CrazySexyCool

TLC released their sophomore album CrazySexyCool on November 15, 1994. Following the multi-platinum success of their debut album Ooooooohhh… On the TLC Tip, the group felt they had a lot to prove in showing they weren’t a fad. Left Eye came up with the album title as a combination of the descriptions for herself, Chilli and T-Boz, respectively. Chilli further explained the CrazySexyCool concept:

We went in letting producers know that this was the name – and that’s how the album should sound. CrazySexyCool was our version of ‘I’m Every Woman.’ Every woman has a crazy or a sexy or a cool side. You can be all three, but one is definitely more prominent than the other.

The CrazySexyCool sound was established by the first single “Creep,” which was written and produced by Dallas Austin. The slinky jam featured jazz horns with a smooth R&B sound and a touch of hip-hop with a sample of Slick Rick’s “Hey Young World” sprinkled throughout the song. Left Eye was supposed to have a verse but she didn’t approve of the subject matter, saying a potential creeper should leave the relationship before cheating. Released on Halloween, “Creep” was TLC’s first #1 pop hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and it achieved platinum status. The follow-up single was the sultry slow jam “Red Light Special” written and produced by Babyface. It was another hit, peaking at #2 on the Hot 100 and achieving gold status.

The album’s third single, the socially conscious “Waterfalls” took TLC to the next level. Fresh off producing OutKast’s debut album Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik, Organized Noize provide the jazzy, melancholy backdrop for T-Boz to sing about issues such as drug dealing, HIV/AIDS and generally avoiding self-destructive behavior. Left Eye wrote her introspective verse while she was in rehab and she would need a day pass to record in the studio as a result of her June 1994 arson case when she burned the mansion of her boyfriend, Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Andre Rison. The million-dollar music video helped enhance the message with its use of special effects, which led the video to win four MTV Video Music Awards, including Video of the Year. The song topped the pop charts internationally, including on the Billboard Hot 100, and achieved platinum status in the US, Canada and the UK among other countries. “Waterfalls” appeared on several “best of” lists, including a rank of #127 on Rolling Stone’s list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

The album’s final single “Diggin' On You” was a Top 5 hit and achieved gold status. CrazySexyCool peaked at #3 on the Billboard 200 and they were the first girl group to achieve diamond status with over 10 million albums sold in the US while also selling over 20 million copies worldwide. They won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Album and “Creep” won a Grammy in the Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group category. They also were named the Artist of the Year at the Billboard Music Awards in 1996. Rolling Stone ranked CrazySexyCool #218 on their list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.