News

More than two decades after their breakout success, and in advance of a new TV movie about the short-lived but incredibly popular group, Epic Records will release a new compilation of hits by R&B trio TLC.

Of course, 20 is kind of a misnomer on several counts: the group’s first album, Ooooooohhh… On the TLC Tip, was released in 1992. And the set only includes 14 tracks, including the group’s new single “Meant for Me.” But it’s as good a time as any to remember the successes enjoyed by Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins, Lisa “Left-Eye” Lopes and Rozonda “Chili” Thomas. Under the auspices of some stellar names in ’90s R&B (producers Antonio “L.A.” Reid and Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds signed them to their LaFace label, where they worked with the likes of Dallas Austin, Jermaine Dupri, Sean “Puffy” Combs and Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis), TLC crafted an impressive blend of female-positive hip-hop and sultry, hooky pop-soul. “Creep,” “Waterfalls,” “No Scrubs” and “Unpretty” all topped the Billboard Hot 100, and sophomore album CrazySexyCool (1994) shipped 11 million copies in the States and 23 million worldwide. (As a best-selling female ensemble, they are second only to The Spice Girls.)

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WEtxJ4-sh4]

TLC has, of course, been largely inactive since the sudden passing of Lopes in a car accident in 2002. Though the group retired after the successful, posthumous 3D, Watkins and Thomas recorded a one-off single with a guest rapper, Tiffany “O’so Krispie” Baker, whom they selected through a reality show. The duo have made sporadic live appearances since then, returning to the studio earlier this year to record a new album for a 2014 release and guesting on the single “Crooked Smile” by rapper J. Cole. The lone new track on 20, “Meant to Be,” will be featured in CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story, a new biopic to air on VH-1 in October.

The new compilation will be available October 15. Hit the jump to pre-order your copy and check out the track list.

TLC, 20 (Epic, 2013)

Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.

1. Ain’t 2 Proud Beg
2. What About Your Friends
3. Baby, Baby, Baby
4. Hat 2 Da Back
5. Creep
6. Waterfalls
7. Red Light Special
8. Diggin’ on You
9. Kick Your Game
10. No Scrubs
11. Unpretty
12. Silly Ho
13. Damaged
14. Meant to Be *

Tracks 1-4 from Ooooooohhh… On the TLC Tip (LaFace, 1992)
Tracks 5-9 from CrazySexyCool (LaFace, 1994)
Tracks 10-12 from FanMail (LaFace, 1999)
Track 13 from 3D (LaFace, 2002)