What About Your Friends

"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 21, 1992, and reached number seven on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the group's third consecutive top-10 single. A remix to the single, titled "What About Your Friends (Extended Mix)" includes the first ever appearance by the Atlanta hip-hop duo Outkast.

"What About Your Friends"
Single by TLC
from the album Ooooooohhh... On the TLC Tip
Released	August 21, 1992 (1992-08-21)
Genre	New jack swing R&B[1]
Length	4:55 (album version) 4:00 (radio edit without rap) 4:06 (radio edit with rap)
Label	LaFace Arista
Songwriter(s)	Dallas Austin Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes
Producer(s)	Dallas 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

Composition

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

Critical reception

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

The main performance scenes of the music video for "What About Your Friends" was directed by Lionel C. Martin, and features 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

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

Weekly charts Chart (1992–1993) Peak position Australia (ARIA)[7] 79 Canada Top Singles (RPM)[8] 44 Canada Dance/Urban (RPM)[9] 4 Europe (European Dance Radio)[10] 20 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40 Tipparade)[11] 8 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[12] 58 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[13] 19 UK Singles (OCC)[14] 59 UK Dance (Music Week)[15] 33 US Billboard Hot 100[16] 7 US Dance Singles Sales (Billboard)[17] 5 US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[18] 2 US Pop Airplay (Billboard)[19] 18 US Rhythmic (Billboard)[20] 1

Year-end charts Chart (1992) Position US Billboard Hot 100[21] 88 US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[22] 67 Chart (1993) Position US Billboard Hot 100[23] 62 US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[24] 72

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[25]	Gold	500,000^
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region	Date	Format(s)	Label(s)	Ref.
United States	August 21, 1992	12-inch vinyl CD cassette	LaFace	[25]
United Kingdom	October 12, 1992	7-inch vinyl 12-inch vinyl CD cassette	LaFace Arista	[26]
Japan	November 21, 1992	Mini-CD		[27]

References

1. Cinquemani, Sal (October 20, 2013). "TLC – 20". Slant Magazine. Retrieved August 4, 2016.
2. "ASCAP search". ASCAP. Retrieved January 5, 2012.
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 January 5, 2012.
5. "American certifications – TLC – What About Your Friends". Recording Industry Association of America.
6. "Official Charts Company". Retrieved January 5, 2012.
7. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 282.
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 May 23, 2011.
13. "TLC – WHAT ABOUT YOUR FRIENDS". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved May 23, 2011.
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 July 30, 2010.
22. "1992 Year End Chart: R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved January 27, 2012.
23. "Billboard Top 100 - 1993". Retrieved August 27, 2010.
24. "1993 Year End Chart: R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Retrieved January 27, 2012.
25. "American single certifications – TLC – What About Your Friends". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
26. "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. October 10, 1992. p. 23.
27. "ホワット・アバウト・ユア・フレンズ | TLC" [What About Your Friends | TLC] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved September 13, 2023.