Creep (TLC song)

You're with a guy and he's not showing you attention, so another guy comes along and you're like, "Hey, if you were where you were supposed to be, he couldn't be showing me attention right now!" I was in the middle of this drama, because the other guy was [my boyfriend's] friend, and my boyfriend was just not getting it together. ^[2]

Watkins shared this with the group's long-time writer-producer Dallas Austin. She had known him, and they had shared stories since they were teenagers. ^[3] "We thought that was a good relationship to talk about because a lot of people don't admit that's how they feel – that their man's playing on them and they want to be with him so they seek attention elsewhere, but they really want to be with their guy", she added. ^[4]

Austin wrote "Creep" from a female perspective, ^{[5] [4]} and thought Watkins would be its perfect lead singer. ^[2] This was a new songwriting experience for him, as he was "talking about stuff guys didn't know girls did". ^[6] The "female point-of-view" on the track was something the trio appreciated because as a group they portrayed themselves as feminists, and the song reflects that perspective. ^{[7] [8]} On the 2013 VH1 biopic CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story , however, the track also appeared to have been inspired by Austin's infidelity to then-girlfriend, member Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas. ^[7]

Latoya Peterson of Spin observed that feminism was being loudly maligned in music at the time of the song's release, and as a result more female artists like TLC, Salt-N-Pepa and Tori Amos began to "overtly defend themselves". ^[9] The group denied being inspired by Radiohead's 1992 track with the same name. ^[10] Andy Greene of Rolling Stone pointed out that the group took the term "creep" in a different direction from Radiohead's track or Stone Temple Pilots' 1993 single, because TLC's song is about getting revenge on a cheating guy by having an affair. ^[11] The idea, however, was considered quite "controversial". ^[8] According to Thomas, the theme did not come as much of a shock for them:

I think when we first came out, it was very bold of us to have a song called "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" with [the lyrics] "Two inches or a yard, rock hard or if it's sagging". People totally understood what type of group we were. To sing a song like "Creep" wouldn't be surprising from us. ^[8]

Despite this, member Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes was opposed to it. She threatened to wear black tape over her mouth in the song's music video to express her disagreement with its message, and its selection as CrazySexyCool's lead single, and in part because of the group's history of advocating for safe sex. ^{[12] [13]} "I was like 'If a girl is gonna [ sic ] catch her man cheating,' this was my thing, 'instead of telling her to cheat back, why don't we tell her [to] just leave?'" ^[14] Watkins stated that Lopes was especially worried that her then-boyfriend, Andre Rison, might get the wrong idea, even though the song was not based on their relationship. ^[15]

In the end, Lopes capitulated, saying: "If some people can creep, and in their minds, they can feel better by going out doing the same thing... Fine. I'm just not one of those people." ^{[12] [16]} The rapper later added a new rap verse on remixed versions of the song, which talks about the consequences of cheating. ^{[17] [18]} Watkins stated that Lopes initially intended for the rap to be included in the original version of the song, but Watkins and Austin disagreed with the rap and opted to have it removed. ^[15]

Thomas thought the song and the video's choreography routine were "cool" enough to distract people from its lyrical content and "just sing along". ^[8]

Even the song "Creep" – not that we creep, but if we did, [It was a song] for a woman that would do such a thing. I say just leave his ass, but if you're not ready to just jet at the moment, then you know, I guess we told you how to [creep]. We were really happy and we still are really happy to be the voice for so many women in so many different situations in their lives

— Thomas on Myspace in 2014. ^[19]

Jon Parales of The New York Times stood by the song's concept: "The women sing about infidelity, revenge, status and power plays, not as victims but as contenders; when they're cheated on, they cheat, too." ^[20] The Guardian 's Carol Cooper described the track as reflecting the darker side of TLC's "giddy hedonism". ^[21]

Musical style and composition

"Creep" is a R&B song influenced by funk, jazz, soul and boom bap; a distinctive sound for the trio whose earlier works had a new jack swing sound. ^{[24] [25] [13] [2]} The A.V. Club 's David Anthony pointed out that the mid-1990s R&B "renaissance" in music, and Lopes's stint in rehab, re-invented TLC's musical direction and brought a stronger focus on pop elements to CrazySexyCool. ^[26] Similar to their past works, "Creep" includes hip hop samples—particularly two 1989 singles, Slick Rick's "Hey Young World" and Shinehead's "Who the Cap Fits"—a heavy beat, with "forthright sex talk" lyrics with a kind of "playful sensuality" and "street aggression". ^{[17] [27] [13] [28]} According to The Telegraph , the group delivered it with an "empowered" attitude with Prince-style eroticism. ^[29] Its production was built on a "deep" and "infectious" groove, around a wafting "late night"-style trumpet sample with quietly "jiggling" funk guitar and scratching sounds—all adding depth to the subversively "poppy" vocal chorus and accentuating the song's "slinky" hooks. ^{[30] [22] [23] [28]} Michael Arceneaux of Complex called the track a "darker, mellower, and far jazzier" sound than any of its predecessors, which was "perfect" for Watkins's alto voice. ^[31]

Musically, "Creep" is set in the time signature of common time with a moderate tempo of 96 beats per minute. It was composed in the traditional verse–chorus form in C minor with Watkins and Thomas's vocals ranging from the chords of C₄ to F₅. ^[32] "Yes, it's me again/And I'm back", Watkins introduces herself while opening the track in a "husky" voice. ^[13] She then repeats the lines "oh-I, oh-I, oh-I", which was compared by Spin's Terry Sutton to Watkins finding "a spiritual instruction in vowel sounds" before starting the song's first verse. ^{[33] [32]} In the first verse, the singer counts her relationship's "twenty-second [sic] of loneliness" and expresses how she still loves her boyfriend while acknowledging that he has cheated on her. ^[32] Moving on to the song's bridge, she suddenly uses a lower register to "nonchalantly" reveal: "I'll never leave him down, though I might mess around/It's only cause I need some affection." ^{[32] [8]} "So I creep/Yeah/And I'll just keep it on the down low." She lowers the key and sings the hook as if she is "confessing to a chosen few." ^{[13] [10]}

Opening the second verse, Watkins again counts her "twenty-third of loneliness" and still talks of her love for her partner despite signs of a broken romance. ^[32] After repeating the chorus, Watkins "sweetly" explains the reason that she is cheating: she needs some attention from her lover. ^{[32] [13]} She ends the track with the lines "I creep around because I need attention/I don't mess around with my affection" while fading out with the heavy beat and the horn sample. ^{[32] [13] [28]} Billboard's Larry Flick said that Watkins's vocals were "tightly woven" and "rife with raspy grit", which provided a nice contrast to the song's horn sample and funk guitars. ^[28]

Release and remixes

Watkins recalled that LaFace Records' co-founder Antonio "L.A." Reid "flipped out" when he first heard "Creep" ^[2] and the track became CrazySexyCool's first single on October 31, 1994, despite Lopes's disagreement with the choice. ^{[14] [34]} Many producers contributed their remixes to the song's release, including Austin and his "DARP Mix". ^[35] Jermaine Dupri—who was working closely with TLC and had expressed his admiration for the song—collaborated with Shannon Houchins to create "Jermaine's Jeep Mix". ^{[36] [5] [35] [37]} Austin's and Untouchables' mixes featured a newly-written rap verse by Lopes, with a noteworthy lyric which warns: "Prenatal HIV is often sleeping in a creeping cradle." ^{[17] [18]} Nate Jones from People wrote of the Lopes lyric, saying it was another reminder of the trio's commitment to address social issues in their music. ^[18]

In the United Kingdom, the single was originally released on January 9, 1995. ^[38] The following year, in the UK and some European countries, it was re-issued or debuted as "Creep '96" on January 13, 1996, composed of mixes by Dupri, Maxx, Tin Tin Out, and a single-edit of "Waterfalls" (replaced by its "DARP Mix" on the vinyl version). ^{[39] [40] [41]} In Japan, a mini-CD single was issued on December 16, 1994. ^[42] Internationally, "Creep" appeared on most TLC compilations over the years, notably Now & Forever: The Hits (2003), The Very Best of TLC: Crazy Sexy Hits (2006) and 20 (2013). ^[43] For the 2013 Japanese compilation TLC 20: 20th Anniversary Hits, Watkins and Thomas re-recorded "Creep", and a few other tracks, to celebrate the group's twenty years in the music industry. ^[44]

