TLC is headed back into the studio to record their final album. The group recently announced they will be going to Kickstarter in order to get funding from their fans. Kickstarter is a worldwide funding platform that allows people to raise money in order to finance their project(s). TLC’s Chilli recently spoke to Billboard magazine about the group’s decision to use Kickstarter as a vehicle for the final album. Chilli said a number of reasons led to their decision. The most important factor was the fans reaching out to the group on social media asking for a new album. She said the fans even had suggestions on what their album artwork should look like. Chilli explained, “They have so much love for us, and we thought, ‘we gotta do this, and we have to involve the fans.'” In 1999, TLC creatively included thousands of their fans’ names inside the cover of their album, FanMail.
TLC’s pledges start at five dollars, but they have special incentives for fans who make large contributions. Some of the rewards include a custom TLC voicemail, signed vinyl, and vintage clothing from their music videos. Chilli mentioned the other items they are offering, “We have TLC nightlights. And we love our onesies, so we’ll have an overnight onesie party with some fans. Plus personal things, like a workout session with me.” The group is offering a total of nineteen pledge awards for their fans.
Right now, the group is focusing on putting the right team together in order to put out a good album. They are in the process of finding writers and music producers. The group is also hoping Ne-Yo will be a part of the album, too. In 2013, the ladies worked with Ne-Yo on their “Meant to Be” song for the TLC biopic. The film CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story aired on VH1 and attracted 4.5 million viewers. A lot of TLC fans are wondering if Left Eye will be on the final album. Unfortunately, Chilli said there is a possibility that Left Eye won’t be on the album. When Left Eye died in a tragic car accident in 2002, she did not have a lot of material recorded. She also mentioned that Left Eye’s music for her solo project was different from the type of music TLC creates. No matter what, TLC has very loyal fans. It seems fitting that the same group that has shown their fans so much love, has decided to include their fans on the final TLC album.