Taking Sides: TLC vs. Destiny's Child

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TLC have "Creep". Destiny's Child not.

TLC wins.

― Grand (grand), Monday, 10 July 2006 12:16 (nineteen years ago)

TLC by a landslide. Even though the DC girls are better singers by about an order of magnitude, they have worse songs by an order of magnitude. When the most embarrassing single in your career is "Red Light Special", you're doing a lot of things correctly.

― Jesus Dan (Dan Perry), Monday, 10 July 2006 12:22 (nineteen years ago)

Dan OTM. Creep/Red Light Special/Waterfalls/Diggin' On You is one of the BEST runs of singles EVER.

― edward o (edwardo), Monday, 10 July 2006 12:23 (nineteen years ago)

Lisa was better at being a bitch than Beyonce as well.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Monday, 10 July 2006 12:24 (nineteen years ago)

ALSO: "The Block Party" >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> "Crazy In Love".

― edward o (edwardo), Monday, 10 July 2006 12:39 (nineteen years ago)

Both amazing but Dan is correct.

― The Lex (The Lex), Monday, 10 July 2006 12:41 (nineteen years ago)

(Honestly this might be closer if DC had never released "Cater 2 U".)

― Jesus Dan (Dan Perry), Monday, 10 July 2006 13:07 (nineteen years ago)

"Red Light Special" nowhere near as embarrassing as "Unpretty"

― deej.. (deej..), Monday, 10 July 2006 13:21 (nineteen years ago)

Does anyone even remember any of the songs from the post-Left Eye TLC album? I remember "Girl Talk" but only because one time I was at a train station and this girl on the platform was doing this impromptu dance involving lots of faux sign language with the song playing on a boombox. During the chorus she'd make what looked like duck-quack gestures with her hands.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Monday, 10 July 2006 13:26 (nineteen years ago)

I DO. A lot of them were fantastic; "3D", "Quickie", "Hands Up" and "In Your Arms Tonight" instantly leap to mind as being completely wonderful.

― Jesus Dan (Dan Perry), Monday, 10 July 2006 13:30 (nineteen years ago)

woah this thread was started TODAY? i figured it would be a revivial from 2001.

there may not be a TS as close as this. TLC win on penalties tho DC clearly robbed with that goal ruled out for offside. If TLC have an embarassing single it might be the lacklustre 'Girl Talk'. DC's worst is 'Soldier' for me.

― Konal Doddz (blueski), Monday, 10 July 2006 13:39 (nineteen years ago)

neither 'red light special' nor 'unpretty' are at all ambrassing, they are both straight-up GREAT and quite affecting!

― The Lex (The Lex), Monday, 10 July 2006 13:39 (nineteen years ago)

Also, "Hey Hey Hey Hey", "Over Me" and "So So Dumb" are great. GO BUY THAT ALBUM NOW.

Steve, I cannot believe anyone rates "Cater 2 U" over "Soldier"! Have you never heard "Cater 2 U"?

― Jesus Dan (Dan Perry), Monday, 10 July 2006 13:41 (nineteen years ago)

"Red Light Special" is one of the unsexiest "sexy" songs ever recorded.

― Jesus Dan (Dan Perry), Monday, 10 July 2006 13:42 (nineteen years ago)

'soldier' is great as well stevem! it fits perfectly into that lowest-common-denominator-totally-generic-and-formulaic brand of r&b which i love. it is better than 'crazy in love'.

if it was a tennis match tlc would win 1-6 6-3 23-21 (blown away by sheer force and power of dc, ork way back into match through subtlety and emotion, finally edge cliffhanger which could have gone either way when dc have sudden letdown at the end ie 'cater 2 fucking u')

― The Lex (The Lex), Monday, 10 July 2006 13:42 (nineteen years ago)

Have you never heard "Cater 2 U"?

i have not.

it fits perfectly into that lowest-common-denominator-totally-generic-and-formulaic brand of r&b which i love.

which i HATE ;)

― Konal Doddz (blueski), Monday, 10 July 2006 13:43 (nineteen years ago)

"Red Light Special" is one of the unsexiest "sexy" songs ever recorded.

yes this is why it's great, it uses the template and production of a sexy slow jam but the delivery and lyrics say otherwise, they say that she doesn't want to be there, they hint that she is singing from the perspective of a prostitute rather than just the whore-as-turn-on imagery you initially assume, and even if there was a relationship there it's on the verge of ending. actually it sounds like drunken ex-sex which - even before it happens - she's already regretting.

― The Lex (The Lex), Monday, 10 July 2006 13:45 (nineteen years ago)

TLC have the edge by virtue of Left-Eye's raps. in fact, tho her turn on 'Waterfalls' and 'No Scrubs' come close, can the following really be topped?

Realize the realism of reality treats
Us both the same
Cause satisfaction is the name of this game
So I choose to explain it's evident
Left Eye don't mean the rest of my body is irrelevant
In outher words let's refresh your head
About pullin' down curtains and breakin' da waterbed
Yeah I like it when you (kiss)
Both sets of lips
Oooh on the TLC tip

― Konal Doddz (blueski), Monday, 10 July 2006 13:46 (nineteen years ago)

i have not.