Critical reception

"Creep" received widespread critical acclaim. Music critic Robert Christgau, AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine and Time magazine each declared the track one of CrazySexyCool's best. ^{[45] [25] [30]} Steve Baltin from Cash Box noted, "Infused with a slight bit of drama in the intro, “Creep” just slinks through the airwaves, slithering into listeners’ minds where it wraps itself tightly, thanks to its low vocals and enticing backbeat. A monster hit." ^[46] "In many ways, TLC at least musically, were best when they were the most subtle", commented Complex's Michael Arceneaux, who found the track's content "refreshing" for displaying women who "muddy up right and wrong in a relationship". ^[47] From the same publication, Benjamin Chesna and Edwin Ortiz credited the song with making infidelity sound "empowering" while praising Austin's "silky smooth production", adding: "[Watkins] forced you into the arms of another lady, now you just have to keep it on the down low". ^[48] Simon Price from Melody Maker felt it "have hooks you could hang your coat on". ^[49] Ralph Tee from Music Week's RM Dance Update said, "It's not the anthem that 'Ain't Too Proud To Beg' was, but is still a quality mid-pacer with catchy tooting trumpet riff, scratch and static effects and cool laid-back vocals." ^[50] Slant Magazine 's editor Sal Cinquemani was reviewing the greatest-hits album 20 when he observed that both girls' "finest" singles, "Creep" and "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg", had them "proudly flipping accepted modes of female sexual behavior and consent on their heads". ^[51] Idolator 's journalist Robbie Daw explained the song's "staying power" was because it is a "provocative" track that dared to expose the "taboo, down-low" aspects of a relationship. ^[8]

In contrast, one of Pitchfork 's contributors, Jess Harvell, felt its lyrics were "unconscionable", but praised the song's groove for being "so seductive you barely register what you're singing along to". Harvell continued to say that Austin even managed to make scratching, "that emblem of noisy hip-hop ruckus", sound "smooth". ^[23]

In Charles Aaron's review for Spin, he used a short story:

A young woman was walking through downtown Brooklyn the other day when a man approached her and asked mock-politely, "Excuse me, do you know where I can get some pussy around here?" She stared, rolled her eyes, and kept walking, but he kept insisting, "Well, do you?" Finally, she turned, and replied wryly, "Yeah, at your mother's house." That's TLC, whether [Lopes] is brat-a-tat-tatting with her brash raps or whether [Thomas] is kickin' [sic] it butter-slick on this infectious cheatin' [sic] song, written and so smoothly produced by Dallas Austin. ^[52]

Aaron went on say the track marked a "commercial/artistic apex" for Austin's career. ^[53]

Including it on her list of best tracks that make people dance, Bernadette McNulty of The Telegraph claimed: "The Dallas Austin groove on this is so deep, it might give you vertigo." ^[29] Ebony 's writer Michael A. Gonzales agreed that the song "put the sonic scientist that much closer to [Austin's] dreams of making tracks as enticing and sexy as the ones his hero Prince created for Vanity 6 and Apollonia 6". ^[54] Music critic Smokey Fontaine called the track Austin's best work: "Here, the harmonies worked, the bass line was hard enough to compete in a hip-hop world, and for a moment, R&B didn't need a guest rapper." ^[55]

Accolades

In 1995, "Creep" was nominated for three categories at the first Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards: Best R&B/Soul Single by a Group, Band or Duo; R&B/Soul Song of the Year; and R&B/Soul Music Video of the Year. It won the first of these awards. ^{[56] [57]} The song received two nominations at the 38th Grammy Awards, for Best R&B Song and Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals, winning the latter. ^{[58] [59]} "We were in shock! We just put out music so that people could find a connection with what were saying, so we didn't know exactly how people would feel about anything", Thomas said of TLC's winning moment. "So when you get that kind of recognition, it says so much. The Grammys is like the Oscars of music, so we were just beyond happy to get one." ^[8] Shortly after winning, they announced they were bankrupt in a backstage interview. ^[60] The song's publisher, EMI, later received the 1996 ASCAP Pop Music Award for Publisher of the Year. ^[61]

Commercial performance

Two weeks after its release, "Creep" debuted at number 71 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart of November 12, 1994. ^[62] The following week, it jumped to number 25, then climbed to the top ten at number 8 on December 3. ^{[63] [64]} Within a month of its release the single received a gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipment of 500,000 copies. ^[65] Combined with 100,000 sold in the following month, it became the 23rd best-selling single of 1994, according to Billboard. ^[66] Soon after it became their third platinum single, it topped the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Rhythmic charts, and peaked at number three on the Radio Songs chart and number nine on the Mainstream Top 40. ^{[67] [68] [69] [70] [71]}

After more than a month in the top ten, "Creep" reached the number one position on January 28, 1995, and became TLC's first number-one hit in the US. ^[72] "Creep" held the number-one position for four consecutive weeks before it was overtaken by Madonna's single "Take a Bow". ^[22] The song placed at number three on Hot 100's year-end chart with 800,000 copies sold in 1995, making it the 18th best-selling single that year. ^{[73] [74]} Due to the song's commercial success, it won a Billboard Music Award for Top R&B Song and was nominated for the Top Hot 100 Song category in 1995.^{[ citation needed ]} Retrospectively, "Creep" was listed at number 21 on Billboard Hot 100's decade-end list of the 1990s, and became the fourth-most-successful song on the chart by a girl group. ^{[75] [76]}

In the United Kingdom, "Creep" peaked at number 22 on the UK Singles Chart and at number four on the R&B Chart. ^{[77] [78]} It reached the number four spot in New Zealand, becoming TLC's highest listed single in the country at the time. ^[79] It went on to receive a gold certification from Recorded Music NZ (RMNZ) with 7,500 copies sold, and peaked at number 35 on their year-end chart. ^{[80] [81]} In other territories, "Creep" moved into the top-twenty in the Netherlands and Australia, while reaching the top-forty in France, Switzerland and Germany. ^{[82] [83] [84] [85] [86]} The song appeared on Canada's RPM magazine's Top Singles top-forty, year-end dance chart at number 35. ^{[87] [88]} It also charted in Belgium, Sweden and the European Hot 100 Singles. ^{[89] [90] [91]}

After its January 1996 re-issue as "Creep '96", it re-entered the UK Singles Chart at number 6, where it remained for seven weeks; it also peaked at number three on the R&B chart. ^{[92] [93]} The re-issue also helped the song surpass its original 1995 peak on the Scotland singles chart from  44 to number 17. In Sweden the record peaked at number 56. ^{[94] [90]}

Legacy

The song was described by many publications as a "masterpiece" and a "classic", and became one of the group's signature hits. ^{[95] [19]} Almost a decade after its debut, Mimi Valdés of Vibe said that the song lifted their "girl power movement" to new heights, with its female-empowerment theme inspiring works by many artists at the time, including Aaliyah, Missy Elliott and Destiny's Child. The term "creep" still appears in rap music. ^[6] As with many TLC songs, "Creep" positioned women as the gazers and men as their objects. Mickey Hess wrote in his book Icons of Hip Hop: An Encyclopedia of the Movement, Music, and Culture, Volume 2, "TLC celebrates women and encourages them to love men and demand respect from their men and from themselves." ^[96]

"Creep" appeared on The Village Voice 's 1995 Pazz & Jop critics' poll at number eight along with "Waterfalls" at number five. ^[97] Bruce Pollock listed the song in his book Rock Song Index: The 7500 Most Important Songs for the Rock and Roll Era (2005) for "establish[ing] the sound of chick hop". ^[98] It also appeared on several best decade-end lists: Spin placed it in the third spot on its top twenty, The Boston Phoenix listed it among ninety other best tracks, music journalist Smokey Fontaine placed it at number eight on his top ten, and Pitchfork listed it at number 114 on its top 200 best tracks list. ^{[53] [99] [55] [23]} Both Complex and The Guardian chose "Creep" as the second-best R&B song of the 1990s, with the latter's Charlotte Richardson Andrews calling the song "90s R&B at its most thrilling". ^{[47] [24]} In 2017, Billboard named it the second-greatest girl-group song of all time. ^[100] The Guardian and Paste both ranked the song number three on their lists of the greatest TLC songs. ^{[101] [102]}

"Creep"
Single by TLC
from the album CrazySexyCool
Released	October 31, 1994 (1994-10-31)
Recorded	1993
Studio	DARP Studios, Atlanta
Genre	R&B
Length	4:29
Label	LaFace Arista
Songwriter(s)	Dallas Austin
Producer(s)	Dallas Austin
TLC singles chronology
"Get It Up" (1993) "Creep" (1994) "Red Light Special" (1995)
Alternative cover
1996 cover for European releases and re-issues

List of accolades for "Creep"

Year Publication Accolade Rank Ref. 1995 The Village Voice Pazz & Jop critics' poll 8 [97] 1999 Spin "Top 20 Singles of 1990s" 3 [53] The Boston Phoenix "90 Best Songs of the 90s" – [99] 2002 Smokey Fontaine "The Best Singles of 1990s" 8 [55] 2005 Bruce Pollock Rock Song Index: The 7500 Most Important Songs for the Rock and Roll Era – [98] 2010 Pitchfork "The Top 200 Tracks of the 1990s" 114 [23] 2014 The Guardian "10 of the best: 90s R&B" 2 [24] Complex "The 50 Best R&B Songs of the '90s" 2 [47] Idolator "The 50 Best Pop Singles Of 1994" 2 [8] 2017 Billboard "100 Greatest Girl Group Songs of All Time: Critics' Picks" 2 [100]

Music video

Background and development

TLC immediately recruited director Matthew Rolston after seeing his work for Salt-N-Pepa and "fell in love" with his filming style.

