| Dear Lie | |
| Cover: | TLC - Dear Lie.jpg |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | TLC |
| Album: | FanMail |
| B-Side: | Sleigh Ride |
| Recorded: | 1998 |
| Length: | 5:12 |
| Label: | |
| Producer: | Babyface |
| Prev Title: | Unpretty |
| Prev Year: | 1999 |
| Next Title: | What It Ain't (Ghetto Enuff) |
| Next Year: | 2000 |
"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. The song was released as the album's third and final single on December 6, 1999, peaking at number 51 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and reaching the top 40 in several other countries. "Dear Lie" is included on the group's 2009 compilation album, We Love TLC.
The idea for the song initially came from a poem written by Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins titled "What's My Name", which was published in her book of semi-autobiographical poetry called Thoughts. The poem was later turned into a song with the help of 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 "Chilli" 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]
The song reached the top 40 in several countries, including Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. It also reached number 51 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Despite its peak in the United Kingdom, it is their sixth best-selling single there.[2]
A music video for "Dear Lie", directed by Bille Woodruff, was shot on September 26, 1999. This video features solo parts of both Thomas and Watkins in an apartment, confronted by hyperactive and overconfident alter-egos and trying to tune them out, and performance shots of Watkins, Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, and Thomas 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.
Australian and European maxi-CD single[3]
European CD single[4]
UK CD single[5]
UK cassette single[6]
Personnel are adapted from the album's liner notes.[7]
| Chart (1999–2000) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)[8] | 54 |
| Romania (Romanian Top 100)[9] | 2 |
| Chart (2000) | Position | |
|---|---|---|
| Romania (Romanian Top 100) | 32 | |
| US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[10] | 98 |
| Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sweden | December 6, 1999 | CD | [11] | |
| United Kingdom | [12] | |||
| United States | January 4, 2000 | [13] [14] | ||
| January 25, 2000 | Urban radio | [15] |