3D

3D is the fourth studio album by American R&B/Hip-Hop girl gro

up TLC. It was released by Arista Records in Japan and Europe on October 10, 2002 and in the United States on November 12, 2002. The album debuted at #6 on the Billboard 200 chart and #4 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart, selling 143,000 sold in its first week of release. The album nearly sold 2 million copies in the US alone. It also earned TLC two Grammy Award nominations and was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.

Background and production[]

During and after the release of FanMail, Lopes made it known to the press on multiple occasions that she felt that she was unable to fully express herself working with TLC and Austin. Her contributions to the songs had been reduced to periodic eight-bar raps, and studio session singers such as Debra Killings often took her place on the background vocals for the group's songs. In its November 28, 1999 issue, Entertainment Weekly ran a letter from Lopes that challenged her group mates to record solo albums and let the fans judge which of the three was the most talented: "I challenge Tionne 'Player' Watkins (T-boz) and Rozonda 'Hater' Thomas (Chilli) to an album entitled The Challenge... a 3-CD set that contains three solo albums. Each (album)... will be due to the record label by October 1, 2000... I also challenge producer Dallas 'The Manipulator' Austin to produce all of the material and do it at a fraction of his normal rate. As I think about it, I'm sure LaFace would not mind throwing in a $1.5 million dollar prize for the winner." T-Boz and Chilli declined to take up the "Challenge", though Lopes always maintained it was a great idea. Things were heated between the ladies for some time, with Thomas speaking out against Lopes, calling her antics "selfish", "evil", and "heartless". TLC then addressed these fights by saying that they were very much like sisters that have their disagreements every now and then; as Lisa stated, "It's deeper than a working relationship. We have feelings for each other, which is why we get so mad at each other. I usually say that you cannot hate someone unless you love them. So, we love each other. That's the problem." After the conclusion of the trio's successful FanMail Tour, all three members took time off from the music careers to pursue personal interests. It was during this time that Lopes wrote and recorded material for her very own solo album, Supernova. However, the album underperformed internationally and never received an official release in the United States.

During this time period, it was stated by Thomas that she had begun working on her own solo project and had realized that rumors of TLC's demise had taken over in the media. It was then that Thomas made a call to LaFace label head L.A. Reid to discuss working on TLC's fourth studio album. After contacting Watkins and Lopes, sessions for their then-untitled fourth studio album started in late 2001. However, soon after recording had commenced, sessions came to a halt due to Watkins being hospitalized due to complications stemming from her ongoing battle with sickle cell anemia. Lopes eventually came to visit Watkins in the hospital and recorded some verses for their next album. In March 2002, as Watkins' condition began to improve greatly, Lopes went on a vacation to her homeland Honduras to do missionary work and begin on her second solo album, which was to be recorded under the pseudonym N.I.N.A. (New Identity Not Applicable). Meanwhile, Watkins and Thomas began to plot their next moves as a duo.

On April 25, 2002, Lopes died in a car accident in Honduras, leaving behind material that she recorded for own solo album (which was eventually cancelled) and TLC's fourth stuido album.

Returning from yet another hiatus after Lopes' death, Watkins and Thomas decided to finish TLC's fourth studio album and release it. The decision was also made that TLC would continue on as a duo, rather than find a replacement for Lopes.

Promotion[]

Singles[]

3D released a total of four singles. The first was "Girl Talk" and it was released on August 8, 2002. The single peaked at #28 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #21 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart. "Hands Up" was released as the second single on November 15, 2002 and only peaked at #30 on the Billboard Singles Sales chart and #7 on the Bubbling Under Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart in the United States, thereby making "Hands Up" TLC's first single to not make any impact on the Billboard Hot 100 or Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart. "Damaged" was released as the third single and unlike other TLC singles, it was not heavily influenced by R&B and took on a more pop rock approach. As a result, it did not impact the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop R&B Singles & Tracks chart, but instead peaked at #19 on the Mainstream Top 40 chart and the Billboard Hot 100 chart at #53. "Turntable" was released as the fourth and final single from 3D and unfortunately, did not chart, making it TLC's first single to not make an appearance on any major music chart.

Track listing[]

"3D (intro)" - 2:25
"Quickie" - 4:19
"Girl Talk" - 3:35
"Turntable" - 3:25
"In Your Arms Tonight" - 4:25
"Over Me" - 4:17
"Hands Up" - 3:49
"Damaged" - 3:51
"Dirty Dirty" - 3:40
"So So Dumb" - 4:06
"Good Love" - 4:12
"Hey Hey Hey Hey" - 4:05
"Give It to Me While It's Hot" - 3:28
"Get Away" (Japanese bonus track) - 4:14
"Who's it Gonna Be" (European DVD bonus track) - 3:59

Left Eye vocal samples[]

"Girl Talk"
"Quickie" - contains a sample from "Left Pimpin'" (unreleased)
"Over Me" - uses a re-recorded verse from "I Believe in Me" (Supernova)
"Give It to Me While It's Hot" - uses the second verse from "Friends" (Supernova)
"Who's It Gonna Be?" - Leaked in February 2003; first verse re-used on "Through the Pain" from Left Eye's posthumous album Eye Legacy.

Known Outtakes/Leftover Tracks[]

"I Want Some of That"
- Leaked; later re-recorded by Sarah Connor for her third album Key to My Soul.
"Whoop De Woo"
- Released on Now and Forever: The Hits

Credits and personnel[]

Musicians[]

Shorty B. – bass
Sigurdur "Siggy" Birkis – drums
Tom Knight – drums
Tomi Martin – guitar
Danny O'Donoghue – guitar
Tony Reyes – guitar
Colin Wolfe – bass
Kelvin Wooten – keyboards

Production[]

Executive producers: Antonio M. Reid, Dallas Austin, TLC
Producers: Dallas Austin, Babyface, Missy Elliott, Rodney Jerkins, The Neptunes, Organized Noize, Raphael Saadiq, Daryl Simmons, Timbaland
Vocal producer: Rodney Jerkins
Vocal assistance: Jasper Cameron, Missy Elliott, Tavia Ivey, Marde Johnson, Debra Killings, Mark Pitts
Engineers: Carlos "El Loco" Bedoya, Paul Boutin, Leslie Brathwaite, Josh Butler, Andrew Coleman, Sean Davis, John Frye, Morgan Garcia, Brian Garten, Carlton Lynn, Fabian Marasciullo, Rick Sheppard
Assistant engineers: Cedric Anderson, Steve Fisher, Tim Lauber, Victor McCoy, Christine Sirois, Rob Skipworth, Craig "Niteman" Taylor
Mixing: Gerry "The Gov" Brown, Kevin "KD" Davis, Jimmy Douglas, Jean-Marie Horvat, Rodney Jerkins, Phil Tan, Timbaland
Mixing assistance: John Horesco IV, Dion Peters, Tim Roberts, John Tanksely
Mastering: Herb Powers
A&R: Mark Pitts, Theresa Wilson
Design, art direction: Jeffrey Schulz
Photography: Guy Aroch, Seb Janiak

3D

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