In June 1994, TLC shot the first video for "Creep" in their hometown, Atlanta, but were dissatisfied with the result. ^[103] Thomas later said "It didn't feel like we had evolved." ^[3] The following month, they filmed a second version in Los Angeles with Lionel C. Martin, the director of most of their early videos. ^{[103] [104] [105]} L.A. Reid and the trio decided to scrap both versions which did not show their growth as women, and had "grimy" images with bad lighting. The first also lacked sufficient footage for the song's length. ^{[106] [8] [107]} Martin's version was later released in early 2013. ^[108] The "blue-tinged" clip shows the girls sneaking away from their unsuspecting boyfriends to cheat, while other scenes show them performing in front of trucks and cars. ^{[104] [108]} Nevertheless, Fact magazine noticed the song's infidelity theme was loosely followed in the clip's narrative, while Priya Elan from NME felt the clip might have been "too urban" for MTV. ^{[108] [109]} "Not only is this 'Creep' more genre specific, it also feels more dated", Elan added. ^[109]

Expecting to show a new and more-mature side visually, TLC were in Los Angeles discussing the project when they saw a Matthew Rolston-directed music video for Salt-N-Pepa. ^{[3] [8]} Thomas said, "We were looking at it and said, 'Whoever did this video has to do the "Creep" video.' We fell in love with the way it was shot." ^[8] She said several times the video they had watched was "Whatta Man", however, during an interview with MTV in 1995, the show said it was "None of Your Business", a video also shot by Rolston that has more visual similarities to the final "Creep" video. ^{[8] [106] [107]} Lopes recalled how adamant they were about redoing the video as they were returning to the music scene. ^[107] When their management suggested having the video re-edited, the group declined ^[107] and reached out to Rolston to schedule an August 1994 shoot in Los Angeles. ^{[8] [103]}

Rolston brought his team including make-up artist, wardrobe-hair stylist, dancers and choreographer, but had a few creative conflicts with the group. ^[110] One involved the original routine created by Watkins, who had choreographed most of the group's early videos. ^{[110] [111]} She remembered Rolston's choreographer, Frank Gatson Jr., "locked" the girls out from providing ideas as they were practicing the new dance moves. ^{[112] [110]} The trio eventually dropped Gatson because they thought his version was not their "style of dancing", though two of his moves were adapted in the final clip. ^[110] "To me, I didn't even think about, 'Well, can I really choreograph?' I was just like, 'Let me do my thing.' I just like to dance and I know when I like what I see. I like different kinds of stuff", Watkins stated. ^[111] The "bend-down-and-jump-up" dance that appeared in the video was created by Watkins to "Foe Life", a song by rapper Mack 10, her spouse from 2000 to 2004. ^{[113] [114]}

Another dispute between TLC and Rolston was over their wardrobe. ^[110] The director was interested in "tight and sexy" lingerie looks for them while they only liked baggy tomboy clothes. Combining the two, the girls ended up in bright colored, flowing silk pajamas "that took on an edge when all but one button was unbuttoned and wind machines were turned on high." ^[115] Each custom-made outfit cost more than US$1,000. ^[106] Thomas also talked about their exhaustion on the set: "People don't realize that for video shoots you have to wake up at like 5 in the morning for your call time. So when we did that part at the very end of the video where we're talking to the camera and looking all silly, we were so tired. But sometimes that ends up being your best shots." ^[8] Eventually, she called Rolston's final product "excellent", while Lopes said that after two failed attempts the director finally gave them a "real video". ^{[103] [107]}

Release and synopsis

Watkins performing in the video wearing her famous, barely buttoned and wind-blown satin pajamas

The clip debuted on MTV in the last week of October 1994. ^[116] It opens with each girl, wearing different colored, barely buttoned and wind-blown satin pajamas, singing and dancing individually in front of a distinct brightly colored background. Watkins wears blue in front of a pink background, Lopes—red with a blue background, and Thomas—pink with a red background. In other scenes Thomas's colors have been color corrected to grey for artistic reasons. ^{[8] [54] [117]} Added to these takes are a few close-up shots of a twirling blue trumpet. ^[118] The trio and their accompanying female dancers are later shown in black-and-white shots, practicing the choreography and making fun of Lopes for trying to breakdance while walking on her hands. ^[8] Thomas described the scene as "most fun part" of the shoot, calling it a "classic TLC moment". ^[8] VH1's writer Seher Sikandar described the dance during the song's chorus as the "modified butterfly with the swing-scoop arm", while The Telegraph's Bernadette McNulty's dance tip for her readers was: "Feet apart, bounce your knees as low as they will go while winding your hips." ^{[119] [29]} In another scene, Watkins is seen in a closed bar singing into an old-fashioned microphone, being backed by a trumpeter, with her love interest, played by Omar Lopez. ^[120] Throughout the clip, Watkins keeps giving the man an incredulous look that suggests he might be cheating. The video ends with the trio dancing arguing jokingly. This was Thomas's favorite scene. ^[121]

The group acknowledged one scene that showed the exposed left lower part of Watkins's breasts received public attention. ^{[3] [121]}

An alternative cut for the video has also been made. ^[122] The original version appeared on three of their video albums: CrazyVideoCool (1995), Now & Forever: The Video Hits (2003) and Artist Collection (2004). CrazyVideoCool included excerpts of previously-scrapped versions and commentary from TLC. ^{[103] [123] [124]}

Reception and impact

Many publications considered the video "iconic" and "classic". ^{[108] [104] [19]} David Asante of MOBO Awards' blog called it "one of the most celebrated pop videos of all time". ^[125] Daniel Ralston, host of MTV's Videohead podcast said Rolston flipped the "paradigm" on "Creep", "Whatta Man" and many of his works, where the women were in control and men were shown in a way that women were often depicted in male artists' videos. ^[126] Idolator's Robbie Daw found the women comfortable with their own sexuality in the clip and said "What girl in the mid-90s did not want to emulate that?". Anthony DeCurtis of Vibe claimed that the visuals for "Creep" and "Red Light Special" set the standard for video eroticism at the time. ^{[8] [127]}

Lindsay Zoladz, a writer of Pitchfork, observed when most people think of TLC, their brains immediately go to the sounds and images of CrazySexyCool—"Waterfalls", "Red Light Special" and the silk pajamas in "Creep". ^[128] Ebony's Michael A. Gonzales reminisced about the time when the video debuted on MTV, TLC returned as the "lipstick liberators", much to the surprise of a public used to their tomboy style. The journalist then compared the "splashy" video to its previous versions as "less urban" and more "Madison Avenue commercial chic". ^[54] Like Gonzales, PopMatters ' writer Quentin B. Huff also noticed the "striking" difference between the T-shirt and baggy pants look on their last video "What About Your Friends" and the new "silky nightgown come-ons" look on "Creep" and "Red Light Special". ^[129] In the book Experiencing Music Video: Aesthetics and Cultural Context, author Carol Vernallis felt the women's outfits in "Creep" suggested their "sexual availability" but the low-angle camera placement, and the texture and movement of billowing silk fabric suggest a "phallic sexuality". ^[130]

After the video's release, the pajamas created "a fashion stir". ^[115] The group intended to create a low-price fashion line called "Creepwear" but it was ultimately scrapped. ^[115] Dazed Digital 's editor Tempe Nakiska later mentioned the trio's pajamas as "one of the greatest group coordinates of all time" while Canadian Fashion magazine chose the clip as one of the most fashionable. ^{[131] [132]} VH1's Seher Sikandar listed the video's choreography as one of the top-twenty R&B dance routines of the 1990s. ^[119] It appeared at number six on Consequence of Sound 's fifty best 1994 videos list, and at number 30 on Complex's top fifty R&B clips of the 1990s. ^{[133] [31]}