OH YOU LUCKY LUCKY MAN.

― Jesus Dan (Dan Perry), Monday, 10 July 2006 13:47 (nineteen years ago)

"Cater 2 U" is so bad, it made me retroactively dislike DC singles I'd previously enjoyed; its godawful stench and horrificness permeates their entire oeuvre like a lumbering malaise of suck.

― Jesus Dan (Dan Perry), Monday, 10 July 2006 13:53 (nineteen years ago)

"Dear Lie" is worse than "Cater 2 U", if only slightly. Perhaps "Cater 2 U" is harder to ignore though when it comes on the radio - "Dear Lie" sounds like so many other dreary ballads, whereas the bizarre fidgety nervousness of "Cater 2 U" is impossible to mistake.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Monday, 10 July 2006 14:05 (nineteen years ago)

I don't think I've ever heard "Dear Lie", which is for the best because if it's worse than "Cater 2 U"...

― Jesus Dan (Dan Perry), Monday, 10 July 2006 14:08 (nineteen years ago)

Dan I'm not sure if you'd hate it more, but you might. It's Dianne Warren, which is not necessarily a disaster, but it's one of her lowpoints. The opening line is, as I recall, "Dear lie, you're dumb." Which, unbelievably, sounds worse than it reads.

And I'm not against that kind of ballad in R&B at all - Janet's "Again" and Brandy's "Wow" are fantastic versions of exactly the same thing.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Monday, 10 July 2006 14:11 (nineteen years ago)

"Dear lie, you're dumb."

Oh wow.

― Jesus Dan (Dan Perry), Monday, 10 July 2006 14:14 (nineteen years ago)

I'm kind of confused about "Red Light Special" not being considered sexy!

― deej.. (deej..), Monday, 10 July 2006 15:15 (nineteen years ago)

because she sounds very unhappy singing it! sadness != sexy

― The Lex (The Lex), Monday, 10 July 2006 15:17 (nineteen years ago)

the weirdest thing about "Cater 2 U" is the existence of "Independent Women Pt 2"

― yuengling participle (rotten03), Monday, 10 July 2006 15:21 (nineteen years ago)

This is TLC in a landslide, and not just for the rockist reason that they seem more like a "band" (ie, clearly defined members with distinct public identities and roles to play in performance) - their songs are just better. "Independent Woman" is about the only Destiny's Child single that I didn't get sick of the third time I heard it, and the awful, grating, shrill "Survivor" alone relegates them to the list of groups I really can't stand. Whereas TLC, I mean, I would never list them as one of my favorite acts (I don't know their full body of work very well) but I have yet to hear anything from them that I disliked on first listen.

TLC have the edge by virtue of Left-Eye's raps.

Konal has a great point here. See also the video mix of "No Scrubs."

― Doctor Casino (Doctor Casino), Monday, 10 July 2006 15:34 (nineteen years ago)

did Beyonce and Lisa Left-Eye ever do anything together? could've been awesome.

― Konal Doddz (blueski), Monday, 10 July 2006 15:40 (nineteen years ago)

Don't forget "Dear lie, you suck". Another great line from that song.

― musically (musically), Monday, 10 July 2006 16:22 (nineteen years ago)

Wait, I might have to hear this song now. It seems like the lyrics were written by a cranky Jewel!

― Jesus Dan (Dan Perry), Monday, 10 July 2006 16:36 (nineteen years ago)

dan you can't hate the 'cater 2 u' video can you???

― j blount (papa la bas), Monday, 10 July 2006 16:40 (nineteen years ago)

tlc easy btw - peak value, consistency, pretty much by any standard

― j blount (papa la bas), Monday, 10 July 2006 16:41 (nineteen years ago)

TLC TLC TLC TLC TLC

― grandfathered in (Jody Beth Rosen), Monday, 10 July 2006 16:43 (nineteen years ago)

dan you can't hate the 'cater 2 u' video can you???

Well let's see: three hot women in minimal clothing writhing around... No, don't really hate that so much, but seeing as that description could be applied to 90% of their videos it's not a particularly compelling reason to like it or even a distinguishing characteristic.

Hahaha I'd forgotten about "Girl"! (AKA "The Song I Would Be Nicer To If It Wasn't In Close Proximity To 'Cater 2 U'.")

― Jesus Dan (Dan Perry), Monday, 10 July 2006 16:45 (nineteen years ago)

i don't know dan - 'cater 2 u' seemed a bit sexier than the other vids to me though maybe that's cuz you had to hit mute to watch the thing and that left you with no options but oggling. in retrospect it's a shame they didn't go the old hat 'artist gives a fan plucked from crowd a lapdance can u believe it thx make a wish foundation' routine, totally coulda been their tenderoni moment.

― j blount (papa la bas), Monday, 10 July 2006 17:15 (nineteen years ago)

T/S TLC vs. Immature

― Rev. PappaWheelie (PappaWheelie 2), Monday, 10 July 2006 17:16 (nineteen years ago)

TLC. Better songs. "Waterfall" and "Unpretty" are lightyears better than any Destiny's Child song ever.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Monday, 10 July 2006 17:32 (nineteen years ago)

I love "Red Light Special." I like "Cater 2 U," in part b/c of its weirdness (Finney OTM).

