\\ larger than life \\ tlc

. 702

. a*teens

. christina aguilera

. tatyana ali

. all saints

. jessica andrews

. fiona apple

. backstreet boys

. billie

. blaque

. blink-182

. boyz n girls united

. boyzone

. bush

. b*witched

. cardigans

. mariah carey

. aaron carter

. c note

. billy crawford

. destiny's child

. celine dion

. dixie chicks

. dream street

. dmx

. eminem

. eyc

. 5ive

. michael fredo

. geri haliwell

. hanson

. faith hill

. lauryn hill

. the honeyz

. hoku

. whitney houston

. enrique iglesias

. julio iglesias jr.

. natalie imbruglia

. innosense

. jay-z

. jewel

. kid rock

. jordan knight

. koRn

. lfo

. limp bizkit

. jennifer lopez

. m2m

. madonna

. mandah

. ricky martin

. matchbox 20

. joey mcintyre

. brian mcknight

. sarah mclachlan

. moffatts

. mandy moore

. 'n sync

. 98 degrees

. no authority

. nobody's angel

. no doubt

. jennifer paige

. don philip

. puff daddy

. pyt

. leann rimes

. robyn

. savage garden

. sHeDAISY

. jessica simpson

. sixpence none the richer

. smashmouth

. will smith

. britney spears

. s club 7

. spice girls

. steps

. sugar ray

. take 5

. third eye blind

. 3rd storee

. tlc

. shania twain

. tyrese

. usher

. wild orchid

. vitamin c

. robbie williams

. youngstown

miaiiiniimi

.

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. order

. links

. about me

. message board

.

. sign the guestbook

. view the guestbook

miaiiiniimi

Though the group was shallowly conceived as a unit that would represent the most desirable traits of womanhood, TLC has evolved into a formidable trio unshackled by it's pre-fab beginnings. Moreover, during an eight-year career that's been dogged by near-calamities such as arson, bankruptcy, and illness, these fly girls have demonstrated a resilience and determination that puts many of their male counterparts to shame. Over the course of three albums, the trio's combination of hip-hop, R&B, and dance balladry has gradually moved beyond image mongering and into arenas redolent of defiance. In a matter of some irony, TLC is one of the few groups to achieve instant stardom, only to later pay the dues requisite to becoming mature artists.
CrazySexyCool, released in November of 1994, presented an older, wiser, and less teeny-bopperish TLC. Unlike the trio's debut, the second album contained hardly any rap songs, and instead unveiled a more traditional (albeit polished) R&B sound. Produced by the team of Austin, Babyface, and Sean "Puffy" Combs, CrazySexyCool spawned three #1 singles ("Creep," "Red Light Special," and "Waterfalls"), as well as the top ten hit, "Diggin' on You." In the wake of sales that eventually surpassed 10 million copies, TLC garnered a plethora of prestigious music award nominations.
Such acrimony aside, when TLC at last entered the studio to begin work on the album, Austin was at the helm once again. Structured loosely as an acknowledgement of the loyalty of their fans, the aptly titled Fan Mail was released in February of 1999, following months of rumor and innuendo regarding TLC's future. The trio's most personal work to date, Fan Mail carries subtle undertones of the crises the group has endured. The album is also more aggressive than its predecessors, bearing song titles such as "Silly Ho," "No Scrubs," and "I'm Good At Being Bad," evidencing TLC's ongoing evolution toward a more autonomous artistic stance.
And in a fitting tribute to their survival through the various trials, TLC's fans, it turns out, didn't desert them in the lengthy interim between albums. Fan Mail vaulted to the top of the charts with one of the biggest debuts of the year, and sold over half a million copies in its first two weeks of release. And fans will have more TLC to look forward to in 1999; the trio is reportedly gearing up to do a world tour in the summer. On the band's official Web site, Left Eye says that this will be their first headlining tour, as well as their first time playing overseas. After a three-year hiatus, it looks like the crazy, sexy, cool trio is back and better than ever.