The visual was one of several parodied in Blink 182's video "All the Small Things" in 2000. ^[134] Keri Hilson's 2010 music video "Pretty Girl Rock" had the singer with two backup dancers dressed in silk pajamas imitating Watkins and the group from the original clip. ^[135] In 2014, shot-for-shot re-enactments of the videos for "Creep", "Waterfalls" and "No Scrubs" were produced for their biopic CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story, with Keke Palmer playing Thomas, Drew Sidora as Watkins and rapper Lil Mama as Lopes, the three wearing TLC's original wardrobe from each video. ^{[136] [137]} In 2016, the pajamas were said to have inspired Thomas and rapper-actor Nick Cannon's outfits in his music video for "If I Was Your Man", where Thomas has a cameo role as Cannon's love interest. ^[138]

Live performances

TLC first performed "Creep" on television for the Nickelodeon series All That on January 7, 1995, followed by a performance on the May 6 episode of Saturday Night Live along with "Red Light Special". ^{[139] [140]} Complex chose the All That performance as one of the best of the series, while "Red Light Special" appeared on the compilation SNL25 – Saturday Night Live, The Musical Performances Volume 2 (1999), though Billboard's Michael Paoletta described it as "awful". ^{[141] [142] [143]} Later in July, the trio joined other artists on the 16th Annual Budweiser Superfest Tour, with "Creep" added to their playlist. On stage, they performed the song to an audience of 3,000–6,000 in front of the letters "CrazySexyCool". Many girls wore cropped T-shirts with oversized jeans held up by thick belts. ^{[144] [145] [146]} Chicago Tribune 's reporter Rohan B. Preston said their set "lit torches for female desire" their songs "Creep" and "Red Light Special". ^[147] Complex chose their performance of "CrazySexyMedley"—which included "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg", "Kick Your Game", "Creep" and "Waterfalls"—at the 1995 MTV Video Music Awards as one of the ceremony's twenty best performances of all-time. Writer Edwin Ortiz declared: "Back in the '90s, no female R&B act could touch TLC." ^{[148] [149]} A "Hitmix" medley was put together for their September 28 appearance on Top of the Pops , made of three CrazySexyCool singles: "Creep", "Waterfalls" and "Diggin' on You". ^[150]

In October 1999, they performed the song in their famous silk pajamas during FanMail Tour's third act, which represented the songs of CrazySexyCool. ^{[151] [152] [153]} Its January 29, 2000, show in Atlanta was taped for the March 18 pay-per-view special TLC: Sold Out, while a few clips of the January 23 concert at MCI Center, in Washington, D.C. were later included on the CD and DVD of TLC 20: 20th Anniversary Hits (2013), a Japan-only compilation. ^{[154] [155] [156] [44]} After Lopes's death in 2002, Watkins and Thomas first appeared as a two-piece group at Giant Stadium, New York City for Z100's annual Zootopia concert on June 1, 2003. For what was billed as the group's final performance, they wore baggy white jumpsuits while singing "Creep" with four backup dancers. ^{[157] [158]} The duo added the song to their greatest-hits performance on the finale of their reality show R U the Girl , which aired on September 21, 2005. ^[159]

Seven years later, the two performed the song at the Japanese Springroove Music Festival on April 4, 2009, and at the October 17 set of Justin Timberlake's charity concert, Justin Timberlake and Friends, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center, Las Vegas. ^{[160] [161]} This performance marked their first live-concert US appearance in six years, however, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported that the girls had been lip-syncing throughout the show. ^{[162] [161] [163]} On October 16, 2013, TLC sang the song during their hit-medley on talk show The View with a separate televised live rendition of the track for VH1's Super Bowl Blitz concert at the Beacon Theatre on January 30, 2014, where they wore revealing black lace attire. ^{[164] [165]} Intermittently, "Creep" was added to many of their performances, notably the 2015 The Main Event tour with main act New Kids on the Block, and other shows across America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and the Philippines. ^{[166] [167]}

Cover versions and usage in media

Rock band The Afghan Whigs (left) covered "Creep" in 1996 while singer Zendaya (right) sampled the track for "Something New", a single featuring Chris Brown, in 2016.

In 1996, American rock band The Afghan Whigs covered the song and included it on two of their extended plays, Honky's Ladder and Bonnie & Clyde EP . ^{[168] [169]} Journalist Jason Ankeny from AllMusic said the rendition proved that "even if [band member Greg Dulli] doesn't possess a heart, he at least has a brain -- albeit in his pants". ^[168] According to Spin, "Creep" was also reportedly sung by the famous Las Vegas entertainer Wayne Newton. ^[53] In 2014, singers Nick Carter and Jordan Knight covered the song as part of a 1990s hits medley on their North American tour. ^[170] On the 2015 season of Idols South Africa contestants Mmatema Moremi, Busisiwe Mthembu and Nonhle Mhlongo performed the song during the show's Hell Week round. ^[171] The X Factor UK 's contestant Honey G covered the track during the bootcamp episode aired in 2016. ^[172]

"Creep" has been covered, sampled and recreated by many hip-hop and R&B artists. Two notable recordings were released on SoundCloud in 2013: Haitian-Canadian record producer Kaytranada's remix of the song called "Kaytranada's Creepier Edition" in January and GoldLink's rap rendition in December. ^{[173] [174] [175] [176] [177]} In July 2015, American singer-songwriter Eric Bellinger re-wrote and recorded a new version of the track for his album Cuffing Season. He invited Watkins to contribute vocals for a new verse. "When I heard [the original version] flip I immediately knew I had to at least try to get T-Boz on it since that was her solo song with [TLC]! Luckily when she heard the record she loved it!" Bellinger said in a statement sent to MTV News. ^[178] The track's new content finds Bellinger making promises to never cheat on his lover. ^[178] "Creep" appeared on The Game's "Sex Skit" from his album The Documentary 2.5 , released in October 2015. ^[179] In February 2016, singer Zendaya sampled the song for her single "Something New" with Chris Brown. She said: "The song, when I first heard it, already had that TLC sample in it. And that's kind of what I think made me want to record it." Watkins is confirmed to have a cameo on its music video, which remains unreleased. ^[180]

In other media, "Creep" was included on "CAT", an episode from season one of the television series New York Undercover , which first aired on February 23, 1995. ^[181] In December of that year, the song was used on the soundtrack of the film Waiting to Exhale ; TLC also recorded a new song, "This Is How It Works", for the film's soundtrack album. ^[182] In 2010, "Creep" and "Waterfalls" were played in the comedy film The Other Guys , with a running gag that Michael Keaton's character would subconsciously reference TLC's lyrics without having any idea who the group is. ^[183] In literature, South African poet and novelist Mandla Langa mentioned the trio's music video in his book The Memory of Stones in 2000, referring to them as "the legend". ^[184] The song can be heard on the soundtracks for video games The Hip Hop Dance Experience , Everybody Dance and Dance Central Spotlight .

Track listings and formats

"Creep" European CD; US cassette; Japanese mini-CD single [185] [186] [187] "Creep" (album version) – 4:29 "Creep" (instrumental album version) – 4:47 UK 12-inch single [188] "Creep" (album version) – 4:30 "Creep" (Untouchables mix) – 5:26 "Creep" (Untouchables instrumental) – 5:18 "Creep" (Jermaine's Jeep mix) – 5:11 "Creep" (Super Smooth mix) – 4:44 "Creep" (Jermaine's acappella mix) – 5:09 UK CD single [189] "Creep" (album version) – 4:28 "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" (Smoothed Down extended remix) – 5:53 "Creep" (Untouchables mix) – 5:22 "Creep" (Jermaine's acappella mix) – 5:09 UK and Germany maxi-CD single [190] [191] "Creep" (album version) – 4:29 "Creep" (Super Smooth mix) – 4:42 "Creep" (Jermaine's Jeep mix) – 5:09 "Creep" (Jermaine's acappella mix) – 5:09 "Creep" (Untouchables instrumental) – 5:18 "Creep" (DARP mix) – 4:50 US 12-inch single No. 1 [37] "Creep" (album version) – 4:27 "Creep" (Jermaine's Jeep mix) – 5:09 "Creep" (instrumental album version) – 4:47 "Creep" (Jermaine's acappella mix) – 5:09

US 12-inch single No. 2 [192] "Creep" (Untouchables mix) – 5:22 "Creep" (DARP mix) – 4:50 "Creep" (Untouchables TV mix) – 5:23 "Creep" (Smooth mix) – 5:23 "Creep" (Untouchables instrumental) – 5:18 US maxi-CD single [35] "Creep" (album version) – 4:30 "Creep" (Jermaine's Jeep mix) – 5:11 "Creep" (Untouchables mix) – 5:26 "Creep" (Super Smooth mix) – 4:44 "Creep" (DARP mix) – 4:51 "Creep" (Untouchables instrumental) – 5:18 "Creep '96" UK 12-inch single [41] "Creep" (Maxx remix) – 5:12 "Creep" (Jermaine's Jeep mix) – 5:13 "Creep" (Tin Tin Out remix) – 8:35 "Waterfalls" (DARP remix) – 4:32 UK cassette single [193] "Creep (radio edit – original version) – 4:28 "Waterfalls" (single edit) – 4:21 European CD single [40] "Creep (radio edit – original version) – 4:28 "Waterfalls" (single edit) – 4:21 "Creep" (Maxx remix) – 5:11 "Creep" (Tin Tin Out remix) – 8:35

