Time for TLC

MANILA, Philippines - Time for some major #nostalgia feels as TLC, still the best-selling American girl group of all time, brings its sexy crazy cool vibe to the country on Nov. 6 at the Big Dome. 

TLC’s music offered a brand of sassy girl power and brave messages that made them the leading female voice of pop, hip-hop and R&B in the ‘90s and early 2000s.

The group had No. 1 Billboard hits, among them No Scrubs, Waterfalls, Creep, Unpretty, while second album Crazy Sexy Cool holds to date the record as highest-selling album by a female group in the US. Internationally, Crazy Sexy Cool brought album sales that ranked second only to that of Spice Girls.  

The group had their share of headline-making drama and lows, including losing original member Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes to a car accident more than a decade ago; but thankfully for fans, TLC is still very much around with Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins and Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas.

If anything, TLC songs continue to resonate and speak for the current generation — theirs are some of the most covered around by budding artists — especially for their lyrical content that talked about things artists of their time, and perhaps even today, wouldn’t dare go.

Like Unpretty called out unrealistic images of beauty; No Scrubs was a jab at grown-up men still living with their mothers; or Waterfalls paid tribute to HIV/Aids victims.

Part of the latter’s lyrics, in a rap by Left Eye, said: “Dreams are hopeless aspirations, in hopes of coming true, believe in yourself, the rest is up to me and you.”

Dreams as well as future plans became part of The STAR’s phone conversation with TLC member Chilli early this week, along with some fun revelations and throwback gems:

What should fans expect from your show, and what do you look forward to coming to the country on Nov. 6?

“Oh man, they can expect to see a lot of energy, a lot of intense energy on stage. We will just have a lot of fun there. I’ve always wanted to visit there, and you know I’m really excited because I didn’t know we even had fans in the Philippines. Really! I didn’t know that. We weren’t sure. So, this show is gonna be exciting because this is the first time and I’ve always wanted to come, I’m excited to see the culture, everything! Everybody’s beautiful to me, I can’t wait to get there.”

Let’s do a bit of a throwback. How did you get your name Chilli and how did you get into the group?

“As far as the name is concerned, the group was already named TLC, and my birth name didn’t work when I got into the group. I remember I was sitting down and thinking of names, somebody said Chilli, and I was like that’s it. That’s the name. It kinda spoke to me and I love it to this day, I love being called by people Chilli. I prefer that, honestly.”

“As far as how I got into the group, honestly, for me, growing up, I just love to sing and dance. I was actually in college, and in freshman year, and this guy, a friend of mine, told me that there was a group, but it wasn’t TLC, that was looking for dancers. And I auditioned to be a dancer, and they told me to be a dancer. But then I walked up to (music producers) L.A. Reid and Babyface and I said, I could sing, you wanna hear me sing? And as I was singing, and L.A. went to the back, told his then wife Perri “Pebbles” Reid who at that time, was also looking for a new member (for TLC). It was all about timing. I met them and I was already with the group that night. The rest is history!”

Looking through your bio, you still have a lot of records as a girl group in place. How do you feel about it?

“It’s a blessing; it’s what it is. It makes me just always appreciative of everything because when you grow up, when you’re kids, you want to sing or whatever your gifts are, it’s like you have these dreams and you never know if they’re going to come true, and sometimes it looks like it’s not going to come true and then it happens, you’re so grateful.

“And Lisa and I are very grateful for being able to do something that we love to do for a living and it is a success. And you know the songs that we’ve done, we continue to do, touch people’s lives, these are positive ways, and that’s what this is all about, and I thank God for that.”

What if your group came out at this time of social media and YouTube? Do you think musicians have it easier or harder to make it in the business?

“Honestly, I’m glad I’m not coming out during this time, in this world. On one side, it could be a little easier, but on one side, it’s not, I don’t think is. All this generation knows… is on social media. That’s their world, but people don’t sell albums the way they used to before. Even before we came out, people sold out records! And you have a lot of like, serious competition, and it made you work harder, and because lyrical content was important, it’s almost like lyrical content first then beat second. These days, it’s more about the beat.

