CrazySexyCool
CrazySexyCool is the second studio album by American girl group TLC, released on November 15, 1994, by LaFace and Arista Records. Following the group's record deal, they released their debut album Ooooooohhh... On the TLC Tip in 1992 to positive reviews and commercial success. The group began working on a follow-up in 1993 but experienced an unproductive recording process due to personal issues, notably those of member Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, who was struggling with alcoholism and her volatile relationship with football player Andre Rison. The album's recording lasted until September 1994, with Lopes' role diminished while she was in rehab.
For the film, see CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story.CrazySexyCool
November 15, 1994
December 1993 – September 1994
56:10
CrazySexyCool saw the group reunite with producers Dallas Austin, Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, and Jermaine Dupri, as well as new collaborators Organized Noize and Chucky Thompson. It also featured contributions from Sean "Puffy" Combs, who helped with the notable hip hop soul sound; the album featured hip hop beats, funk, deep grooves, propulsive rhythms, and smooth production. The album's lyrical content was seen as a departure from the group's debut and was seen as a coming-of-age project which explored themes such as sexuality, romanticism, inexperience, and youthful optimism.
CrazySexyCool was met with critical acclaim and commercial success, peaking at number three on the Billboard 200, a chart on which it stayed for over two years. It has been certified 12-times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), making TLC the first girl group in history to be awarded diamond status. It has since sold over 15 million copies worldwide, becoming the best-selling album by an American girl group. It has also been featured on Rolling Stone magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, and was listed as a "New Classic" by Entertainment Weekly in 2008.[1] The album was ranked at number seven on Billboard's list of the best diamond-certified albums of all time.[2]
Background[edit]
Debut album[edit]
On February 28, 1991, Tionne Watkins and Lisa Lopes signed production, management, and publishing deals with Pebbitone,[3] with Perri Reid becoming their general manager. The two-member TLC-Skee made its first recorded appearance on a track for LaFace act Damian Dame's self-titled 1991 LP.[4] Pebbles found the third member in Rozonda Thomas, one of Damian Dame's part-time backup dancers.
Thomas was signed to the act in April 1991,[3] at about which time the group's name was shortened to TLC. To maintain TLC's name as an acronym for the girls' names, Watkins became "T-Boz", Lopes became "Left-Eye", and Thomas became "Chilli." The girls were then signed to LaFace in May through the production deal with Pebbitone;[3] their records would be distributed by Arista Records/BMG. TLC was immediately set up to go into the studio with Reid and Edmonds, Dallas Austin, Jermaine Dupri, and Marley Marl producing their first album, Ooooooohhh... On the TLC Tip. The new trio debuted as backing vocalists on "Rebel (With a Cause)", a track on Jermaine Jackson's sole album for LaFace, You Said (1991).[5]
Release and promotion[edit]
To promote CrazySexyCool, TLC—along with Boyz II Men, Montell Jordan, and Mary J. Blige—performed in the annual Budweiser Superfest Tour in early 1995, consisting of 23 dates in North America. The Atlanta, Chicago and Indianapolis shows featured an expanded roster of performers, including Blackstreet and Monica.[23]
All four singles from the album reached the top five of the Billboard Hot 100, two of them reaching number one.
Lead single, "Creep", topped the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks, and was one of the biggest singles of 1995, coming in at number three in Billboard Year-End Hot 100 Singles of 1995. It also reached number one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
The second single, "Red Light Special", peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100, and number three on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
The third single, "Waterfalls", became TLC's most successful song, spending seven weeks at number one. It was also the second-biggest single of 1995 according to Billboard, earning TLC two songs in the top three of the 1995 Billboard year-end chart. Internationally, the song reached the top five in several countries.
"Diggin' on You" was released as the album's fourth and final single, and reached number five on the Billboard Hot 100. It also reached number seven on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
Commercial performance[edit]
CrazySexyCool debuted at number 15 on the US Billboard 200, selling 77,500 copies in its first week.[34] On the issue dated July 29, 1995, the album peaked at number three with 117,000 units sold.[35] The album was certified 12-times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on October 11, 2019,[36] and as of July 2017, it had sold 7.7 million copies in the United States, becoming the best-selling album by a female group in the country;[37] it had sold an additional 1.27 million copies through the BMG Music Club as of February 2003.[38] Internationally, it reached number one in New Zealand, as well as the top five in Australia, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. As of July 2006, CrazySexyCool had sold over 15 million copies worldwide.[39]