In the past year, what seemed to be a resurgence of girl groups proved to be a fluke. Indeed, the fall of acts such as Danity Kane, GRL, and Neon Jungle warrants the question of whether girl groups can make it past the catty quarrels and management dilemmas.
With the likes of pop surveyors Fifth Harmony and Little Mix currently holding the torch, it begs the question of whether the industry would be welcoming to another urban girl group. Since Destiny’s Child‘s exit in 2005, there has not been a urban girl collective that has been able to maintain relevancy or major success in the industry. There have been groups that attempted to state their claim, such as Cherish, RichGirl, and even Girlicious. Despite their best efforts, they were unable to cement their status as established artists.
Taking influence from previous success stories (such as TLC, Destiny’s Child, En Vogue and the like) we have compiled a few strategic moves to make future urban girl groups “work.”
Check them out below…
Originality
A determining factor that sets the top urban girl groups apart. TLC probably being the catalyst, brought an signature flavor, or swagger if you will, that previous acts had not been able to muster.
Be Cohesive / Rehearse Relentlessly
Being in a group, can prove to be much more difficult than being a solo artist. You have to ensure the group looks good as a whole, instead of just yourself. If one person is subpar, the group is subpar.
Harmonies
Photo Credit: Getty
It is almost an unwritten rule that girl groups are expected to sing and dance, but above all the harmonies are what make the group. How a group’s vocals merge together into one is the foundation of a group’s dynamic.
And finally…
As cliché as it may sound…
Stay True to Yourself, And Your Sound
An issue that numerous artists face is conforming to current music trends instead of honing in on their own unique sound. This is often the case for R&B artists who tire of feeling as though “true R&B” does not sell. Just ask Tank. While we cannot ignore the fact that R&B does not bring in the buyers like Pop or Country music, there are still success among the genre. Tyrese and Jill Scott both received #1 albums this year, as well as Tamia scoring her highest charting album ever with ‘Love Life’ in June. This is not to box an artist into the confines of one genre, but to emphasize the fact that it is not crucial to jump ship just to get notoriety.
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We believe there is still a place in todays market for an Urban girl group to reign supreme. Check out these classic divas in action, below:
Fifth Harmony is well on their way of becoming a culmination of TLC and Destiny’s Child!
Are you for real?! Chile
Them Five Harmonies h**’s on their way… The only thing keeping them back is an actual CLASSIC/HIT songs (like with most artist these days). Ain’t nothing wrong with their voices, image, dance moves etc… It’s just the music is typically: Amateur, flavorless, forgettable, bland, “of the moment” & corny by default. They’ve yet to score their “Bills, Bills, Bills or Creep”… But, they got time on their hands. That black girl can sang & can actually do the WHISTLE REGISTER loud & clear. Just like old school MC, LIVE. I was so impressed with her vocal range.
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Anyways, I’m still patiently waiting for that DC3 comeback world tour tho. Bye
Little mix slays those basic girls, they are on the verge of breaking up anyway.
R and b has to come back first, and that’s gonna be difficult because white people only buy r and b from whites nowadays and call it pop.
Oh my goshhhh ! You are so fn right!
Nope. TLC iz nothing w/o Left Eye (RIP Boo) & Beyoncè waz DC, so y tf do we need the uncertified shadow & anorexic “Christian”? Danity Kane waz the only girl group that cud have came back from the early 00’s. That’s bc none of them are successful solo and they were kind of new enough 2 still be renown 2 the world (at least the USA), but their dumb assess f***** up, so 5H it iz.
#NP: We Know
I get it, you guys love Beyoncé and everything related to her but DC’s music was awful. Music listeners don’t need this, her solo career is already pretty stressing.
