The inherent flaw in a girl group is right there in the name – “girl.” It’s harder and harder to pull off the flirty coquette when there’s always a younger group nipping at your heels.
So on their second album, T-Boz, Lisa “Left Eye” Lopez, and Chilli – otherwise known as TLC – doubled-down on their already bold and brazen femme image with some grown and sexy too, courtesy of the Babyface-written “Red Light Special.”
If perfect women or straight sex appeal was the ask, plenty of R&B and rap songstresses occupied that niche. Trina and Adina Howard could make Uncle Luke blush, Lil Kim and Eve were equal parts talent and looks, while Toni Braxton and Whitney were absolutely celestial. But TLC covered the spectrum to show the world African-American women with agency. They were confident, self-assured, and absolutely dominant… here. Strip poker with the girls (plus a young Boris Kodjoe and co.) in “Red Light Special” was a tremendous departure from the tender teachings of “Waterfalls,” the spiteful deceit of “Creep,” and the unapologetic defiance of “No Scrubs.”
It seemed that for the first time in American musical history, a girl group was speaking to the true experience of being a woman. TLC tackled topics like AIDS, impossible beauty standards, and yes, female sexuality with a fearlessness but approachability that didn’t go unrecognized. They’re the all-time best-selling American girl group, and the second worldwide behind the Spice Girls. All four singles from the album CrazySexyCool, including “Red Light Special” were among the Billboard Top 5. “Creep” and “Waterfalls” both topped the chart for weeks.
Tragedy brought their success to an abrupt halt in 2002 when Left Eye died on a charity trip in Honduras, but 15 years later, T-Boz and Chilli mounted a comeback, released a new album, and are still touring today.
You know. Just a couple of girls.
𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗘𝗦 𝗧𝗢 𝗟𝗢𝗩𝗘:
“I need someone who understands
I’m a woman, a real woman
I know just what I want, I know just who I am”