Credits

Credits adapted from the liner notes of the CD single, CrazySexyCool and CrazyVideoCool . ^{[17] [194] [27]}

Recording and management

• Recorded and mixed at DARP Studios (Atlanta)
• Mastered at The Hit Factory (New York City)
• Contains a sample of "Hey Young World", written by Ricky Walters and performed by Slick Rick, published by Def American Songs, Inc., courtesy of Def Jam Recordings, Inc.
• Contains a sample from "Who the Cap Fits", written by Edmund Carl Aiken Jr. PKA Shinehead, and performed by Shinehead, published by African Love Music/Def American Songs, Inc. under license from African Love Music
• Managed by Hiriam Management
• Published by EMI April Music Inc., Darp Music (ASCAP)

Personnel

• Dallas Austin  – writing, production, instrumentation, executive production
• Atvi Speights – record engineering, mixing
• Leslie Brathwaite – record engineering
• Carl Glover – record engineering assistance
• Brian Smith – record engineering assistance
• Sol Messiah – scratching
• Rick Sheppard – MIDI and sound design
• Debra Killings  – background vocals
• Chris Gehringer – mastering
• Antonio M. Reid  – executive production
• Kenneth Edmonds  – executive production
• Perri Reid  – executive production
• Dah Len – photography
• Davett Singletary – creative direction
• Christopher Stern – art direction

Charts

Weekly charts Weekly chart performance for "Creep" Chart (1994–1995) Peak position Australia (ARIA) [83] 20 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) [89] 45 Canada Dance/Urban ( RPM ) [195] 3 Canada Top Singles ( RPM ) [87] 41 Europe (European Hot 100 Singles) [196] 62 Europe (European Dance Radio) [197] 3 France (SNEP) [84] 23 Germany (Official German Charts) [86] 39 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) [198] 27 Netherlands (Single Top 100) [82] 19 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) [79] 4 Scotland (OCC) [199] 44 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade) [85] 26 UK Singles (OCC) [200] 22 UK Dance (OCC) [201] 12 UK Hip Hop/R&B (OCC) [202] 4 US Billboard Hot 100 [203] 1 US Dance Singles Sales ( Billboard ) [204] 1 US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs ( Billboard ) [68] 1 US Mainstream Top 40 ( Billboard ) [71] 9 US Rhythmic ( Billboard ) [69] 1 Weekly chart performance for "Creep" re-release Chart (1996) Peak position Australia (ARIA) [205] Creep 96 45 Europe (European Hot 100 Singles) [91] 43 Ireland (IRMA) [206] 9 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40 Tipparade) [207] Creep 96 19 Netherlands (Single Top 100 Tipparade) [208] Creep 96 5 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan) [90] 56 Scotland (OCC) [94] 17 UK Singles (OCC) [92] 6 UK Dance (OCC) [209] 8 UK Hip Hop/R&B (OCC) [93] 3

Year-end charts Chart (1995) Position Australia (ARIA) [210] 85 Canada Dance/Urban (RPM) [88] 35 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) [81] 35 US Billboard Hot 100 [73] 3 US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard) [211] 1 US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard) [212] 25 US Rhythmic (Billboard) [213] 1 Decade-end charts Chart (1990–1999) Position US Billboard Hot 100 [75] 21 All-time charts Chart (1958–2018) Position US Billboard Hot 100 [214] 172

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada) [215]	Gold	40,000‡
New Zealand (RMNZ) [80]	Gold	5,000*
United Kingdom (BPI) [216]	Silver	200,000‡
United States (RIAA) [67]	Platinum	1,000,000^
* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

See also

• List of number-one R&B singles of 1994 (U.S.)
• List of number-one R&B singles of 1995 (U.S.)
• List of Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles of 1995