Are f****** serious ? Girl bye , I think DC made better music than TLC TBH , TLC had some corny songs
TLC’s music waz not bad. DC only had one decent album and it waz nothing special from any other 90’s CD, so please don’t start that b*******. Waterfalls >>>>>>>>> any DC song
The golden age for girl groups was the 90s/early 00’s, and right now I don’t see another girl group hitting it big until the 2020s (by hitting big I mean actually getting a multi-platinum album on the level of Spice Girls ‘Spice’, TLCs ‘Fanmail’, Destiny’s Childs ‘TWOTW’, etc). The music industry has taken a serious dive, and it’s going to take the next generation some time to forget about the past girl groups before they welcome a new bunch of carbon copies. I see future pop groups but no girls are going to be able to nail the hip-hop/r&b swagger that DC and TLC had, or sell out the tours the way they did.
Yes music is ready
Idk about a new DC or TLC but 2 day’s ago when typing in Beyonce’s name n Bing lol. I read that Matthew Knowles trying to get DC together again. He said he had some project’s in the works amd that he’s hoping the girls will agree to a world tour. LORD LET THIS BE TRUE!!!! My edges ain’t ever coming back if this happens. B****** will have scalped me clean cracked my skull and removed my brain. I can’t comprehend the GREATNESS!!!
Matthew us in need of money for child support like yesterday. I highly dont think he can convince the ladies of D C to do another album/tour ant time soon or later. None of the ladies not even his ow daughter want anything to do with him, especially since he was outed out stealing funds from their tours. Their contract with him is over since they put out that #1’s album so being obligated to do any thing with him they are not. Matthew burnt his self with the ladies. He’s shopping around different things but I believe if the ladies don’t give their ok, he can’t do nothing. The ladies all are doing just fine without messy matthew
“I get it, you guys love Beyoncé and everything related to her but DC’s music was awful. Music listeners don’t need this, her solo career is already pretty stressing.”
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I get it, you’re a white supremacist and can’t fully understand black music (unless it’s white washed to an extent). But, why do you gotta type your opinions as if they’re actual facts? Music listeners ain’t worried about you, her solo/group career is already iconic. Why not add more historical memories to their legacy??? 🙂 kii
Lol. Welp there it is..
Steph, Legendriah’s a native New-Yorker and even she wouldn’t dare to make such an accusation, although she talks a lot. Good job for you!
What kind of” Molly” ass question is that? Of course I am…. I am here for TLC! 😉
u gotta watch the new MYA interview everyone is talking bout: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfD7C9_d1dA
TLC = Slightly Overrated. Along with Spice Girls <—- Them being THE most overrated girl-group of ALL time.
IMO
TLC is THE best selling American girl group ever. Look it up and be mad. First girl group with a Diamond album (no other R&B GG has one.) They’re second WW behind the spice girls and in terms of success are probably the most successful black girl group in history with The Supremes and DC. They are the standard.
Girl!!! I know you ain’t coming for the Supremes! TLC could never point blank period!!! Nobody actually knows The Supremes sales, and that’s a fact. But tale into accountability that the Supremes were the ONLY act to rival The Beatles. So keep a Legand of all girl groups out the muthafuckin’ argument.
DC was trash. It was Beyonce and company anyways. TLC was much better
Fifth Harmony are alright but nowhere near TLC’s level. The problem like Little Mix is Simon Cowell is behind them. He is quite open about wanting to only make money and not caring about artistry.
YES!!! Fans are here and ready for the next TLC or DC!!! But will they come? Hellz no. These recent attempts are cute and all but TLC and DC are on another level both musically and commercially. I haven’t seen anything within even the same solar system as them. Add En Vogue to that list and the current crop look like jr high talent show rejects. NOT HAPPENING.
They left out brownstone.. Den beez could sang too nd their harmonies were on POINT!
DC4 were one of the best groups at harmonising, Beyonce and Kelly’s voices blended so effortlessly together that at some points they sound like one voice…. while LeToya and LaTavia held down the low and soprano harmonies. They sang some great hits about female empowerment, but what they brought to the table was completely different than TLC.
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TLC were never known as being the girl group with the best vocals, but they definitely had the strongest social messages. TLC were not just about feminism, they were about overall empowerment and they had at least one song that everyone could relate to. Teenagers going through adolescence could relate to ‘Unpretty’, Young men could relate to ‘Waterfalls’, Women could relate to ‘Creep’, so they had everyone covered. I love them both equally.
