TLC returns with its '90s vibe for today

Formed in Atlanta, Georgia in 1991, the American group TLC was very successful in the 1990s and early 2000s --despite friction with one another, the record label, and the management. The two remaining members are back on the circuit with an LP out June 30.

TLC's original lineup consisted of Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins, Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, and Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas. They scored nine top-ten hits on the Billboard Hot 100, including four number-one singles: "Creep," "Waterfalls," "No Scrubs," and "Unpretty."

Their debut album, "Ooooooohhh... On the TLC Tip," was released in 1992, attaining three top-ten singles on the Billboard Hot 100. Their first national tour was as MC Hammer's opening act.

The group's follow-up album, "CrazySexyCool" (1994) remains the only album by a female group to receive a diamond certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). In fact, TLC is still the best-selling American girl group today, and second worldwide only to the English group Spice Girls.

In the midst of their visible success, the members filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1995, due to a hugely unfavourable deal from their management.

TLC's third studio album, "FanMail," was released in 1999 to, again, critical and commercial success. "No Scrubs" was the lead single and became a worldwide hit.

In April 2002, Lopes died unexpectedly in a car crash in Honduras while filming a documentary (she was also in the midst of working on a solo album). After taking a mournful hiatus, the remaining duo decided to complete their fourth album, "3D," which featured production from The Neptunes, Missy Elliott, and Timbaland. Lopes had already done vocals for two songs, which were included on the album.

In early 2015 TLC announced their plan to release a final record, and asked fans to help finance the project via Kickstarter. In less than 48 hours, they surpassed their goal, with significant donations from other musical acts like New Kids on the Block, Katy Perry, Soulja Boy, and Justin Timberlake.

TLC's comeback, simply titled "TLC" (out June 30), has 12 tracks, including the single "Haters," and the Snoop Dogg collaboration "Way Back."

"This is a project with nostalgia at its core," Pitchfork wrote of TLC's new effort, stating it "sounds like it's been plucked from some recently unearthed time capsule... It might as well be 1997."

Beyoncé, once the lead singer of Destiny's Child, last year wrote in tribute in Entertainment Weekly that "TLC has influenced just about every female group that's out there now."

The band announced in April that the two surviving members were planning to tour with a projection of Lopes.

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