Anniversaries: 3LW (Self-Titled) by 3LW

3LW remains a shining example of the magic that can happen when three voices, a handful of great songs, and creating something fresh for the future, while honoring the past.

Courtesy of Sony Music Entertainment Inc.

On December 5, 2000, three teenage girls from New Jersey stepped forward as 3LW (short for “Three Little Women”) and quietly added a new chapter to the girl-group canon. Their self-titled debut album, 3LW, arrived at the height of the TRL era, when glossy teen-pop and R&B were surging together. Led by the smash hit single “No More (Baby I’m a Do Right),” 3LW’s introduction was impossible to ignore. “No More” was a million-selling debut single that leapt out of radios and TV screens with a fresh blend of hip-hop attitude, silky R&B harmony, and ear-candy pop hooks. It captured the spirit of its time: on the brink of a new millennium, young artists were claiming their independence and mixing genres with abandon.

Here were three teenage girls—Adrienne Bailon, Naturi Naughton, and Kiely Williams—delivering a sass-laden kiss-off to a two-timing boyfriend, and doing it over a lit hip-hop soul groove that felt as at home on BET and Black radio as it did on MTV’s pop countdown. The song’s opening lines—“I’m gettin’ a little tired of your broken promises, promises”—became an instant catchphrase for fed-up young fans (we know it’s promithes, promithes). And with its sunny acoustic guitar strums and ethereal synth swells giving way to a head-nodding beat, “No More” deftly fused a sweet old-school R&B sensibility with the polished sheen of Y2K pop. By the time Kiely rapped the bridge (memorably lisping “playa pleathe” for “playa please” with a confidence beyond her 15 years), it was clear 3LW had tapped into something special. This youthful empowerment anthem echoed TLC and Destiny’s Child while staking out its own lane in the early-2000s girl-group landscape.

That lane was one where nostalgia and innovation walked hand in hand. In interviews and promotion, 3LW were often touted as a junior hybrid of those ‘90s R&B giants—a comparison underscored by the fact that in 2001, they even joined Destiny’s Child on the MTV TRL Live tour. But on 3LW, the trio proved they weren’t simply riding coattails. The album exudes a “sweet undercurrent of old-school craftsmanship” in its songwriting and vocal arrangements, yet it’s never stuck in the past. The producers (a crew ranging from veteran hit-makers like the famed Full Force to younger talents on the rise) swathed the songs in inventive, MIDI-driven production flourishes that screamed 2000’s cutting edge. The result is a record with one foot in the rich tradition of R&B girl groups and one in the future of pop. Even as 3LW harmonize like classic soul trios of decades prior, the beats beneath them pop and fizz with digital bounce, a sign of the times. This balance of retro and modern was deliberate—and it’s a big reason the album still feels vibrant today. 3LW’s debut peaked at No. 29 on the Billboard 200, went Platinum, and sold over a million copies in the U.S., proving that this fusion of styles had struck a chord with a wide audience at the turn of the millennium.

Beyond its hit single, 3LW is packed with standout tracks that showcase the group’s range and the album’s adventurous vibe. “Is You Feelin’ Me” is one such gem—a sultry, mid-tempo jam that bumps along on a crisp, head-knocking beat and a rubbery bassline. The song finds 3LW pushing the boundaries of early-2000s R&B/pop with its confident swagger. It flips perspective from “No More”—here Adrienne, Naturi, and Kiely play the flirty aggressors, crushing hard on a guy and daring to ask if the feeling’s mutual. “Tell me, is you feelin’ me? I like what you do… Hope you can feel me like I feel you,” they sing, voices entwined in harmony and attitude. There’s urgency and desire in their delivery that feels a bit beyond their years—one moment sweetly girlish, the next surprisingly bold. (At one point, Naturi declares, “I just want your body, mind, and soul,” a line delivered with such earnest hunger that it borders on scandalous for a teenage act.)

“More Than Friends (That’s Right)” offers another flavor altogether. Produced and co-written by the legendary Full Force (‘80s hitmakers known for their work with Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam and Backstreet Boys), this song carries a subtle old-school hip-hop influence that sets it apart. In fact, “More Than Friends” opens with a flash of retro synthesizer that keen ears might recognize from early rap classics—a cheeky nod to the past that Full Force mix into the track’s contemporary R&B framework. The girls imagine, in vivid detail, being with a guy who’s currently just a friend (and, inconveniently, someone else’s boyfriend). The narrative plays out like a recurring dream—in the verses Kiely and Naturi trade lines about “driv[ing] me crazy (that’s right)… if she ever lets you go, then you know the deal”, and in the chorus all three voices soar together: “Sometimes I… wish we were more than just friends. I know that I’m dreamin’, ’cause you’re crazy ‘bout her.” The melody is lush and bittersweet, capturing that teenage heartache of longing for someone you can’t quite have. But 3LW keep it engaging and upbeat—the track’s bounce and the clever call-and-response “(that’s right)” interjections give it a playful, almost interactive feel.

While 3LW made their name on sassy uptempo anthems, 3LW also proves that they could slow it down and deliver heartfelt ballads with real emotional resonance. “Curious” is one such tender moment. Over a gentle, lilting arrangement of sparse drums and soft keyboard chords, the girls expose a vulnerable side: the lyrics have them wondering about the right time for intimacy and love. “When can I touch you? When can I kiss you? I’m curious,” they coo in three-part harmony, voices warm and yearning. There’s an innocence to the song—it captures that butterflies-in-the-stomach feeling of first love and first physical attraction, all the questions and worries that come with it. As Naturi and Adrienne trade lines about “so many things on my mind… I can’t keep these feelings inside,” you can almost hear the blush in their voices. The production stays understated to let the vocals shine: a subtle acoustic guitar here, a sparkling harp-like synth there. The result is a ballad with a tender, slow-burning charm, as 3LW grapple with curiosity and longing in a way that any teenager (or former teenager) can relate to.