Notes

1. Krulik 2002
2. Lipshutz, Jason (March 2, 2015). "20 Years of TLC's 'Creep': T-Boz Shares the No. 1 Song's Inspiration". Billboard . Retrieved December 6, 2016.
3. Lambe, Stacy (October 21, 2013). "Behind The Song: TLC's "Creep"". VH1. Retrieved January 8, 2017.
4. Pirnia, Garin (May 7, 2012). "Creep". Rolling Stone . Retrieved December 14, 2016.
5. Leland, John (August 5, 1995). "New Flavor In Your Ear". Newsweek LTD. Retrieved January 2, 2017.
6. Valdés, Mimi (September 2003). "The Sound of Music". Vibe . 11 (9): 206. ISSN   1070-4701 . Retrieved December 24, 2016– via Google Books.
7. Krishnamurthy, Sowmya (October 22, 2013). "The Five Craziest Moments From TLC's 'CrazySexyCool' Biopic". Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 15, 2016.
8. Daw, Robbie (November 20, 2014). "The 50 Best Pop Singles Of 1994 (Featuring New Interviews With Ace Of Base, TLC, Lisa Loeb, Real McCoy & Haddaway)". Idolator . Retrieved December 13, 2016.
9. Peterson, Latoya (August 2011). "Teen Esprit Revisited". Spin . 27 (7): 46. ISSN   0886-3032 . Retrieved December 24, 2016– via Google Books.
10. Weiss, Dan (February 26, 2015). "The SPIN Interview: TLC Look Back on Their First Decade and Ahead to Their Final Album". Spin. Retrieved December 15, 2016.
11. Greene, Andy (December 9, 2015). "Readers' Poll: The 10 Best Scott Weiland Songs". Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 14, 2016.
12. Complex staff(s) (May 9, 2013). "Who Rocked it Best: Battle of the Same Song Titles". Complex . Retrieved January 12, 2017.
13. Lee, Christina (November 17, 2014). "TLC's 'CrazySexyCool' Turns 20: Backtracking". Idolator. Retrieved December 15, 2016.
14. Hurley, Sally-Anne (November 14, 2014). "Inside TLC's Game-Changing Album 'CrazySexyCool'". TheMusic.com.au. Street Press Australia Proprietary Limited. Retrieved January 11, 2017.
15. Lavin, Will (November 18, 2019). "TLC's 'CrazySexyCool' at 25: The inside story of the game-changing R&B classic". NME. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
16. Lopes, Lisa. Box Set 2007 by Lisa 'Left Eye' Lopes (Video). MTV Artists Platform. Event occurs at 09:14.
17. Creep (CD single) (Compact Disc liner notes). TLC. United States: LaFace. 1994. 73008-24088-2.
18. Jones, Nate (May 27, 2014). "Let's Remember Lisa 'Left Eye' Lopes with Her Finest Rap Verses". People . Retrieved December 27, 2016.
19. Menze, Jill (November 13, 2014). "TLC's Chilli on the 20th Anniversary of 'CrazySexyCool'". People/Entertainment Weekly Network. Retrieved December 24, 2016– via Myspace.
20. Pareles, Jon (January 24, 2000). "A Girl Group That Takes No Prisoners In Love". The New York Times . Retrieved January 10, 2017.
21. Cooper, Carol (July 8, 2015). "TLC's T-Boz: 'A lot of people have made money off of us, and we haven't'". The Guardian. Retrieved December 14, 2016.
22. Anderson, Kyle (January 28, 2011). "TLC 'Creep' To The Top Of The Hot 100: Wake-Up Video". MTV News . Retrieved January 14, 2017.
23. Pitchfork staff(s) (August 31, 2010). "The Top 200 Tracks of the 1990s: 150-101". Pitchfork . Retrieved December 24, 2016.
24. Andrews, Charlotte Richardson (February 26, 2014). "10 of the best: 90s R&B". The Guardian . Retrieved December 15, 2016.
25. "TLC – CrazySexyCool review". Time . Vol. 144, no. 19–26. November 7, 1994. ISSN   0040-781X.
26. Anthony, David (June 12, 2015). "With 'Creep', TLC used infidelity as a means of reinvention". The A.V. Club . Retrieved January 5, 2017.
27. CrazyVideoCool (VHS liner notes). TLC. United States: BMG Video/6 West Home Video. 1996. 73008-25731-3.
28. Flick, Larry (November 12, 1994). "TLC – 'Creep' review". Billboard. Vol. 106, no. 46. p. 89. ISSN   0006-2510 . Retrieved December 24, 2016– via Google Books.
29. The Telegraph staff(s) (February 7, 2016). "50 songs to make you dance". Telegraph . Retrieved December 15, 2016.
30. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. TLC – CrazySexyCool review at AllMusic . Retrieved December 24, 2016.
31. "The 50 Best R&B Videos of the '90s". Complex. March 18, 2013. Retrieved December 16, 2016.
32. "TLC – 'Creep' Sheet Music". Musicnotes.com. December 15, 2008. Retrieved January 19, 2017.
33. Spin staff(s) (January 1996). "20 Best Albums of '95". Spin. 11 (10): 62. ISSN   0886-3032 . Retrieved December 24, 2016– via Google Books.
34. TLC – Creep at AllMusic . Retrieved December 29, 2016.
35. Creep (CD maxi single). TLC. United States: LaFace/Arista. 1994. B000007NZA.
36. Ali, Rahsheeda (October 21, 2013). "Who Are The Five Most Important People Behind TLC's Career?". VH1 . Archived from the original on December 1, 2023. Retrieved January 30, 2017.
37. Creep (12" single). TLC. United States: LaFace/Arista. 1994. 73008-24088-1.
38. "New Releases: Singles". Music Week . January 7, 1995. p. 13.
39. Gambaccini et al. 2004 , p. 83
40. Creep '96 (CD single). TLC. Netherlands: LaFace/BMG. 1996. 74321 345122.
41. Creep '96 (12" single). TLC. United Kingdom: LaFace/BMG. 1996. 74321 34094 1.
42. "クリープ | TLC" [Creep | TLC] (in Japanese). Oricon . Retrieved September 13, 2023.
43. "Creep" appeared on these three compilations:
    • "TLC – Now & Forever: The Hits". iTunes Store (US). September 30, 2003. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
    • "TLC – The Very Best of TLC: Crazy Sexy Hits". Amazon UK. July 2006. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
    • "TLC – 20". iTunes Store (US). October 15, 2013. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
44. "TLC – TLC 20: 20th Anniversary Hits". Billboard Japan . Retrieved December 31, 2016.
45. "Robert Christgau: CG: TLC". Robert Christgau . Retrieved December 15, 2016.
46. Baltin, Steve (December 10, 1994). "Pop Singles — Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box . Retrieved March 11, 2022.
47. Complex staff(s) (October 3, 2014). "The 50 Best R&B Songs of the '90s". Complex. Archived from the original on December 6, 2014. Retrieved December 24, 2016.
48. Chesna, Benjamin; Ortiz, Edwin (November 22, 2012). "25 Songs That Make You Want to Cheat on Your Girl". Complex. Retrieved December 24, 2016.
49. Price, Simon (May 13, 1995). "Albums". Melody Maker . p. 38. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
50. Tee, Ralph (November 26, 1994). "Hot Vinyl" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). p. 6. Retrieved April 22, 2021.
51. Cinquemani, Sal (October 20, 2013). "TLC – 20 review". Slant Magazine . Retrieved December 24, 2016.
52. Aaron, Charles (March 1995). "TLC – 'Creep' review". Spin. 10 (12): 100. ISSN   0886-3032 . Retrieved December 24, 2016– via Google Books.
53. Aaron, Charles (September 1999). "The Top 20 Singles of 1990s". Spin. 15 (9): 137. ISSN   0886-3032 . Retrieved December 24, 2016– via Google Books.
54. Gonzales, Michael A. (November 18, 2014). "TLC Marks 20 Years of 'CrazySexyCool'". Ebony . Retrieved December 24, 2016.
55. Poulson-Bryant & Fontaine 2002 , p. 169
56. Billboard staff(s) (July 22, 1995). "Lady Of Soul Awards To Bow; 5 Noms For TLC". Billboard. Vol. 107, no. 29. p. 22. ISSN   0006-2510 . Retrieved January 5, 2017– via Google Books.
57. Billboard staff(s) (August 19, 1995). "Brandy Sweeps Soul Train Awards". Billboard. Vol. 107, no. 33. p. 15. ISSN   0006-2510 . Retrieved January 5, 2017– via Google Books.
58. "List of Grammy nominees". CNN . January 4, 1996. Retrieved December 27, 2016.
59. "TLC". Grammy Award's website. The Recording Academy . Retrieved December 27, 2016.
60. Serico, Chris (February 15, 2016). "Grammys flashback: 11 unforgettable moments from the 1996 show". Today . Retrieved January 5, 2017.
61. "ASCAP Congratulates the Winners of Our 1996 Pop Awards". Billboard. Vol. 108, no. 22. June 1, 1996. p. 4. ISSN   0006-2510 . Retrieved March 28, 2017– via Google Books.
62. "Billboard Hot 100 chart archive of November 12, 1994". Billboard. Retrieved January 3, 2017.
63. "Billboard Hot 100 archive of November 19, 1994". Billboard. Retrieved January 3, 2017.
64. "Billboard Hot 100 chart archive of December 3, 1994". Billboard. January 2, 2013. Retrieved January 3, 2017.
65. Morris, Chris (January 14, 1995). "Ace of Base, 'Lion King' lead record certs". Billboard. Vol. 107, no. 2. p. 76. ISSN   0006-2510 . Retrieved January 3, 2017– via Google Books.
66. "Best-selling records of 1994". Billboard. Vol. 107, no. 3. January 20, 1996. p. 57. ISSN   0006-2510 . Retrieved January 5, 2017– via Google Books.
67. "American single certifications – TLC – Creep". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved November 3, 2017.
68. "TLC Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved January 4, 2017.
69. "TLC Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard. Retrieved February 5, 2017.
70. "TLC Chart History: Radio Songs". Billboard. Retrieved May 11, 2018.
71. "TLC Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved January 4, 2017.
72. Elliot, Dave (November 12, 1994). "Hot 100: Singles Spotlight". Billboard. Vol. 107, no. 4. p. 95. ISSN   0006-2510 . Retrieved January 3, 2017– via Google Books.
73. "Billboard Top 100 – 1995". Archived from the original on August 15, 2009. Retrieved August 27, 2010.
74. "Best-selling records of 1995". Billboard. Vol. 108, no. 3. January 20, 1996. p. 56. ISSN   0006-2510 . Retrieved January 4, 2017– via Google Books.
75. Mayfield, Geoff (December 25, 1999). 1999 The Year in Music Totally '90s: Diary of a Decade – The listing of Top Pop Albums of the '90s & Hot 100 Singles of the '90s. Billboard. Retrieved October 15, 2010– via Google Books.
76. Billboard staff(s) (March 2, 2015). "Top 40 Biggest Girl Group Songs of All Time on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart". Billboard. Retrieved December 16, 2016.
77. "Archive Chart: 1995-01-21". UK Singles Chart . Retrieved January 5, 2017.
78. "Archive Chart: 1995-01-15". UK R&B Chart . Retrieved January 5, 2017.
79. "TLC – Creep". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved January 4, 2017.
80. "New Zealand single certifications – TLC – Creep". Recorded Music NZ . Retrieved November 3, 2017.
81. "End of Year Charts 1995". Recorded Music NZ . Retrieved May 20, 2020.
82. "TLC – Creep" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved January 4, 2017.
83. "TLC – Creep". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved January 4, 2017.
84. "TLC – Creep" (in French). Les classement single.
85. "TLC – Creep". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved January 4, 2017.
86. "TLC – Creep" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved March 2, 2020.
87. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 2722." RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved January 4, 2017.
88. "RPM Top 50 Dance Tracks of 1995". RPM . Library and Archives Canada. December 18, 1995. Retrieved February 15, 2017.
89. "TLC – Creep" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved January 4, 2017.
90. "TLC – Creep". Singles Top 100.
91. "Euro Chart Hot 100" (PDF). Music & Media. January 27, 1996. p. 31. Retrieved June 22, 2018.
92. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 19, 2023.
93. "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 19, 2023.
94. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 19, 2023.
95. "Rhythm Nation Top 50 Albums of the Decade". BBC Radio 1 . Retrieved December 16, 2016.
96. Hess 2007 , p. 517
97. "Pazz & Jop critics' poll of 1995". The Village Voice . Retrieved December 24, 2016.
98. Pollock 2005 , p. 66
99. Pappademas, Alex (December 23–30, 1999). "90 Best Songs of the 90s: "Creep"". The Boston Phoenix . Archived from the original on June 5, 2011. Retrieved May 25, 2017.
100. Horowitz, Steven J. (July 10, 2017). "100 Greatest Girl Group Songs of All Time: Critics' Picks". Billboard. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
101. Petridis, Alexis (February 24, 2022). "TLC's 20 greatest songs - ranked!". The Guardian . Retrieved March 11, 2022.
102. O'Brien, Jon (June 30, 2017). "The 10 Best TLC Songs". Paste . Retrieved March 11, 2022.
103. TLC (November 7, 1995). CrazyVideoCool . United States: BMG. 73008-25731-3.
104. Myers, Owen (April 8, 2013). "The Agony & The Ecstasy: music news". Dazed Digital . Retrieved December 23, 2016.
105. Lionel C. Martin had directed the videos for "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" (1991), "Sleigh Ride" (1992) and "Get It Up" (1993). Sources:
     • Ooooooohhh... On the Video Tip (VHS liner notes). TLC. United States: LaFace. 1992. 73008-25723-3.
     • "TLC – "Sleigh Ride" music video". CMT.com . April 22, 2013. Retrieved January 25, 2017.
     • "TLC – "Get It Up" music video". CMT.com. May 15, 2009. Retrieved January 25, 2017.
106. Ade-Brown, Lathleen (December 2, 2014). "YouBeauty Q&A: Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas From TLC". YouBeauty.com. YouContent Media. Retrieved December 15, 2016.
107. "TLC". Past, Present and Future. 1995. MTV.
108. Fact staff(s) (April 8, 2013). "Watch an unreleased video for TLC's classic 'Creep'". Fact. The Vinyl Factory . Retrieved December 23, 2016.
109. Elan, Priya (April 8, 2013). "Watch – TLC's Rare 'Creep' Video". NME . Retrieved December 13, 2016.
110. Tionne "T-Boz", Watkins; Rozonda Ocelean "Chilli", Thomas (October 14, 2013). TLC Countdown – CrazySexyCool: Sneak Peak . VH1.
