In 2005, rapper and "Sean "Diddy" Combs" returned with Making the Band 3, this time searching for the next female supergroup. With the help of choreographer Laurie Ann Gibson, vocal coach Doc Holiday and talent manager Johnny Wright, he set out on a multi city search, subsequently finding 20 young singers. While seven girls remained, Diddy grew more and more unhappy with the level of talent throughout the season, and eventually decided not to form a band. He did however give a reprieve to three contestants who he felt deserved another chance (including Aubrey O'Day and Aundrea Fimbres) who all continued on to the following season.

Afterwards Diddy once again sent his team across the country to audition new girls for the group. Finally eighteen girls were chosen and moved into a loft in New York City. After weeks of dance and singing lessons, promotional appearances, and a performance in front of 20,000 at a Backstreet Boys concert at the Nissan Pavilions, eleven girls remained. The finalists were sent home for three months, told to polish up, and return for the final stretch in December 2005.

On the second season's finale on Thursday, December 8, 2005, five of the eleven were chosen: Aundrea Fimbres, Aubrey O'Day, Dawn Angelique Richard, Shannon Bex, and Wanita "D. Woods" Woodgette. The final five members of the group in place, Making the Band 3 tracked the development and struggles of the new band - from then on known as Danity Kane (a name, taken from a female anime superhero conceived by Dawn).

Debut: Danity Kane

After months of recording the band's debut album, Danity Kane, was released to mixed reviews on August 22, 2006 in the United States. Produced by Timbaland, Scott Storch, Rodney Jerkins, Mario Winans and Ryan Leslie among others, the album sold over 90,000 copies in the first day of release, and over 234,000 in the first week of release. It eventually debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, knocking veteran Christina Aguilera's Back to Basics from the top spot and out-selling hip-hop duo OutKast. The album received a platinum certification from the RIAA in November 2006.

The album's lead and title single "Show Stopper", produced by Jim Jonsin, was serviced to radio on August 4, 2006 and subsequently debuted at number 17 on Billboard's Hot 100; it however peaked at number 8 on that particular chart. Outside the United States, the song became a top 30 success in Germany and Lithuania. The selection for the album's second single, Bryan Michael Cox produced "Ride for You," was influenced by a fan poll that went around through e-mails, MySpace, and the group's official web site. The music video for the song premiered on MTV's Total Request Live on December 5, 2006, the same day the band released a self-penned holiday song "Home for Christmas".