The cost was financial ruin despite massive commercial success. TLC filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1995, discovering that their contract with LaFace Records left them with almost nothing after selling millions of records. The case became a landmark example of the exploitative economics of the music industry and forced the group to renegotiate their deal. They continued recording under better terms but the financial battle had already taken a toll on the group's morale and momentum.
Waterfalls is the one. The song addressed the HIV/AIDS crisis, drug addiction, and the danger of destructive relationships, all wrapped in a melody so accessible that radio played it constantly. The video was one of the most expensive and most impactful of the entire decade. The album CrazySexyCool sold over eleven million copies and won a Grammy.
Left Eye died in a car accident in Honduras in 2002. The remaining members continued as a duo, releasing albums and touring. TLC proved that a girl group could be sexual, political, and commercially unstoppable at the same time.
