The last time I heard about TLC was when Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins and Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas were part of a show in search of a member to replace the late great Lisa “Left-Eye” Lopes. As far as I knew, nothing ever came of that and the band was dormant.
Imagine my surprise when I discovered through the magic of social media that TLC was not only alive and well, they were getting ready to release their self-titled album—and sadly final—album of new material in fifteen years. As a huge fan of the group who grew up listening to them, this was exciting news. If previous efforts were any indication, TLC was about to show all of the younger girl groups how it’s done.
While their sophomore effort CrazySexyCool is an undeniable classic, it was TLC’s 1999 follow-up FanMail that I was partial to. Its then-futuristic sound was an immaculate fusion of pop, hip-hop, and R&B that I still enjoy to this day. Songs like the kiss-off “Silly Ho”, the sexually-tinged “I’m Good at Being Bad” and the yearning “I Miss You So Much” sound as good today as they did back then.
With that in mind, I fired up TLC’s 2017 effort with high expectations. I was prepared to hear a groundbreaking aural experience that was sure to cause an eardrum revolution and remind me why the group remains the most successful American girl group ever.
I ended up being surprised, and not necessarily in a bad way. From the album opener “No Introduction” name checking several of the group’s classic hits and proudly declaring “We've already paved the way”, TLC makes it immediately apparent this is a throwback for their longtime fans. There is nothing T-Boz and Chilli need to prove.
Lead single “Way Back” sounds a lot like Ice Cube’s “Check Yo Self” and it even features a guest appearance by none other than Snoop Dogg. “It's Sunny” is a fun, infectiously breezy tune that samples Earth, Wind & Fire’s 1978 hit “September”. Second single “Haters” and “Perfect Girls” updates the group's self-empowerment message for a new generation but are clearly thinly veiled sequels to “Unpretty”. “Start a Fire” is a come hither jam and spiritual successor to “Red Light Special” made even better by Chili's harmonizing and T-Boz’s vocals, which remain as seductively deep as they did in the 90s. “Aye Muthafucka” shows that although the women are now in their late forties, they can still say “peace out” to a no good man as effectively as they did on “No Scrubs”.
In a bittersweet moment, “Interlude” features Left-Eye discussing the group’s beginnings. Reportedly, her family did not allow her previously recorded raps to appear on the album, and her presence is sorely missed.
Only two tracks bring us to the present on TLC. The electronic, synth heavy “Scandalous” sounds like a tune designed to appeal to 2017 radio while “American Gold” is a slightly political tune seemingly about resistance.
Sadly, TLC will likely be ignored by pop radio, and something tells me the two remaining members are probably fine with that. The group has already cemented their place in music history and they are bowing out on their own terms with a satisfying parting gift aimed at those who have stuck by them.
On “Joy Ride” both Chilli and T-Boz harmonize the lyrics “Thank you for stayin’ by my side / Hope you all enjoyed the ride”. Thank you, TLC, it has indeed been one hell of a memorable ride and I for one am proud to have been a part of it.