TLC over DC, though I love 'em both. And both of their hits records are flawed. In their defense, (whatever your thoughts on the Knowles family) DC never had a nationally-televised reality show to pick a new member.

― Thomas Inskeep (submeat), Monday, 10 July 2006 17:39 (nineteen years ago)

plz like daddy knowles would ever loosen his grip enough to let anyone else influence who was gonna be in destiny's child this month.

― j blount (papa la bas), Monday, 10 July 2006 17:42 (nineteen years ago)

Also TLC didn't pick a new member; TLC picked a talneted superfan to do a one-time concert routine and record a novelty single with.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TLC_(music)

― Jesus Dan (Dan Perry), Monday, 10 July 2006 19:00 (nineteen years ago)

why has there been no love for "what about your friends?"

― grandfathered in (Jody Beth Rosen), Monday, 10 July 2006 19:13 (nineteen years ago)

Also TLC didn't pick a new member; TLC picked a talneted superfan to do a one-time concert routine and record a novelty single with.

True. Still incredibly tacky, though. (Not as awful as INXS, but...)

― Thomas Inskeep (submeat), Monday, 10 July 2006 19:40 (nineteen years ago)

oh man, TLC all the way. beyonce is the superior singer, of course, but TLC not only had better songs, they also were more fun, more unpredictable and crazy. beyonce isn't going to be burning any houses down. though i'd probably like her a lot more if she did.

― Emily B (Emily B), Monday, 10 July 2006 19:51 (nineteen years ago)

in retrospect it's a shame they didn't go the old hat 'artist gives a fan plucked from crowd a lapdance can u believe it thx make a wish foundation' routine, totally coulda been their tenderoni moment.

They did do this when they performed 'cater 2 u' on the BET awards.

― Ms. Misery TX (MissMiseryTX), Monday, 10 July 2006 19:58 (nineteen years ago)

i actually would pick DC. TLC are great and all but i'd argue that DC's highs are higher. this might be age though - i only discovered TLC recently, and DC (along with Aaliyah) kind of exemplify the whole stuttering, jittery Timbaland-led '90s R&B sound for me, which is maybe my favourite era in production ever.

(also they do the lapdance thing every time in concert -- see the Live In Atlanta DVD) (LAY OFF, I GOT IT FOR FREE)

― yuengling participle (rotten03), Monday, 10 July 2006 21:06 (nineteen years ago)

TLC! I luh teh CrazySexyCool.

My favorite era and genre of music EVER is mid-90's R&B though, so I am very biased. In the late 90's that jittery post-Timbaland sound (along with the dreadful K-Ci & Jojo/Brian McKnight ballads) pretty much put me off the genre entirely. Really, there are probably about 5 R&B songs (exaggeration ) from 97-2000 I like (my non-appreciation of late 90's R&B includes Fanmail-era TLC, too, fwiw).

― It's Rodney, chocolate-covered, freaky, and habit-forming! (R. J. Greene), Monday, 10 July 2006 23:02 (nineteen years ago)

Oh, and I'll be the next person to stand up for "Cater To You". Say what you want about the lyrics, but its really quite beautiful. The remix that sounds like "My Boo" (the Ghosttown DJs one, not the Usher/Alicia one) is even better.

― It's Rodney, chocolate-covered, freaky, and habit-forming! (R. J. Greene), Monday, 10 July 2006 23:05 (nineteen years ago)

Both hugely indefensible piles of unlistenable crap, of course.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 10 July 2006 23:09 (nineteen years ago)

The remix that sounds like "My Boo" (the Ghosttown DJs one, not the Usher/Alicia one) is even better. - you've made me really really want to hear 'cater 2 u' now

― j blount (papa la bas), Monday, 10 July 2006 23:10 (nineteen years ago)

Hahahaha Alex, you're awesome.

i only discovered TLC recently

BUH?????? Wow I feel old now.

― Jesus Dan (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 11 July 2006 01:43 (nineteen years ago)

you're not old, my local used cd store just does a good line in '90s r&b/hip-hop at $5.99 or less. in the last three months:

queen latifah, all hail the queen
onyx, bacdafucup
tlc, crazysexycool
3rd bass, derelicts of dialect
ice-t, original gangsta
neneh cherry, raw like sushi
eric b & rakim, paid in full
del tha funkee homosapien, i wish my brother george was here
b.g., chopper city in the ghetto

and i almost bought juvenile 400 degreez for $10 but it turned out to be a clean copy.

― yuengling participle (rotten03), Tuesday, 11 July 2006 05:35 (nineteen years ago)

Try to imagine Destiny's Child covering If I Was Your Girlfriend. You can't. TLC by miles and miles.

― nicky lo-fi (nicky lo-fi), Tuesday, 11 July 2006 05:48 (nineteen years ago)

All Hail The Queen and Raw Like Sushi came out in '89.

Also I remember all of these albums from when they came out, so I still feel old.

― Jesus Dan (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 11 July 2006 10:20 (nineteen years ago)

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