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Perhaps 3D doesn't blaze trails like their other albums, but it never plays it safe and it always satisfies, and it's one of the best modern soul albums of 2002.
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A nearly perfect collection.
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Blender3D's sheer creative vibrancy is itself a testament to Lopes's live-wire charisma. [#12, p.155]
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There are few absolute duffers here: '3D' makes for a perfectly pleasant 50 minutes of slick and homogenised R&B. It's just that, from such a reputable firm - and at such an emotional and auspicious point in their career - it's impossible not to expect more.
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features several career-defining turns by superstar producers such as the Neptunes ("In My Arms Tonight"), Babyface ("Hands Up"), Missy Elliott and Timbaland ("Dirty"), with all the group's playfulness and silky-smooth funk intact.
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3D feels a little incomplete, like much of their work.
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Dozens of like-minded female acts have followed the trio into the R&B arena, yet 3D demonstrates how wide a gulf there is between the originals and their imitators.
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Mixer[A] slick, street-smart album of sassy party tracks and sensitive slow jams. [Jan 2003, p.73]
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MojoA sophisticated set of cutting edge R&B.... TLC's best, most consistent LP. [Dec 2002, p.106]
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Charitable fans and critics will probably seize on the few sparks generated by 3D to eulogize TLC as vanguards. The truth -- that their riskier impulses were often tamped down by a conservative industry -- is somewhat more depressing.
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Q MagazineThough not what Lopes or TLC will be remembered for, it's a solid effort. [Jan 2003, p.124]
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The album isn't the romp it might have been had Lopes survived, but 3D solidly embodies black pop in a year in which it has lacked a center.
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But in spite of a slim body of songs and an occasionally half-finished feel, the group stakes a solid claim to the riches of future-soul with 3D, leaving a distinct stamp on even its weakest material with gorgeous singing built around the understated grace of '60s girl groups.
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UncutThe four tracks involving [Lopes] are superb.... Elsewhere, they audibly struggle. [Jan 2003, p.119]
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 13 out of 17
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Mixed: 0 out of 17
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Negative: 4 out of 17
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AshaAOct 11, 2004This album is the best TLC album ever
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MelissaLJun 1, 2003
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NseENov 30, 2002