The icons in an interview with Aftonbladet before the Sweden concert
Published at 07:00
TLC, despite an almost improbably bumpy career that took a dramatic turn when Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes died in 2002, is one of the most successful girl groups of all time.
On Saturday, the two remaining members will come to Stockholm for a concert at the Rosendal Garden Party.
– I can’t even think about my own group without thinking about my sister, says Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas to Aftonbladet.
The interview begins with Rozonda Thomas trying to pronounce my name in southern dialect. It turns out to be a challenge. I try to refer to a more famous one Per (Gessle). But “Chilli” haven’t heard of anything Roxette.
– I’m really bad when it comes to the latest stuff, she says apologetically.
Perhaps it is not so strange that TLC– the singer has no relation to the pop rock band from Halmstad.
In the 90s she was, Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins and Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes busy with their own careers to say the least. The young trio from Atlanta, with their seamless blend of r’n’b, pop and hip-hop and lyrics about female independence and safer sex, became one of the most successful girl groups of all time. With hits like “Crazysexycool” (1994) and “Fan Mail” (1999), TLC has sold 65 million records, a feat that only The Spice Girls surpasses when we talk about modern female pop groups.
Their musical legacy is carried on through artists and groups such as Beyonce, SZA, Cardi B, Tinashe and Blackpink. Besides, a concert hardly goes with, say, Ariana Grande or Sabrina Carpenter without that “No scrubs”TLC’s cult-declared middle finger to slacker dudes, plays through the speakers as a warm-up. The sing-along is always as stunning.
– I usually say that scrubs are like cockroaches, says Thomas. They don’t die, they multiply. There will always be zeros. So our job in TLC is to make the women recognize a scrub and not give him any attention. Bypass the zeros, you know.
TLC’s second album “Crazysexycool”, named after the members’ respective personalities, sold 23 million copies. All four singles reached the top five on Billboard. In 1995, the group won two Grammys. Despite this huge success, TLC filed for bankruptcy that same year, mainly due to an unfavorable record label contract. The trio stated that they had debts totaling $3.5 million.
– It’s easy to be a hindsight, but if we demanded that our contracts look different, we might never have had the chance to be in a group, says Rozonda. In the beginning, you don’t have the weight to push through changes. Nobody listens to you, you have to prove yourself as an artist.
How much do you think all the problems had to do with you being women in a pretty brutal and male-dominated industry?
– It affected us in many ways. First, we looked so young. Many parents thought we were teenagers talking about things only adults should talk about. We also never saw other girl groups as competitors, we always compared ourselves to the guys. A guy group could go on stage and barely hit a note – the girls still passed out.
– And I hate to even bring up the whole thing about skin color, but when you’re a woman and also colored, you have to work extra hard. It’s much better today because each generation gets further away from all that stuff that my parents and their parents had to go through. We are definitely moving in the right direction, and I hope it continues that way.
Worse than the group’s bankruptcy in 1995, of course, was the death of member Lisa Lopes in 2002. The rapper, songwriter and creative visionary died in a car accident in Honduras during the filming of a documentary, just 30 years old. The trio had then gone through most things together – the internal conflicts, the financial problems and the newspaper headlines that the scandal-ridden “Left Eye” had burned down the then-boyfriend and NFL star Andre Risons mansion.
Very recently, May 27, it was Lisa’s birthday. It has been 24 years since she died.
– My God, it doesn’t feel like that long ago at all. Lisa was our sister. It’s still hard to talk about her in the past tense. We miss her so much. It becomes a new normal state, but you never get over it, you never get used to it.
It is a statement in itself that you have never actually replaced her.
– It never even came up. No one can fill her shoes. She had such a unique expression that simply cannot be copied. We make small tributes to her at our concerts. I can’t even think about my own group without thinking about my sister. It was the three of us who created this and embarked on this journey together.
How come you guys are going on tour again?
– We love touring and performing, it gives us the chance to really get close to our fans. We are just as hopeful now as when we started. But it can take a toll on the body, so I also try to take care of myself so I can still do the same things I did when I was 20. I don’t drink alcohol, just coconut water and herbal tea.
What can we expect from TLC’s very first concert on Swedish soil?
– It will be nonstop energy from the moment we step on stage. During rehearsals, I always get mad at the dancers when they get tired. My manager sometimes calls me and says I’m running out of them. I may be harsh, but I am fair.
Do you still get nervous about being on stage?
– I can’t stand it. You know, the feeling that you have to go to the bathroom, but really it’s just nerves. So it’s still the same thing. Although Tionne and I always say that if we don’t get butterflies in our stomachs from going on stage, then it’s time to quit.
There aren’t that many pure r’n’b groups anymore. We have British Flo and some k-pop acts, like New Jeans. Aside from that, we live in an era of solo artists. Why do you think that is so?
– My son is an artist and makes nostalgic 90s rock, so I’m convinced that everything will come back. After the spate of solo artists, we will soon see plenty of groups again.
Who are today’s TLC?
– There is only one TLC. Just like there is only one Michael Jackson.
When you were on Swedish ZTV in 1992, you were asked what TLC’s “message to the world” was. What is your message today?
– It’s okay to be different and embrace your flaws. That we had a message that made a positive difference in people’s lives – that’s how I hope people will always remember TLC.
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About TLC
Members: Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas, 55, and Tionne “T-boz” Watkins, 56 (former member: Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes, died 2002).
Career: Formed in Atlanta in 1990 where they were put together by industry professionals. With hits like “No scrubs,” “Waterfalls” and “Creep,” TLC is one of the best-selling female groups of all time and has won four Grammys. After Lopes’ passing, Thomas and Watkins continued as a duo, but faded from the immediate limelight. A fifth self-titled album was released in 2017. This fall, TLC is touring North America with two other acts from the same era: Salt N Pepper and A Vogue.
Current: As a draw at the Rosendal Garden Party in Stockholm on Saturday. Same day also plays De La Soul, Kaytranada and Great.
