CrazySexyCool is one of the most memorable and important records made in the 90s in regards to the pop/r&b genre. It was released in 1994 and was produced by L.A. Reid and Babyface. In this musical project, every aspect of the production works well together. Even though, after listening to the final (released) version of the album, it appears that everything was easy-it certainly was not. CrazySexyCool is the sophomore album for the singing group, who were searching to create an album to appeal to the fans of their debut record Ooooooohhh… On the TLC Tip, and expand to a more mature audience at the same time. While that goal is very difficult to achieve, TLC and LaFace collaborated on a project that fit all of their desired demographics.
My family and I were big fans of the first record. We had high expectations for the second one. We were surprised that CrazySexyCool exceeded our expectations. It became one of the most frequently played albums for us. It never got old, CrazySexyCool is one of those albums that you can listen to as much as you like and it still resonates with you no matter how many times you play it. I still listen to it today, especially for tracks like “Case of the Fake People”, “Waterfalls” and “Sumthin’ Wicked This Way Comes”. I appreciate the other songs as well, it’s just that these three always give me something to think about, particularly on how to make life better.
Intro-Lude: is hip-hop vocals that describe the members of the singing group and establishes a musical direction for the remaining tracks.
Creep: was designed to reach the more mature audience, but the young fans could sing along with this track as well. Lead singer, TBoz, has a unique vocal that she uses in all of her songs and it sounds excellent on this one. Her natural singing voice became so popular that other R&B groups tried to mimic her sound throughout the decade. The lyrics tell the story of a relationship where both parties are not being faithful, but each of them would rather not tell the secret. The instrumentation has a great mixture of drums and horns.
Kick Your Game: is a song about how to get the attention of someone that catches your eye. It’s another song for a mature audience, but the younger fans enjoyed this one too. TBoz is on lead vocals and there are two rap verses from Lisa “LeftEye” Lopes. There is a good mixture of live drums and drum machines to create a sounds that is R&B, pop and hip-hop.
Diggin’ On You: is a song about a shy guy who Is interested in TBoz. Rather than approach her himself, he was telling Chili about how much he liked TBoz and the message eventually got to her. While the lead singer made it clear that she would prefer for him to talk to her, she has in her intuition that there may be something special about this guy. All three singers have incredible vocals that are a layer on top of the violins and drum machine.
Case of the Fake People: is my favorite song on the album. It is about people who strive for success and many people that they know will be unsupportive and disappear from your life. Many successful people would concur with the lyrics on this song, TBoz’s vocals are outstanding as usual and Chili and Left Eye on background vocals sound excellent. There are some good sounding drums and record scratches from a DJ that make this song have more of a -hip hop appeal.
CrazySexyCool (Interlude): is TBoz explaining exactly what it means to be “crazy” “sexy” and “cool”.
Red Light Special: is clearly targeting a mature audience, but due to the releasing of the music video and the radio airplay, this song became popular with all demographics. Chili has some great vocals and a verse on this song, which is refreshing and changes the overall sound that causes it to connect with listeners in a different ways. Instrumentation features some guitar and drum machine.
Waterfalls: is the best song on the album, and it’s one of the best songs of the decade. It is essentially pinpointing that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side, and that our actions have real-world implications-be them positive or negative. Out of all the songs on the album, this one received the most radio airplay and has a popular music video with memorable choreography. It is an emotional song with lead vocals from TBoz and a perfect rap verse from Left Eye. It also features guitar, drum machine and other elements that makes the sound completely original. “Waterfalls” is a socially significant song as well, due to the lyrics being about situations that can happen in real life.
Intermission-Lude: is a short break in the album that has the same beat as the introduction in order to tie the sounds together.
Let’s Do It Again: is clearly for the mature audience. TBoz’s lead vocals are excellent. The lyrics tell a good a story. The instrumentation is heavy on the drum machine.
If I Was Your Girlfriend: is a cover of Prince’s “If I Was Your Girlfriend” from his album Sign ‘O’ the Time.
Even though the original song is performed from a masculine perspective, the TLC version is excellent as well, and the song sounds great from a female perspective.
Sexy (Interlude): is a humorous prank phone call by Chili. It adds more humor to the album, in much similar ways as the debut record.
Take Our Time: is unique in the sense that Chili is singing lead vocals throughout the entire song. This one is aimed directly at the mature audience. The lyrics and vocals are excellent. The instrumentation has drums, drum machine and synthesizers.
Can I Get a Witness (Interlude): is a comedic break that features rapper Busta Ryhmes expressing how much he is looking for someone who is “crazy” “sexy” and “cool”.
Switch: the previous interlude plays the beginning of the song switch. It is a perfect transition. The song is about moving on when relationships are no longer working out. The instrumentation has drums, drum machine and guitar.
Sumthin Wicked This Way Comes: is truly an amazing song. TLC ended this incredibly humorous and fun album with a serious track that addresses the violence we see every day. It is an unexpected ending, but its suites the album so well. The song starts off with a rap verse from Andre 3000 from the rap group Outkast. He sets an incredible tone for the rest of the song. Both TBoz and Chili are on lead vocals, and Left Eye has a rap verse that ends the album. Instrumentation is primarily drum machine. Even though this is the last track, it leaves listeners wanting more of that sound because it is poignant and significant in regards to social issues and how we can help each other.