Tlc what about your friends lyrics

"What About Your Friends"
Single by TLC
from the album Ooooooohhh... On the TLC Tip
Released	August 28, 1992
Recorded	1991
Genre	New jack swing R&B[1] Table of Contents Show Composition[edit] Critical reception[edit] Music video[edit] Commercial performance[edit] Charts[edit] Certifications[edit] References[edit]
Length	4:00 (radio edit without rap) 4:06 (radio edit with rap) 4:55 (album version)
Label	LaFace Arista
Songwriter(s)	Dallas Austin Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes
Producer(s)	Austin
TLC singles chronology
"Baby-Baby-Baby" (1992) "What About Your Friends" (1992) "Hat 2 da Back" (1992)
Music video
"What About Your Friends" on YouTube

"What About Your Friends" is a song by American group TLC, released as the third single from their debut album, Ooooooohhh... On the TLC Tip (1992). It was released on August 28, 1992 and reached number seven on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the group's third consecutive top-ten single. A remix to the single, titled "What About Your Friends (Extended Mix)" includes the first ever appearance by the Atlanta hip-hop group Outkast.

Composition[edit]

"What About Your Friends" was written by Dallas Austin and TLC member Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes,[2] and features lead vocals by T-Boz. The song samples "Blues & Pants" by James Brown.

Critical reception[edit]

Daryl McIntosh from Albumism noted that "What About Your Friends" "calls into question the topic of loyalty and true friendship, making you evaluate the character of those within your inner circle."[3]

Music video[edit]

The main performance scenes of the music video for "What About Your Friends" are the girls walking in an alley surrounded by backup dancers, underneath a bridge, on an outside staircase, on an apartment roof, in a slushie bar and wearing graffiti clothes in front of a graffiti-covered wall. Two versions of the video were made: one focuses on more of the performance shots of the girls and scenes of them infiltrating a stylish fashion show, while the other features scenes of a party in a big park where the girls are being very happy, dancing and having fun with their friends and some family members; including a scene of them reprising their roles as hillbillies from the "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" video at the end. Jermaine Dupri makes a cameo appearance.

Commercial performance[edit]

The song reached number seven on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the group's third consecutive top ten single,[4] and reached No. 2 on the Hot R&B Singles chart, behind "Games" by Chuckii Booker. The single was certified gold by the RIAA.[5] In the United Kingdom, "What About Your Friends" peaked at No. 59.[6]

Charts[edit]

Certifications[edit]

References[edit]

1. ^ Cinquemani, Sal (October 20, 2013). "TLC – 20". Slant Magazine. Retrieved August 4, 2016.
2. ^ "ASCAP search". ASCAP. Retrieved 2012-01-05.
3. ^ McIntosh, Daryl (February 24, 2022). "TLC's Debut Album 'Ooooooohhh... On the TLC Tip' Turns 30 — Anniversary Retrospective". Albumism. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
4. ^ "Billboard singles history". Billboard/Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 2012-01-05.
5. ^ "American certifications – TLC – What About Your Friends". Recording Industry Association of America.
6. ^ "Official Charts Company". Retrieved 2012-01-05.
7. ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988-2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
8. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 1883." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved February 8, 2020.
9. ^ "Top RPM Dance/Urban: Issue 1820." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved February 8, 2020.
10. ^ "European Dance Radio" (PDF). Music & Media. December 5, 1992. p. 20. Retrieved November 1, 2021.
11. ^ "(28 november 1992)" (in Dutch). top40.nl. Retrieved November 28, 2019.
12. ^ "TLC – WHAT ABOUT YOUR FRIENDS" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 2011-05-23.
13. ^ "TLC – WHAT ABOUT YOUR FRIENDS". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 2011-05-23.
14. ^ "TLC: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 5, 2017.
15. ^ "Top 60 Dance Singles" (PDF). Music Week. October 24, 1992. p. 22. Retrieved September 29, 2020.
16. ^ "TLC Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved December 5, 2017.
17. ^ "TLC Chart History (Dance Singles Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved April 11, 2022.
18. ^ "TLC Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved February 15, 2017.
19. ^ "TLC Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved February 15, 2017.
20. ^ "TLC Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard. Retrieved February 15, 2017.
21. ^ "Billboard Top 100 - 1992". Retrieved 2010-07-30.
22. ^ "1992 Year End Chart: R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 2012-01-27.
23. ^ "Billboard Top 100 - 1993". Retrieved 2010-08-27.
24. ^ "1993 Year End Chart: R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Retrieved 2012-01-27.
25. ^ "American single certifications – TLC – What About Your Friends". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved February 26, 2021.