Dear Lie

"Dear Lie" is a song by American group TLC. It was written by Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds and band member Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins for the trio's third studio album FanMail (1999), featuring production by Edmonds.

"Dear Lie"
Single by TLC
from the album FanMail
B-side"Sleigh Ride"
ReleasedNovember 30, 1999 (1999-11-30)
Recorded1998
Genre
Length5:12
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Babyface
TLC singles chronology
"Unpretty"
(1999)		 "Dear Lie"
(1999)		 "What It Ain't (Ghetto Enuff)"
(2000)

The song was released as the album's third and final single in November 1999 in the United States following "No Scrubs" and "Unpretty". "Dear Lie" is included on We Love TLC.

Background and composition

The song initially came from a poem written by Tionne Watkins, which she wrote with Babyface. Watkins discussed that her father constantly lied, which put a strain on their relationship.[1] Watkins stated that the song began with the group's vulnerability and transformed into "a place of strength".[1] Rozonda Thomas enjoyed that the song played out as a metaphor for power, stating that

You can hear a lie that somebody says about you and it's not true. But it can really have so much power over you and that is why it sucks. But you've got to take that power back. We get so caught up sometimes in being upset about things and the person that we're allowing to have that type of power over us are doing just fine and as they say these days, living their best life.[1]

Commercial performance

The song reached the top 40 in several countries, including Australia, Belgium, France, United Kingdom and Germany. It also reached number 51 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Music video

A music video for "Dear Lie", directed by Bille Woodruff, was shot on September 26, 1999. This video features solo parts of both Chilli and T-Boz in an apartment, confronted by hyperactive and overconfident alter-egos and trying to tune them out, and "performance" shots with T-Boz, Left Eye, and Chilli in a hallway. At the end shot, Lopes is shown running down the hall, knocking at the doors before running out of the frame. Reportedly, none of the performers were on speaking terms with each other during the video shoot due to Lopes' frustrations with the Fanmail album. Lopes stated in an online interview in 2001 that none of the members of TLC liked the video. The video was only released in foreign countries, and aired exclusively on MTV UK on December 9, 1999.

Track listing

Personnel and credits

Credits adapted from album liner notes.[2]

Charts

Weekly charts
Chart (1999)Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[3] 35
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[4] 36
Belgium (Ultratip Wallonia)[5] 20
Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[6] 49
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[7] 19
Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)[8] 54
France (SNEP)[9] 40
Germany (Official German Charts)[10] 37
Ireland (IRMA)[11] 12
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[12] 17
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[13] 26
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[14] 10
Scotland (OCC)[15] 40
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[16] 24
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[17] 29
UK Singles (OCC)[18] 31
UK R&B (OCC)[19] 6
US Billboard Hot 100[20] 51
US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[21] 22
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[22] 70
US Rhythmic (Billboard)[23] 21

Year-end charts
Chart (2000) Position
US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[24] 98

References
  1. Gracie, Bianca (February 22, 2019). "TLC's 'FanMail' Turns 20: A Track-By-Track Retrospective With the Girl Group and Behind-the-Scenes Collaborators". Billboard. Retrieved November 15, 2019.
  2. TLC – Fanmail (CD liner notes) – Arista Records 73008-26055-2
  3. "Australian-charts.com – TLC – Dear Lie". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 2013-01-19.
  4. "Ultratop.be – TLC – Dear Lie" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved March 24, 2018.
  5. "Ultratop.be – TLC – Dear Lie" (in French). Ultratip. Retrieved March 24, 2018.
  6. "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 9764." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved February 8, 2020.
  7. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 8304." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved February 8, 2020.
  8. "Euro Chart Hot 100" (PDF). Music & Media. 2000-02-19. p. 9. Retrieved June 22, 2018.
  9. "Lescharts.com – TLC – Dear Lie" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 2013-01-19.
  10. "Offiziellecharts.de – TLC – Dear Lie". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 2020-03-02.
  11. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Dear Lie". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved March 24, 2018.
  12. "Nederlandse Top 40 – TLC" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 2013-01-19.
  13. "Dutchcharts.nl – TLC – Dear Lie" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 2018-03-24.
  14. "Charts.nz – TLC – Dear Lie". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 2013-01-19.
  15. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  16. "Swedishcharts.com – TLC – Dear Lie". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 2013-01-19.
  17. "Swisscharts.com – TLC – Dear Lie". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 2013-01-19.
  18. "TLC: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2013-01-19.
  19. "Official R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company.
  20. "TLC Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 2013-01-19.
  21. "TLC Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 2013-01-19.
  22. "TLC Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 2013-01-19.
  23. "TLC Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard. Retrieved March 24, 2018.
  24. "Most Played Mainstream Top 40 Songs Of 2000" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 8 no. 51. December 22, 2000. p. 54. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
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