Xscape definitely deserve a shoutout too because their harmonies were flawless. The industry did not give them props because they did not have that conventional overs*xualised look that consumers wanted. It’s a shame, but I think their uniqueness would have definitely been more appreciated today.
*P.S. Shoutout to Tiny’s original face, you deserve props ma!
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnWrM7Xhpn4
I think if we’re purely talking from a modern stand point then SpiceGirls, TLC, Destiny’s Child and dare I say P**** Cat Dolls kind of have it on lock. Not because they were the best musically but because overall they had the most impact and kind of represent the basic template that Girl Groups in particular tend to favour to this day. I think a modern day group needs to avoid these templates and tread a path less trodden.
Spice Girls: mediocre vocal talent, however more than made up for by memorable and distinct group members with an abundance of personality, catchy well-written pop songs, megawatt charisma. Overall message; Friendship and Girl Power. For all kinds of girls.
TLC: distinctive vocal signature between T and L.., (C brought the pretty but generic pop vocal). USP: Well-crafted memorable songs and distinct group members with an abundance of feminine street attitude, charisma and stage presence. For tomboys.
Destiny’s Child: Talented and memorable lead singer w/ strong harmonies. One Magnum Opus that elevated them beyond many of their contemporaries, but with a less consistent overall musical signature. Less of a group and more of a focus on one member. Catchy well-written RnB/pop songs, megawatt all-American charisma. High heels, dresses and big blow dries, avoided s** and controversy and kept it classy. For girlie girls.
PCD: Same dynamic as DC but with an emphasis on dancing and s**. Living incarnation of Bratz Dolls. Strong signature style. Less of a group and more of a focus on one member. Catchy well-written RnB/pop songs, high-NRG charisma. Stilettos, cleavage and p*** star hair. Message: We’re hot and so are you! For oversexualised girls.
• PCD were a brand though, they were an established burlesque group before their pimp robin antin decided to transform them into a band of singing hookers.
• The dynamic of DC definitely changed with the girls singing more equal parts in the later albums, but there are only a handful of DC songs that Beyonce sings fully solo (I.e. ‘My heart still beats’, ‘no no no pt. 1’, etc), and even if it’s just background vocals you can still hear the harmonies (the same can’t be said about PCD)
• LaFace background singer Debra Killings sang probably 30% of TLC’s vocals; whenever you hear a soprano voice harmonising with T-boz everyone assumes its Chilli, but it’s usually Deb. Chilli’s voice is more smokey.
Lisa Lefteye Lopes also sung those harmonies as well not just Debra.
@shady81 stop responding to my comments sweetheart ❤️
Yeah, these are all good points. I more mean how the public perceive them rather than what was really going on that went into creating the final product. Tbh I think if FKA Twigs, Tinashe and Azealia Banks i.e. were a group we’d have a new kind of template.., that’s kind of what I’m saying, that when I think of Danity Kane or Fifth Harmony (or even Little Mix despite how reliably solid they are) in terms of artistry there’s nothing fresh or memorable going into the product. Even if they can sing and dance we’ve already heard it a million times.
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Link or it didn’t happen.
A Nicki fan complaining abt originality. I’ve officially seen it all.
Girl groups are dated and they never stay together anyway. Fifth Harmony are cute but too juvenile for me
Yes, as long as those girl groups don’t deliver basic vocals and even more basic dancing skills. No one can replicate DC and TLC, especially Michelle’s heavenly vocals given to her from God himself! It’s utterly impossible, but another girl group just might be able to come close to their success, which I heavily-doubt will ever happen. Everyone, purchase Michelle’s “Journey to Freedom”. You won’t be disappointed……and she wrote the songs too.
Can SWV get a shoutout…
Queens of harmony aka SWV
SWV and the Braxtons; All day hands down…
Everytime YOU log into Tgj more than once to thumb down my comment, remember that I’m getting under YOUR skin and controlling you???? yes, YOU know who you are and the minute you try me I will drag you by your sideburn hairs.