Co-written by pop veteran Brenda K. Starr, “Ocean” is 3LW’s big inspirational power ballad—the kind that aims for the rafters and the soul at once. The song is built on a grand metaphor: “Your love is an ocean, wide as the skies, a comfort to me time after time,” the trio sings in a sweeping chorus. Backed by dramatic strings and a swell of harmonies, 3LW delivers with a conviction that belies their youth. There’s a subtle gospel undercurrent here—not overtly, but in the uplifting, devotional tone the song takes. The album’s emotional journey culminates (before a final remix) with “I’m Gonna Make You Miss Me,” a track that serves as an aching farewell wrapped in determination. Over a mid-tempo, piano-laced groove, 3LW take on the role of a girl who has decided enough is enough—she’s walking away from her love interest, but not without making sure he realizes what he’s losing. By the bridge, Kiely and Naturi amp up the urgency, ad-libbing pleas—“I’ll show you how I could love you… then I’ll be gone (then I’ll be gone)”—that reveals the pain behind the ultimatum.

What makes all these tracks hang together is 3LW’s vocal chemistry and the group’s innate grasp of their musical mission. Adrienne, Naturi, and Kiely may have been teenagers when the self-titled was recorded, but they sing with professionalism and unity that many older groups would envy. Adrienne’s sweet-yet-strong lead tone, Naturi’s soulful power, and Kiely’s light soprano (and occasional rap spunk) complement each other wonderfully. Their harmonies are tight and polished, clearly the product of both raw talent and old-fashioned rehearsal—evidence of that old-school craftsmanship at work behind the scenes. Whether they’re trading lines on a verse or coming together on a chorus, the trio’s voices lock in like puzzle pieces. This vocal cohesion is a big part of why 3LW still sounds cohesive and engaging as a full album, rather than just a collection of cash-grab singles. The group’s youthful energy is fun throughout—you can sense the trio stretching their abilities, trying out new styles, and genuinely enjoying the process of making music together.

At the time of its release, the album positioned 3LW as fresh new voices carrying forward the legacy of groups like TLC, SWV, and Destiny’s Child—female ensembles who married R&B soul with pop appeal and hip-hop swagger. 3LW were the younger sisters of that movement, coming on the scene just as the 90s gave way to the 2000s, bringing a distinctly millennial twist. Their music was unabashedly pop-friendly, yet it paid homage to the R&B foundation that came before. (One can hear, for instance, echoes of Destiny’s Child’s “Bills, Bills, Bills” and TLC’s “No Scrubs” in the independent stance of “No More,” even as 3LW also nodded to earlier classics—like when Kiely cheekily name-drops Biggie Smalls’ “One More Chance” and Erykah Badu’s “Tyrone” in her rap verse, bridging ‘80s/‘90s reference points with 2000 attitude.) Yet, unlike some of their peers, 3LW didn’t have the chance to extend that legacy far beyond this debut—group turmoil and lineup changes meant 3LW remains the defining statement of their career. Perhaps because of that, the album has taken on a cult classic quality among fans of early-2000s R&B and pop. Its songs still spark nostalgia for a time when TRL ruled after-school TV and a new generation of Black girl groups put their own stamp on the charts.

But nostalgia is only half the story. The mid-2000s saw groups like Danity Kane and Cherish pick up a similar baton, mixing radio-ready hooks with R&B sensibilities. And today, with Y2K-era music enjoying a resurgence of appreciation, one could argue that 3LW was ahead of its time in foreshadowing the current wave of nostalgia-tinged R&B/pop. Modern girl groups (the few that exist) and solo artists alike often cite late-90s and early-2000s R&B as an influence—and while 3LW might not be the first name dropped, the blueprint they followed and refined is evident. In 2022, for example, a new R&B girl trio from the UK, FLO, earned buzz specifically for channeling the harmonies and vibes of turn-of-the-millennium groups; listening to their songs, one can’t help but hear reflections of what 3LW excelled at—tight-knit vocals, feisty lyrics, and that blend of smooth & streetwise that defined 3LW’s debut. Even in the wider pop sphere, traces of 3LW’s impact pop up in unexpected places: the phrase “players gonna play” from 3LW’s own “Playas Gon’ Play” infamously echoed through Taylor Swift’s 2014 smash “Shake It Off,” sparking a high-profile discussion about influence and originality (YUCK!).

Their self-titled is a time capsule in that it perfectly encapsulates the year 2000: the fashions (color-coordinated outfits and bandanas), the slang (“you do or you don’t, you will or you won’t”), the production styles (snappy snares, MIDI strings, the occasional record scratch), and the optimistic energy of three young women stepping into the spotlight. Yet it’s also a trendsetter, in how it bridged eras and sounds—proving that teen pop could have genuine R&B chops, and that R&B could be made palatable to a teen pop market without losing its soul. Thanks to its strong songwriting and the group’s charisma, it feels oddly current, like something today’s artists might emulate in their throwback-minded tracks. In that sense, 3LW’s debut has indeed influenced those who followed, even if the album itself seldom gets a public shout-out. It lives on in the confidence of every young R&B starlet who isn’t afraid to mix a little rap in her pop, in the harmonies of every girl group that practices until they sound like one voice, and in the hearts of people who grew up shouting “No, I’m not the one” into their hairbrush microphones.