Girl Talk

Amid the hours of puffy self-posturing at the recent MTV Video Music Awards, the teary appearance of TLC members Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins and Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas—and their acknowledgement of the loss of comrade Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes—was a truly heartbreaking, lump-in-the-throat moment. So of course it's bittersweet to hear "Girl Talk," the spanking new release from the now-duo's upcoming 3D. But man, is it one solid, signature track from the group that delivered some of the most memorable hits of the '90s—"Waterfalls," "Creep," and "No Scrubs" —and that makes this a return to celebrate. In "Girl Talk," TLC shows its younger contemporaries how to make some real music, marrying a bumpy, funky street jam with a wonderfully singable melody, chantlike hook "the girls are talking," a vocal oozing with attitude, and a center-section rap from Left Eye. In all, it tells the tale of why this act has had the tenacity to endure for more than a decade now, collecting four Grammy Awards along the way. "Girl Talk" is a lot more than a tribute to the memory of Lopes. It's the bold beginning of a new chapter that does them all proud.—CT