SCREAMINGGG at @chile refreshing tgj 3 times to dislike this comment too, it’s becoming too easy to choke and clock this scary ass hœ. She’s trying so hard to get the hives attention tryin to throw shade with the ‘Michelle wrote all the songs’ comment…. KII I didn’t realise Michelle wrote a 100year-old nigerian hymn, but hey guess you learn something new everyday ????
I’m so important to you that it bothers me when you mention me. Why give me so much power when I haven’t even been on this website for a full five years yet? You’re not that important to me….and you’ll have to learn that soon….one way or another. People like you usually end up lonely and confused at the ending stages of their lives. I honestly feel sort you, but YOU have to be the one to decide to make the change.
I think it’s always important to make time for my supporters and see how they are doing. I’M THE REASON WHY YOU COMMENT HERE ????. Your original name was ‘chile did you see annaliese take off that wig’, which you made so that you could initiate contact with me. You were so desperate to get some attention from me that you decided to hide behind my enemy and cosign its comments. I still paid you dust so you go to every post I’m on and make it your mission to dislike my comments (lmao what’s your occupation boo?). I didn’t even have to @ you, because I knew you would come back to this page like the obsessed nobody that you are and Look for more of my comments. You try so hard and you fail every time ????????
DC3 was/is so much better than TLC IMO the difference b/w the 2 directly paralls the diffrence b/w bey and rih. Better image videos performances singles albums idk what made Tlc so successful maybe their personality i guess the only thing they had over dc3 only because they were way more ghetto how ironic. I watched the tlc movie the other day it was only entertaining to see how much of a struggle they were financially. Lol they literally have nothing to show for their hard work in whereas even r latavia is still getting royalty checks.
Let me school you. They may not have had the best voices and may have had money issues BUT THEY ARE STILL THE BEST SELLING AMERICAN GIRL GROUP EVER. First girl group ever with a diamond album and as of today the only R&B GG with a diamond album. 4 #1s. 5 grammys. They dominated the 90s with 3 albums. They are only second behind the spice girls world wide so for all the crap you talk about TLC, the fact that they have reached levels of success no other girl group has speaks volumes about them. Stay mad. And TLC definitely made better music than DC. They talked about social issues and real life problems.
TLC is still the best selling American Girl Group EVER and left eye has been dead almost 15 years. TLC is the first GG with a diamond album and the only R&B GG with a diamond album. They may not have had the best voices but they’re IT in terms of the level of success these girl groups want to get to. Nobody will come close to either of them in terms of success. Album sales suck and nobody is really talented these days so the days of girl groups died when DC disbanded.
Cant compare them sales wise two diffrent eras where tlc had a higher # of album buyers to win over. plus they werent talented enough to go solo like Dc. As a UNIT DC3 sold over 90 millio albums btw. But my main argument is that Dc3 music was WAYYYYYYY BETTER THAN TLC!!!!!! Lol
Yassss thatgrapejuice!!! I love this article!!!
SAY MY NAME bootilicous no no no stand up for love cater 2u survivor emotions all these made tlc look like FILTH Harmony
The other “TLC” members were definitely talented enough to go solo. They are all individually distinctive. DC members have gone solo and they have all…. Nevermind.. Album sales were still great when DC released all of their material. So that isn’t a factor.
Wow he’s racist because he doesn’t like beyonce..?
A black woman who stay trying to turn into a white woman..
I don’t like the fake bish either and I’m black…
I liked some songs by DC. .they weren’t bad, back then beyondfake didn’t irk my nerves
There was no Destiny’s Child; those black girls thought they was too down-to-earth for that group. TLC is not the same without “left eye”. So, Please be Gone with these tactics.
TLC didn’t do it for me either..
I don’t care how many albums they sold..they sucked to me
I don’t care much for girl groups…when the majority of the time it’s one basic girl singing
Go listen to SWV; when I first heard them I wanted to go home and slap my mother. Listen to Coco.
