Review

Television

TLC Swept MTV Video Music Awards This Week in 1995!

Leon@TLCArmy's avatarLeon@TLCArmy 1 Comment

18a81cc2-db50-4ab8-9472-05247f168719

We’re taking it back to September 7, 1995 where MTV celebrated that years greatest music videos at Radio City Music Hall in New York for their annual Video Music Awards!

Despite Michael and Janet Jackson‘s “Scream” video being the nights most nominated video (with a whopping eleven nominations), it was TLC who stole the show.

With an equally impressive ten nominations for their iconic music video for “Waterfalls”, they went on to win 4 awards that night, including the two most prestigious awards; Viewer’s Choice and Video of the Year.

20151207133745_1995TLC.jpg

The girls sealed the deal with a show-shopping medley of their hits from their record-breaking sophomore album, CrazySexyCool. This performance is considered as one of TLC’s greatest performances by fans!

Other celebrities in attendance included Madonna, Boyz II Men, Mike Tyson, Drew Barrymore, Ricki Lake, Lenny Kravitz and the Notorious B.I.G.

Along with the visually flawless concert-based video “Diggin’ On You” (also directed by F. Gary Gray), the CrazySexyMedley acted as an insight of what to expect on their CrazySexyCool world tour, which ended prematurely in 1996.

75469-full.jpg

R&B’s power couple Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown, also attended to present TLC with their Video of the Year award, in true Bobby & Whitney style!

TLC went on to earn their 5th moonman in 1999, for their chart-topping smash “No Scrubs”, winning Best Group Video.

List of Nominees and Winners at the MTV Video Music Awards 1995
Video of the Year
  • TLC – Waterfalls
  • Green Day – Basket Case
  • Michael Jackson & Janet Jackson – Scream
  • Weezer – Buddy Holly
Winner: TLC – Waterfalls
Best Male Video
  • Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – You Don’t Know How It Feels
  • Chris Isaak – Somebody’s Crying
  • Elton John – Believe
  • Lucas – Lucas With The Lid Off
  • Seal – Don’t Cry
Winner: Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – You Don’t Know How It Feels
Best Female Video
  • Madonna – Take A Bow
  • Des’ree – You Gotta Be
  • PJ Harvey – Down By The Water
  • Annie Lennox – No More I Love You’s
Winner: Madonna – Take A Bow
Best Group Video
  • TLC – Waterfalls
  • Green Day – Basket Case
  • The Rolling Stones – Love Is Strong
  • Stone Temple Pilots – Interstate Love Song
Winner: TLC – Waterfalls
Best Rap Video
  • Dr. Dre – Keep Their Head’s Ringin’
  • Brandy & MC Lyte & Queen Latifah & YoYo – I Wanna Be Down
  • Da Bush Babees – Remember We
  • Craig Mack – Flava In Ya Ear
  • Public Enemy – Give It Up
  • Rappin’ 4tay – I’ll Be Around
Winner: Dr. Dre – Keep Their Head’s Ringin’
Best R&B Video
  • TLC – Waterfalls
  • Boyz II Men – Water Runs Dry
  • Michael Jackson & Janet Jackson – Scream
  • Jade – 5-4-3-2 (Yo! Time Is Up)
  • Montell Jordan – This Is How We Do It
Winner: TLC – Waterfalls
Best Dance Video
  • Michael Jackson & Janet Jackson – Scream
  • Paula Abdul – My Love Is For Real
  • C+C Music Factory – Do You Want To Get Funky
  • Montell Jordan – This Is How We Do It
  • Madonna – Human Nature
  • Salt-N-Pepa – None Of Your Business
Winner: Michael Jackson & Janet Jackson – Scream
Viewer’s Choice
  • TLC – Waterfalls
  • Green Day – Basket Case
  • Hootie & The Blowfish – Hold My Hand
  • Michael Jackson & Janet Jackson – Scream
  • Live – Lightning Crashes
  • R.E.M. – What’s the Frequency, Kenneth?
Winner: TLC – Waterfalls 
Best New Artist
  • Hootie & The Blowfish – Hold My Hand
  • Jeff Buckley – Last Goodbye
  • Des’ree – You Gotta Be
  • Filter – Hey Man, Nice Shot
Winner: Hootie & The Blowfish – Hold My Hand
Breakthrough Video
  • Weezer – Buddy Holly
  • Green Day – Basket Case
  • Michael Jackson & Janet Jackson – Scream
  • TLC – Waterfalls
Winner: Weezer – Buddy Holly
Best Metal/Hard Rock
  • White Zombie – More Human Than Human
  • Green Day – Basket Case
  • Meat Puppets – We Don’t Exist
  • Stone Temple Pilots – Interstate Love Song
Winner: White Zombie – More Human Than Human
Best Alternative Video
  • Weezer – Buddy Holly
  • The Cranberries – Zombie
  • Green Day – Basket Case
  • Hole – Doll Parts
  • Stone Temple Pilots – Interstate Love Song
Winner: Weezer – Buddy Holly
Best Video From A Film
  • Seal – Kiss From A Rose
  • Bryan Adams – Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman
  • Jim Carrey – Cuban Pete
  • U2 – Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me
  • Urge Overkill – Girl, You’ll Be A Woman Soon
Winner: Seal – Kiss From A Rose
Best Direction
  • Weezer – Buddy Holly
  • Green Day – Basket Case
  • Michael Jackson & Janet Jackson – Scream
  • TLC – Waterfalls
Winner: Weezer – Buddy Holly
Best Choreography
  • Michael Jackson & Janet Jackson – Scream
  • Paula Abdul – My Love Is For Real
  • Brandy – Baby
  • Madonna – Human Nature
  • Salt-N-Pepa – None Of Your Business
Winner: Michael Jackson & Janet Jackson – Scream
Best Special Effects
  • The Rolling Stones – Love Is Strong
  • Bjork – Army Of Me
  • Michael Jackson & Janet Jackson – Scream
  • Madonna – Human Nature
  • TLC – Waterfalls
Winner: The Rolling Stones – Love Is Strong 
Best Art Direction
  • Michael Jackson & Janet Jackson – Scream
  • Madonna – Take A Bow
  • Jill Sobule – I Kissed A Girl
  • TLC – Waterfalls
Winner: Michael Jackson & Janet Jackson – Scream
Best Editing
  • Weezer – Buddy Holly
  • Green Day – Basket Case
  • Michael Jackson & Janet Jackson – Scream
  • Jill Sobule – I Kissed A Girl
  • TLC – Waterfalls
Winner: Weezer – Buddy Holly
Best Cinematography
  • The Rolling Stones – Love Is Strong
  • Boyz II Men – Water Runs Dry
  • Green Day – Basket Case
  • Michael Jackson & Janet Jackson – Scream
  • Stone Temple Pilots – Interstate Love Song
  • TLC – Waterfalls
Winner: The Rolling Stones – Love Is Strong 