111. "Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins' interview". Sister 2 Sister . 7 (1–6): 34. 1995.
112. "Frank Gatson Jr. – Resume – Chokolate" (PDF). Chokolate.tv. Retrieved December 16, 2016.
113. Vibe 2001
114. Schwarz, Michael A. (June 14, 2004). "T-Boz files for divorce from Mack 10". USA Today . Retrieved January 28, 2017.
115. Sajbel, Maureen (May 25, 1995). "Fashion: Video Vogue: Simply Dreamy". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved December 17, 2016.
116. Flick, Larry (November 12, 1994). "Billboard Video Monitor for week ending October 30, 1994". Billboard. Vol. 106, no. 46. p. 39. ISSN   0006-2510 . Retrieved December 24, 2016– via Google Books.
117. Watkins, Tionne (March 4, 2015). T-Boz Watkins reveals one of her hidden talents. Chideo. Event occurs at 0:28. Archived from the original (Video) on February 2, 2017. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
118. Beebe 2007 , p. 138
119. Sikandar, Seher (October 21, 2014). "20 R&B Music Videos From 15 Years Ago That Taught Us How To Dance". VH1. Archived from the original on February 23, 2023. Retrieved December 15, 2016.
120. Nostro, Lauren (April 8, 2013). "Watch This Unreleased Rare Video for TLC's "Creep"". Complex. Retrieved December 13, 2016.
121. "TLC". BET Testimony. November 14, 2002. BET.
122. Creep (Alternate Scene Version) on Vimeo. Retrieved January 9, 2017.
123. TLC (February 3, 2004). Now & Forever: The Video Hits. Europe: LaFace/Arista. 82876 59270 9.
124. TLC (October 12, 2004). Artist Collection. Europe: BMG. B000VT2NIC.
125. Asante, David (April 8, 2013). "TLC Release Alternative 'Creep' Video". MOBO . The Music Of Black Origin Awards. Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved December 23, 2016.
126. Daniel Ralston (October 5, 2016). "EP3: Matthew Rolston and April Richardson". MTV (Podcast). Megaphone.fm. Event occurs at 02:27. Retrieved January 7, 2017.
127. DeCurtis, Anthony (May 1999). "There The Hard Way". Vibe. 7 (4): 84. ISSN   1070-4701 . Retrieved January 7, 2017– via Google Books.^{[ permanent dead link ]}
128. Zoladz, Lindsay (May 4, 2012). "Refresh: The Lonely Futurism of TLC's FanMail". Pitchfork. Retrieved January 7, 2017.
129. B. Huff, Quentin (June 3, 2007). "TLC – Now & Forever – The Video Hits review". PopMatters. Retrieved December 23, 2016.
130. Vernallis 2004 , p. 100
131. Nakiska, Tempe (February 15, 2014). "TLC's greatest fashion moments". Dazed Digital . Retrieved December 15, 2016.
132. Forster, Ashleigh (July 17, 2015). "The most fashionable music videos of all time". Fashion . Retrieved December 19, 2016.
133. Maider, Ted; Kitching, Bryant; Essner, Dean; Koellner, Amanda (March 24, 2014). "Top 10 Music Videos of 1994". Consequence of Sound . Retrieved January 7, 2017.
134. Pell, Mike (January 7, 2016). "9 Music Videos That Parody Other Music Videos". MTV UK . Retrieved January 7, 2017.
135. Bain, Becky (November 11, 2010). "Keri Hilson Transforms Into Janet Jackson And T-Boz In Her "Pretty Girl Rock" Video". Idolator. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
136. Hampp, Andrew (July 25, 2013). "TLC Preps New Album In October, Taps Lil Mama For Mixtape Performance". Billboard. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
137. Wilson, Gaby (October 21, 2013). "TLC Reveals Why Costuming For Their 'CrazySexyCool' Biopic Was (Relatively) Easy". MTV News. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
138. Mojica, Nicholas (August 22, 2016). "TLC's Chilli Fuels Nick Cannon Relationship Rumors With Sultry Instagram Photo". International Business Times . Retrieved January 3, 2016.
139. "TLC". All That. Season 1. Episode 3. January 7, 1995. Nickelodeon.
140. "Bob Saget / TLC". Saturday Night Live. Season 20. Episode 19. May 6, 1995. NBC.
141. Nostro, Lauren (April 7, 2013). "The 20 Best "All That" Performances". Complex. Retrieved December 30, 2016.
142. SNL25 – Saturday Night Live, The Musical Performances: Volume 2 (CD). Various artists. United States: DreamWorks. September 21, 1999. 0044-50206-2.
143. Paoletta, Michael (October 16, 1999). "SNL25 – Saturday Night Live, The Musical Performances Volumes 1 & 2 review". Billboard. Vol. 111, no. 42. p. 24. ISSN   0006-2510 . Retrieved March 23, 2017– via Google Books.
144. Givhan, Robin D. (July 24, 1995). "Superfest: The Day the 'Do Died The Rain Fell, Then the Hair Fell. But Spirits Were Hardly Dampened". The Washington Post . Retrieved December 30, 2016.
145. Perkins, Terry (July 19, 1995). "Boyz II Men's Fireworks Ignite A Superlative Superfest". St. Louis Post-Dispatch . p. 39.
146. Variety staff(s) (July 24, 1995). "Finding the key to a magical tour". Variety . Retrieved December 30, 2016.
147. Preston, Rohan B. (July 18, 1995). "Superfest Goes Soft". Chicago Tribune . Retrieved December 30, 2016.
148. "1995 MTV Video Music Awards". MTV . Retrieved December 30, 2016.
149. Ortiz, Edwin (August 23, 2014). "The 20 Best VMA Performances". Complex. Retrieved December 30, 2016.
150. "September 28, 2016". Top of the Pops. Season 32. Episode 39. September 28, 2016. BBC One.
151. Seymour, Craig (November 4, 1999). "Is TLC's FanMail tour in trouble?". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved December 31, 2016.
152. Evans, Rob (October 8, 1999). "TLC Adds New Supporting Act For National Tour". LiveDaily . Archived from the original on November 27, 1999. Retrieved December 31, 2016.
153. TLC (March 18, 2000). TLC: Sold Out. United States.
154. Gill, John (November 22, 1999). "TLC's Chilli Gets Reacquainted With The Silver Screen". MTV News. Retrieved December 31, 2016.
155. Manning, Kara (September 28, 2000). "TLC's Touring Future Questioned". MTV News. Retrieved December 31, 2016.
156. "TLC: Sold Out". Moviefone . Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved December 31, 2016.
157. Reid, Shaheem (June 2, 2003). "TLC Say Goodbye, Beleaguered Ja Rule Basks In Limelight At Zootopia Show". MTV News. Retrieved December 31, 2016.
158. Susman, Gary (April 18, 2003). "TLC plan first and last concert without Left Eye". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved January 5, 2017.
159. "You are the Girl". R U the Girl. Season 1. Episode 9. September 21, 2005. UPN.
160. MTV News Blog (Japan) staff(s) (April 8, 2009). "TLC at Springroove 09". MTV News Blog (Japan) . Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved January 1, 2017.
161. Elias, Matt (October 18, 2009). "Justin Timberlake Puts Friends Taylor Swift, Alicia Keys To Work In Vegas". MTV News. Retrieved January 1, 2017.
162. Gray, Mark (August 25, 2009). "TLC to Play First U.S. Concert in 7 Years". People . Retrieved January 1, 2017.
163. Bracelin, Jason (October 19, 2009). "Justin Timberlake and Friends". Las Vegas Review-Journal . Retrieved January 1, 2017.
164. "Wednesday, October 16, 2013". The View. October 16, 2013. ABC.
165. Runtagh, Jordan (January 31, 2014). "TLC Chase "Waterfalls" In Manhattan During Sultry Super Bowl Blitz Show". VH1. Archived from the original on May 24, 2022. Retrieved January 1, 2017.
166. Guerra, Joey (May 17, 2015). "New Kids, TLC, Nelly get nostalgic in Houston". Houston Chronicle . Retrieved January 1, 2017.
167. Reports on TLC's tour countries in 2010 and 2016:
     • America: Schube, Will (October 24, 2016). "TLC Made a Comeback at Beach Goth, Kind of, and We're Here for It". Noisey . Retrieved January 1, 2017.
     • Canada: Babiolakis, Andreas (September 28, 2016). "TLC at Echo Beach". Live in Limbo. Retrieved January 1, 2017.
     • Australia: Zuel, Bernard (November 16, 2016). "TLC review: fan mail for a fun show". The Sydney Morning Herald . Retrieved January 1, 2017.
     • Philippines: Ignacio, Angela V. (November 13, 2016). "7 Super moments from the TLC x SWV concert". Philippine Daily Inquirer . Retrieved January 1, 2017.
     • New Zealand: "Pics: TLC slay Auckland's Vector Arena". Mai FM . November 28, 2016. Retrieved January 1, 2017.
     • Japan: "TLC's tour dates in Tokyo". Billboard Live Japan. Retrieved January 1, 2017.
168. Ankeny, Jason. The Afghan Whigs – Honky's Ladder review at AllMusic . Retrieved January 2, 2017.
169. Ankeny, Jason. The Afghan Whigs – Bonnie & Clyde EP review at AllMusic . Retrieved January 2, 2017.
170. Hancock, Karah-Leigh (October 15, 2014). "Fangirling: Nick Carter, Jordan Knight invite the world to their Atlanta concert with webcast". Online Anthens . Retrieved January 3, 2016.
171. AllAfrica.com staff(s) (August 10, 2015). "South Africa: Worst 'Hell Week' in History of Idols SA". AllAfrica.com . Retrieved January 3, 2016.
172. ITV staff(s) (September 18, 2016). "I say Boot, you say Camp! Honey G takes on TLC's Creep". ITV . Archived from the original on October 21, 2016. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
173. Kaytranada (January 11, 2013). "TLC – Creep (Kaytranada's Creepier Edition)". SoundCloud . Retrieved January 3, 2017.
174. Jenkins, Craig (August 26, 2014). "15 New Producers to Watch for in 2014". Complex. Retrieved January 3, 2017.
175. GoldLink (October 23, 2013). "GoldLink – Creep". SoundCloud. Retrieved January 25, 2017.
176. Nostro, Lauren (July 10, 2014). "Who Is GoldLink? The DMV Rapper Talks the Allure of Anonymity, Finding Success, and "The God Complex"". Complex. Retrieved January 25, 2017.
177. Manny, Emmanuel C.M. (March 3, 2014). "The Break Presents: GoldLink". XXL . Retrieved January 25, 2017.
178. Markman, Rob (July 10, 2015). "TLC's classic 'Creep' gets a remake and a new verse from T-Boz". MTV News. Retrieved January 3, 2017.
179. The Documentary 2.5 (Compact Disc liner notes). The Game. United States: Blood Money and eOne. October 16, 2015. 73008-24088-2.
180. Mastrogiannis, Nicole (March 7, 2016). "Interview: Zendaya On 'Something New' & Her 2016 Album". iHeartRadio . Archived from the original on May 3, 2016. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
181. "CAT". New York Undercover. Season 1. Episode 19. February 23, 1995. Fox.
182. Lytle, Craig. Waiting to Exhale (Original Soundtrack) review at AllMusic . Retrieved January 2, 2017.
183. Ditzian, Eric (August 9, 2010). "'The Other Guys': Five Secrets Revealed". MTV News. Retrieved January 2, 2017.
184. Langa 2000 , p. 170
185. Creep (CD single). TLC. Europe: LaFace/BMG. 1994. 74321 25711 2.
186. Creep (cassette single). TLC. United States: LaFace. 1994. 73008-24082-4.
187. Creep (mini CD single). TLC. Japan: LaFace/Arista. 1994. BVDA-95.
188. Creep (12" single). TLC. United Kingdom: LaFace/Arista. 1994. 74321 254211.
189. Creep (CD single). TLC. United Kingdom: LaFace/Arista. 1994. 74321 25677 2.
190. Creep (CD maxi single). TLC. United Kingdom: LaFace/Arista. 1994. 74321 25421 2.
191. Creep (CD maxi single). TLC. Germany: LaFace/BMG. 1994. 74321 25421 2.
192. Creep (12" single). TLC. United States: LaFace/Arista. 1994. 73008-24093-1.
193. Creep '96 (cassette single). TLC. United Kingdom: LaFace/BMG. 1996. 74321 39094 4.
194. CrazySexyCool (Compact Disc liner notes). TLC. United States: LaFace. 1994. 73008-26009-2.
195. "Top RPM Dance/Urban: Issue 7987." RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved February 8, 2020.
196. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 11, no. 6. February 11, 1995. p. 13. Retrieved April 19, 2023.
197. "European Dance Radio" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 11, no. 6. February 11, 1995. p. 16. Retrieved April 18, 2023.
198. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 8, 1995" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved March 24, 2018.
199. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 19, 2023.
200. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 19, 2023.
201. "Official Dance Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 19, 2023.
202. "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 19, 2023.
203. "TLC Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved January 4, 2017.
204. "TLC Chart History (Dance Singles Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved April 11, 2022.
205. "TLC – Creep 96". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
206. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Creep". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved April 19, 2023.
207. "Tipparade-lijst van week 8, 1996" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40 . Retrieved April 19, 2023.
208. "TLC – Creep 96" (in Dutch). Single Top 100 . Retrieved March 17, 2024.
209. "Official Dance Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 19, 2023.
210. "The ARIA Australian Top 100 Singles 1995". ARIA, via Imgur.com. Retrieved January 8, 2020.
211. "1995 Year End Chart: R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Billboard . Retrieved January 27, 2012.
212. "Most Played Mainstream Top 40 Songs Of 1995" (PDF). Billboard . Vol. 3, no. 51. December 15, 1995. p. 8. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
213. "Most Played Rhythmic Top 40 Songs Of 1995" (PDF). Billboard . Vol. 3, no. 51. December 15, 1995. p. 9. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
214. "Billboard Hot 100 60th Anniversary Interactive Chart". Billboard. Retrieved December 10, 2018.
215. "Canadian single certifications – TLC – Creep". Music Canada.
216. "British single certifications – TLC – Creep". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved November 3, 2017.