En Vogues harmonies were EVERYTHING. While DC had Harmony’s they were marketed more like the Supremes imo. No one can touch the harmonies of En Vogue…and I wasnt even really a fan of theirs.
DC was just another En Voge, but “younger”. TLC was all OG, three ladies with three different styles that all three brought something to the table. Left Eye came up with the theme and title of all the albums and wrote her own raps, best was with Waterfalls (their biggest song), T Boz wrote Unpretty and had a nice raspy voice and came up with most of the dance moves. Chili recorded Scrubs before anyone even knew about it. Plus Dallas productions on all 3 albums was great. You’ll never have a group to brought so much and played such an important part of the group. DC4, I mean DC4 Revamp, I mean DC3 were replaceable and Matt did just that… a few times. #oops
NO chilli did not record Scrubs before anyone heard it. Scrubs was originally a song for Kandi and Tiny’s new girl group that they created after Xscape split (which is why they are still in the background vocals). Kandi was dating producer She’kspere at the time, and he recommended that she let TLC listen to the song and they loved it. The original 1st song from that era was gonna be ‘It’s Alright’. Also T-Boz original sang in a higher register in the original line-up of TLC (yes they did have member changes too) but Jermaine Dupri told her that she would sound better if she sang in a low raspy tone.
Everybody well most people can harmonize with En Vogue and do the riffs and TLC is the fun gurls group in which they will be missed. When it comes to someone like Brandy and like I said Coco from SWV; I want to throw the mic.
This article neglects to mention the success of PCD. It really has been since PCD, not since Destiny’s Child.
They scored a number of hits from 2005-2009.
If you saw TLC backstage and on stage like I did for the Main Event tour, you would know that people of all ages are crazy for all three women. I can’t picture any new group making the same continuous impact as TLC. I work for a high school and just today in fact I showed the “Unpretty” video as part of a lesson to go with the novel “Uglies”. I could probably also use “Waterfalls” and “Damaged”. No other girl group has given something as meaningful and as powerful as TLC.
Honestly all a new girl group would need is a great team and to have some kind of it factor about them.None of these new girl groups popping up have the it factor.New girl groups would have to study all of the girl groups of the past first. The Supremes aren’t even the blueprint, The Boswell Sisters are. The Boswell singers sang better than any group that followed them and that’s including En Vogue.Connie Boswell set the tone for leads to go solo and even went on to influence Ella Fitzgerald’s singing style heavily.Quiet as it’s kept The Andrew Sisters are really the best selling female group with 100Million+. One thing I’ve noticed is that the most successful girl groups members don’t typically do well solo.Till this day Connie,Diana,and Beyonce are the only leads to have successful careers when they leave or the group breaks up.Also En Vogue is greatly overrated,when The original Supremes were at 100 they were better. People with Florence Ballard on the lead>any vocal performance recorded by An Vogue!
The masses have been ready but I will take a lot to fill the shoes of both girl groups promoted above. I’m not digging fifth harmony or little mix at all. They are so juvenile and based solely on pop influences, even though their groups are diversified. I feel like danity Kane came closer to being a successful girl group but of course all the groups diddy tried to push ended up shelved. In this era of music, falling prey to just the Pop mainstream is risky. A successful girl group these days will need to do their homework on other successful groups, not marginalize but broaden their sound, and plenty of heavy promotion.
I just need Out of Eden back…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k69zH3MABu4
Lol! Today was too funny for me. All the seething and CRYING made it hard for me to keep my composure. Oh well! I guess I’ll just “Die Another Day”. Kii!
I think groups don’t work anymore because A) we’re living in a very self centered, self obsessed generation were everyone wants everything to be about them, there’s now an “I” in team. No one knows how to work together equally, everyone wants to be the d*mn Beyonce. B) PLUS, there’s no money in music, and having a group means you split that little $5,000 check from Bad Boy, Def Jam or whatever labels robbing the sh*t outta these ho’s blind and then you left with pennies and nine roommates….