Wiki
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Release Date
14 November 1994
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Length
16 tracks
CrazySexyCool is the second studio album by the group TLC, released on November 15, 1994 in North America, and throughout early 1995 in all other territories. The album became one of the most successful R&B albums ever released, shipping over eleven million records domestically and selling over fifteen million worldwide. It is the best selling album by a girl group in America. The album features two Billboard Hot 100 number-one hits: "Creep" and "Waterfalls". Other successful singles included "Diggin' On You" and "Red Light Special". "Kick Your Game" is the third TLC song besides "Sumthin' Wicked This Way Comes" in which Left Eye has more than one verse. CrazySexyCool won the 1996 Grammy Award for Best R&B Album. In 2003, the album was ranked number 377 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.
Production
In CrazySexyCool TLC toned down the boisterousness of their first record in favor of a smoother, more mature presentation. They were more involved in crafting their own material. The album's sound was more of a blend of R&B/soul and hip hop music that became the commercial and critical high point of the group's career. For the album TLC received production help from a number of A list R&B and Hip hop producers including Babyface (Diggin' On You, Let's Do It Again, and Red Light Special), Dallas Austin (Creep, Case Of The Fake People, and Take Our Time), Jermaine Dupri (Kick Your Game and Switch), Organized Noize (Waterfalls and Sumthin' Wicked This Way Comes, and Sean "Puffy" Combs & Chucky Thompson for The Hitmen (If I Was Your Girlfriend and the Interludes). Other contributors to the album include Prince (who wrote the song If I Was Your Girlfriend) and André 3000 of OutKast (who was featured in the song Sumthin' Wicked This Way Comes).
Album Title
The title refers to the different attributes that make up the personalities of each group member, Lisa Lopes having more of the crazy side in her, Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas representing the sexier element of the group, and Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins being the cool member. The three words together create one word, "CrazySexyCool", which describes all women's personalities.
Critical reception
CrazySexyCool received overall positive feedback from fans and music critics.
Allmusic critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine gave the album 5 out of 5 stars stating "On their second album, TLC downplay their overt rap connections, recording a smooth, seductive collection of contemporary soul reminiscent of both Philly soul and Prince, powered by new jack and hip-hop beats. Lisa Lopes contributes the occasional rap, but the majority of CrazySexyCool belongs to Tionne Watkins and Rozonda Thomas. While they aren't the most accomplished vocalists – they have a tendency to be just slightly off-key – the material they sing is consistently strong. As the cover of Prince's "If I Was Your Girlfriend" indicates, TLC favor erotic, mid-tempo funk. Yet the group removes any of the psychosexual complexities of Prince's songs, leaving a batch of sexy material that just sounds good, especially the hit singles. Both "Creep" and "Red Light Special" have a deep groove that accentuates the slinky hooks, but it's "Waterfalls," with its gently insistent horns and guitar lines and instantly memorable chorus, that ranks as one of the classic R&B songs of the '90s"
CrazySexyCool won the 1996 Grammy Award for Best R&B Album
In 2003 CrazySexyCool was listed as one of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. Coming in a 377, Rolling Stone said that "Things were not well with TLC during the making of CrazySexyCool: Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes was lighting fires, and the group was in a financial slide that would end in bankruptcy proceedings. But they emerged with the most effervescent and soulful R&B pop anyone had seen since the Supremes."
Commercial Success
The album became one of the most successful R&B albums ever released, selling over fifteen million worldwide. The album features two Billboard Hot 100 number-one hits: "Creep" and "Waterfalls". Other successful singles included "Diggin' On You" and "Red Light Special". The album was RIAA certified Diamond denoting over ten million sold, and went on to 11 x Platinum in the US.
Creep
"Creep" was the first single from CrazySexyCool. It was TLC's first number one single on the Billboard Hot 100, (fourth number one total). It remained at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks, and became the second best-selling single of 1996, behind Madonna's "Take a Bow". TLC won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals, and Dallas Austin was nominated for Best R&B Song. It was the 3rd most successful Hot 100 Single of 1995, according to Billboard's Year End Charts.
Red Light Special
"Red Light Special" was the second single from CrazySexyCool. The song peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #3 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The two guitar solos that runs through the whole song are written and played by Slash.
Waterfalls
"Waterfalls" was the third single from CrazySexyCool. It became TLC's second number one single on the Billboard Hot 100 and the group's signature song. The song was produced by the Organized Noize team and written by Marqueze Etheridge, TLC member Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, and Organized Noize. It was the 2nd biggest Hot 100 Single of 1995, according to Billboard's Year End Charts.
Diggin' On You
"Diggin' on You" was the fourth single from CrazySexyCool. The song peaked at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #7 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
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