Other TLC VMA appearances:

Lifestyle

Left Eye Gifted Singer Esthero with Inspirational Spiritual Book

Leon@TLCArmy's avatarLeon@TLCArmy Leave a comment

lisa-left-eye-vibe-compressed (1) (1).jpg

The Canadian-born singer and songwriter Esthero may sound familiar to most TLC fans because of her intimate collaboration with Left Eye on the track ‘The Universal Quest‘, from Lisa’s 2001 solo album, ‘Supernova‘.

What isn’t largely known is the close friendship and connection the two had developed after their insightful musical collaboration.

Esthero shared a moment she had with Lisa after thanksgiving in 2000, when she was given a book by Lisa of the inspirational and spiritual understandings of life on earth.

Screenshot_20180825-173647_Instagram.jpg

In the handwritten letter with the book, Lisa says, “Aside from a book called “The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success” by Deepok Chopra, this book would be my favorite!“.

Speaking of the suggested book, “Letter to Earth“, Lisa continues. “[It’s] very easy to read! Lot’s of info! I hardly ever read a book from front to back cover because all of the answers are within. This shall serve you as great food for thought!”.

Screenshot_20180825-173712_Instagram.jpg

Esthero has also kept the lyrics to ‘Universal Quest’, handwritten by Lisa which she says is one of the most emotionally valuable things that she owns.

20180816_123128

“I can’t tell you what she meant to me“, Esthero says about Left Eye. “I’m so glad we got to spend some time together and make music. #SHEro“.

The book ‘Letter to Earth’ by Ella Wise is currently available on Amazon.

FB_IMG_1534996291264

For the latest on Esthero head over to www.esthero.net

Anniversary, Review

Celebrating Left Eye’s Debut Solo Album ‘Supernova’ On It’s Anniversary

Leon@TLCArmy's avatarLeon@TLCArmy 1 Comment

Back in 2000, the ‘L’ of TLC, Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes announced to the world that she was embarking on a solo career, and began work on her first solo LP, ‘Supernova‘.