“When I say, good lyrical content, something that people can relate to, understand, you know, if they’re listening to your song, it makes them feel better. So, all I can say, I think it’s a lot harder in a way because, a lot of record companies don’t exist anymore because of digital downloading and stuff, and it’s just difficult for them. If record companies are not around, so a lot of chances for people to get recording deals and stuff like that aren’t really there.”

How often do you perform with T-Boz and how has the group dynamics changed since you first came out in the ’90s?

“I could say we’ve been consistently performing… We had a movie out, a biopic that we’re totally behind. It was our dream to tell our story. Once that movie came out, we had this whole generation of fans, young kids, who know who TLC is, and they come to our concerts, like last summer, with the New Kids on the Block and Nelly, it was a big US tour.

“We work all the time, and we just finished our album, our new album, so we’re excited about its release next year. We’ve worked with a lot of new people. It was cool working with fresh producers and writers. It wasn’t scary to do that because we understand the type of group that we are and our sound. Basically when we called them up, you know, we’re going to the studio, don’t try to make a TLC record, come with your amazing work and once our voices get on it, it becomes a TLC song.

“Obviously, it’s about lyrical content with us so we got a lot of songs that’s obviously about the females… it’s very new and fresh, but has the authentic feel of TLC which is what people love about us. We didn’t change that formula.

“(Rework old hits?) Oh no way, we can’t do that. We can’t do that successfully anyway and that’s something we would never want to do.”

Besides music, what else is keeping you busy?

“Yes, I have a nonprofit organization called Chilli’s crew that works with young girls from the ages of 13 to 17, and I have workshops every summer for them, and talks about personal hygiene, taking care of themselves, about their bodies and stuff. There are people who come and talk to them, helping them out with their self-esteem and dealing with little issues that they might think are big. We work with them on these areas, and just educate and empower them to be strong young girls, who will grow up to be strong women. Some of these girls have really hard lives, and I encourage them to use the unfortunate things they have gone through to be a better person, you know what I mean? I really love the girls, they’re just so sweet.”

How about for young girls wanting to make it to the music business — any tips?

“The first thing I would say is, you do your homework. Go back and research, we have YouTube so go back to the ‘70s, ‘80s, even the ‘90s, where people really had their own style. Nothing is original everything comes from something but you always have to try to be original and be true to yourself. Don’t fall into the (trap of) what’s happening right now.

“If you really want to be in this industry, you will naturally have your own style and find your way, but don’t sell yourself short, you’re going to hear more no’s than yes but don’t be discouraged, because everybody hears that. You have to be ambitious and just work really hard and not give up. If it’s a true gift and it’s something that you love and you believe in it, you just keep going until you get it.”

We were just looking through your Instagram photos. How do you stay ‘crazy sexy cool’? 

“Hahaha! That’s funny, I eat really clean and it is really important that God wants us to take care of our temples and I’m just trying to do that. I don’t do diets, I don’t even have that word in my vocabulary because diets are temporary. It has to be in our lifestyle. Lifestyle is forever. It’s about how you eat and the things that you do — how you go about taking care of yourself — and that’s what I’ve done. You take care of your body, it will your take care of you.”

Last question, if you find yourself in karaoke bar, what would be that one TLC song you’d most likely sing?

“Well, I wouldn’t sing a TLC song! Hahaha! I would totally avoid it! No way, I want to sing someone else’s song! Hahaha! Why? I don’t know, it’s just really weird singing my own song at a karaoke bar. I don’t know. But I’m 100-percent sure I’m going to sing someone else’s song, hahaha!”

Maybe not in karaoke bars, but definitely in arenas and big venues like the Smart Araneta Coliseum come Nov. 6, 8 p.m. TLC will also perform with SWV (Weak, You’re Always on My Mind) in the show produced by MMI Live and Araneta Center.

For tickets, go to Ticketnet outlets or online at ticketnet.com.ph or call 911-5555.