As they say, “You can’t rush greatness.” In February 2015, TLC made headlines after launching a Kickstarter campaign to fund their final album. The group surpassed their goal with $430,000 raised in a matter of days. Since the campaign launch, fans have wondered if the album would see the light of day.
On Monday, TLC’s manager Bill Diggins confirmed that the legendary group’s album would arrive as early as this June. Diggins shared the update with financial backers on TLC’s Kickstarter page.
“I am thrilled to let you know that the album is tentatively scheduled to be released at the end of June and you will receive your advance album prior to that,” he wrote. “We are working out the official date in the next couple of weeks and once it is final we will notify you.”
Although fans were under the impression that the album would come out sooner (September 2015), Diggins explained why the project was delayed, insinuating that the campaign was launched prematurely.
“When we decided to do the album it was based on a number of emotional decisions and one of the biggest was how you inspired Tboz and Chilli by your emails and texts asking them to do another album,” he said. “At the time we had no music, no producers, no writers, and a few ideas…It took a lot more time to coordinate schedules with writers, TLC’s executive producer Ron Fair and recording sessions than anticipated.”
Diggins assured backers that the album will be worth the wait and they will feel proud about the project. “When you see TLC out promoting the album, performing on television and you are listening to the songs on radio; you should feel proud to say to your friends that you made this happen,” he said.
TLC’s fifth studio album will follow 2002’s 3D, which was released nearly seven months after member Lisa “Left Eye” Lopez died in a car accident. The album debuted at no. 6 on the Billboard 200 with 143,000 copies sold in the first week.