The project, which was also released on her group’s label, Arista, was slated to be released on her chosen date of August 16.

This date was important to Lisa, who was a strong believer in the power of numerology. “Something weird happened in my family,” Lisa explained to MTV News in 2001.

“My father died on August 16th and his father was born on August 16th“.

“It’s a very significant release date“.

To accompany her wishes, Arista initially announced the album to be released that same week on August 14 (new album releases in the US drop on a Tuesday).

normal_1557695_684506574923232_196141131_n

However, because Arista failed to keep to their promise of releasing the album on this specific date, Lisa decided it was important for the world to hear the album on this date and streamed the entire album on her website, Eyenetics.com.

The label, which had not yet paid Lisa for her existing work on the album, requested her to return to the studio to record more tracks for the album to beef it up.

Lisa declined respectfully, and because Arista defaulted on her contract conditions, she was allowed to be freed from her legal obligations on the label, later signing to Suge Knight’s Tha Row label in 2002, where Lisa renamed herself N.I.N.A. (New Identity Non-Applicable). The project is available in full online.

8078001_orig

Left Eye’s Eyenetics website

‘Supernova’ was unlike anything Lisa had released in the past, choosing to educate her listeners on spirituality and numerology on tracks like “Universal Quest“, “A New Star Is Born” and “Breathe“. She also had more bold and self-assured tracks like “I Believe In Me“, “Let Me Live” and “Hot!“, the latter being her original choice for first single.

It’s guest appearances included Blaque, Esthero, Carl Thomas, Jazze Pha, Andre Rison and a posthumous collaboration with 2pac.

Lisa_Left_Eye_Lopes-Supernova-Trasera (1)

‘Supernova’ tracklist

Lisa also changed her vocal style on the album, to be more spoken word and poetic. She was aiming for a new sound, something different to what she had produced with TLC.

“TLC’s music is pretty much pop and R&B“, Lisa told BBC. “My music is a bit more eclectic“.

imgonline-com-ua-twotoone-NrbAPI0EhGml (2).jpg

Lisa was intending to release a puzzle with the album, which would help the listener decide on what track to play on the album. It features in her ‘Block Party‘ music video.

Whilst competing for prize money for charity on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, she told more about it. “There’s a puzzle that comes with my album, it’s called a dodecahydon. So, I kinda created that and I do all of the computer graphics.”

Despite the album never getting a release in the US, it was released overseas, following the moderate success of it’s first single, ‘The Block Party”, which reached the top 20 in the UK.

This underrated masterpiece deserves a full worldwide digital release on iTunes. Perhaps it will appear on Spotify one day, hopefully.

You can listen to ‘Supernova’ in full below.

Concert, Review

Watch: TLC Headline Their First Pride Festival in San Diego 2018!

Leon@TLCArmy's avatarLeon@TLCArmy Leave a comment
Screenshot_20180716-081530_Instagram
Credit: Carlo/movementstills

2018 has been a big year for TLC, as they continue to touch down in new territory and perform at various events for the first time!

Not only was it the first time TLC performed at a UK festival last month in June at Mighty Hoopla, but July marked the first time the girls have performed at a Pride Festival!

TLC proudly took the opportunity to be the headline act at this years San Diego Pride 2018 in Balboa Park on July 15th, and they did not disappoint.

 

Screenshot_20180716-081601_Instagram
Credit: Movementstills
Screenshot_20180716-201808_Instagram
Credit: crzysxyjeremy

Sporting some new, bold and bright fire fighter-styled costumes, the girls hit the stage and delivered all of their hits in true TLC style to a sold out sea of thousands of fans!

The girls kept the party going as they performed hit after hit, a perfect blend of their timeless classics along with brand new songs from their latest self-titled album.

 

Screenshot_20180716-153806_Instagram
Credit: Aaron Groon
Screenshot_20180716-162118_Instagram
Credit: Mike Huete

The outfits, which were crafted by the amazingly talented fashion designer Brea Stinson, were inspired by this years trend for neon colours. “Neon is on trend for summer“, Brea told us. “High visibility is the wave this year, so I wanted to give the girls a pop of color.”

Screenshot_20180718-084509_Gallery

TLC have always stood up for equality and love for all, no matter the race, gender or sexuality of the person. Their messsages in their music are universal and current, this is why they are the perfect act to headline San Diego Pride!

Check out the highlights from the show below!