References

• Beebe, Roger (2007). Medium Cool: Music Videos from Soundies to Cellphones. Duke University Press. ISBN   978-0-8223-4162-8.

• Gambaccini, Paul; Read, Mike; Rice, Tim; Rice, Jonathan "Jo" (2004). British Hit Singles & Albums (17th ed.). HIT Entertainment/Guinness World Records. ISBN   0-85112-199-3.

• Hess, Mickey (2007). Icons of Hip Hop: An Encyclopedia of the Movement, Music, and Culture, Volume 2 . Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN   978-0-313-33904-2.

• Krulik, Nancy (2002). Lisa Lopes: The Life of a Supernova. Simon & Schuster. ISBN   1-4391-0409-3.

• Langa, Mandla (2000). The Memory of Stones. New Africa Books. ISBN   0-86486-408-6.

• Pollock, Bruce (2005). Rock Song Index: The 7500 Most Important Songs for the Rock and Roll Era (2 ed.). Routledge. ISBN   0-415-97073-3.

• Poulson-Bryant, Scott; Fontaine, Smokey (2002). What's Your Hi-Fi Q?: From Prince to Puff Daddy, 30 Years of Black Music Trivia. Fireside Books. ISBN   0-7432-2955-X.

• Vernallis, Carol (2004). Experiencing Music Video: Aesthetics and Cultural Context. Columbia University Press. ISBN   0-231-11799-X.

• Vibe (2001). Hip Hop Divas . Three Rivers Press. ISBN   0-609-80836-2.

External links

• Official music video on YouTube