walking upstream…
TLC
sourcesWikipedia
Formed in Atlanta in 1990, TLC — Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins, Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, and Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas — fused hip-hop's rhythm and swagger with pop-R&B songcraft and a message of frank, self-possessed womanhood, breaking through with 1992's Ooooooohhh... On the TLC Tip and going supernova with 1994's CrazySexyCool. Their run of chart-topping singles made them one of the best-selling girl groups in history and a direct touchstone for the rap-and-sing R&B-pop hybrid that later East Asian girl groups, including S.E.S. and by extension NewJeans, would build on.
the sound in question
1999
No ScrubsTLC
walk the tributaries ↓
Salt-N-Pepa1980s · Hip hop / Pop rap
TLC followed the trail Salt-N-Pepa blazed as one of the first commercially dominant female rap-and-R&B acts, carrying the same blend of playful candor, hip-hop cadence, and pop hooks into their own debut singles a few years later.
listen: upstream & here
1987
Push ItSalt-N-Pepa
1994
CreepTLC
listen forLine up Salt-N-Pepa's 'Push It' with TLC's 'Creep' — both ride a stripped-down, syncopated hip-hop groove built to foreground a confident, half-rapped, half-sung female vocal.
Janet Jackson1980s · R&B / Pop / Dance-pop / New jack swing
TLC's tightly drilled group choreography and socially conscious, cinematic music videos follow a template Janet Jackson set with Rhythm Nation 1814, pairing meticulous synchronized dance with pop songs built around real social issues.
listen: upstream & here
1989
Rhythm NationJanet Jackson
1995
WaterfallsTLC
listen forWatch Janet Jackson's 'Rhythm Nation' next to TLC's 'Waterfalls' — both pair a serious, message-driven lyric and cinematic video treatment with tightly unified group movement.
Michael Jackson1980s · Pop / R&B / Dance
TLC members have spoken about idolizing Michael Jackson growing up (T-Boz has recalled being awestruck watching his performances as a kid), and the group's early singles carry some of his dance-forward, defiantly stylish pop-funk swagger, filtered through the New Jack Swing production of the era.
listen: upstream & here
1987
1992
Ain't 2 Proud 2 BegTLC
listen forThrow on Michael Jackson's 'Bad' right before TLC's 'Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg' — both strut on a hard, syncopated groove built around a cocky, chin-up vocal performance and sharply unified dance moves.