opens Up About Finding Balance Between Faith And Hollywood Beauty Standards

While the entertainment industry still places heavy emphasis on appearance, Mejia says she’s worked to find a middle ground that aligns with her values. “The music industry and entertainment industry has so much demands with the beauty industry, right?” she told the outlet. “So it’s like, you know, how risque are you willing to go, or what’s your sex appeal?”

“And that’s kind of an important part of Hollywood culture and things like that,” she added. “So I’ve definitely had to find a balance of elegance and things that represent my faith in a way that feels true to myself, but still feeling confident in myself with the beauty standards and things like that.”

Mejia Says Reality Show ‘Villain’ Edit Didn’t Reflect Her True Experience

Formed by Robin Antin, Girlicious featured Natalie Mejia alongside Nichole Cordova, Tiffanie Anderson, and Chrystina Sayers. The group released their self-titled debut album in 2008 after being assembled through the reality competition “Pussycat Dolls Present: Girlicious,” but ultimately disbanded just a few years later.

Despite the group’s short run, Mejia says her experience on the show, and how she was portrayed, has stuck with her. “I actually was very surprised that I was kind of categorized as the villain because in my experience, I was, I feel like the crybaby,” she told The Daily Mail. “I was always crying every minute, and it didn’t really portray that like on the interview, it was very selective as to which parts they moved forward with, and there was a lot of sound bites, so some things I was saying but not in that moment.”

“And so it just kind of fit perfectly into a scene that maybe wasn’t actually like the how it transpired, but I had to brave that as the villain, because it was like a love-hate thing, like either you loved me or you hated me on the show,” she continued. “And I think that I was very outspoken, and sometimes it had some backlash, but overall, I felt like I was very vulnerable and I was very a teenage girl in the moment in a competition reality show.”

Natalie Mejia Embraces New Chapter With Faith-Focused Music After Girlicious

Girlicious may have been short-lived, but Mejia has since entered a new chapter. Now a mother, she recently released a new album, “Holy Exodus,” reflecting the Christian faith she’s embraced in recent years, marking a clear shift from the image-driven pop persona that once defined her early career.

The Natalie Mejia Exposes ‘Hypersexualized’ 2000s Pop Scene first appeared on The Blast