A Girl Can Mack
Studio album by
3LW
ReleasedOctober 22, 2002 (2002-10-22)
Length55:59
LabelEpic
Producer
3LW chronology
3LW
(2000)		 A Girl Can Mack
(2002)		 Naughty or Nice
(2002)
Singles from A Girl Can Mack
  1. "I Do (Wanna Get Close to You)"
    Released: June 18, 2002
  2. "Neva Get Enuf"
    Released: November 12, 2002

A Girl Can Mack is the second studio album by American girl group 3LW. A follow-up to their self-titled debut album (2000), it was released by Epic Records on October 22, 2002. With A Girl Can Mack, the group attempted to shed their youthful image and craft a mature look. The album combines both ballads and upbeat songs, with several serving as a declaration of equality in romantic relationships. The album was considered at lot "racier" and sexier than their debut.

Background

3LW spent the first half of 2002 in the studio, recording a follow-up to their eponymous debut album. Their second album, tentatively titled Same Game, Different Rules, was set to be released mid-2002, and its lead single "Uh Oh" was presented to the label, who felt it did not have enough urban radio appeal.[1] The tracks from Same Game, Different Rules were leaked to the Internet in MP3 format, and Epic considered dropping the girls. A fan support campaign for 3LW named 'Never Let Go Of 3LW' (after their song "Never Let Go") gained traction, and the act was retained, although Same Game, Different Rules remained shelved.

Recording a new set of tracks, the group returned in the summer of 2002 with the P. Diddy-produced single "I Do (Wanna Get Close To You)", featuring Loon in June. That same summer, the group performed a concert special on Nickelodeon titled Live on Sunset.

Critical reception

AllMusic found that A Girl Can Mack "proves that these girls can also sing. Production, courtesy of P. Diddy, the Full Force crew, and Mario Winans, among others, is witty and imaginative." The website further remarked that the album was "divided between such club fare and slinky, sexy cuts such as "This Goes Out" and the deep after-hours soul of "Good Good Girl," and the [3LW] prove here they're adept at covering both bases."[2] Natasha Washington, writing for The Oklahoman wrote that A Girl Can Mack "shows a mature 3LW." She noted that the band "adds high-energy dance tracks such as "Leave" and "Meet Me at the Crib," while ballads including "Crazy" and "More Than Friends" showcase sultry vocals and lush melodies."[3]

Naughton's departure and album release

By the summer of 2002, when the group was set to release A Girl Can Mack, member Naturi Naughton had left the group,[4] alleging that she had a number of conflicts and arguments with Bailon, Williams, and their management, which led to a heated argument in August 2002 involving an altercation with KFC food.[5][6] Not long after, Naughton claimed that she was forced out of the group.[7]

Williams and Bailon continued as a duo while using the "3LW" name, causing the press to jokingly refer to them as "2LW".[4] According to a cover story for the October 2002 issue of Sister 2 Sister magazine, Williams and Bailon said they received death threats and that they had to beef up security. The departure of Naughton greatly affected the group's popularity and album sales. A Girl Can Mack's release date was pushed back a month, but sales were still disappointing debuting at No. 15 on the Billboard 200 with a disappointing 53,000 copies sold in the first week.[8] By March 2003 the album had sold 176,000 copies in the US.[9] After the second single released from the album, "Neva Get Enuf", underperformed, auditions were held across the country for a new third member. Jessica Benson made the cut and joined 3LW in early 2003.

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."I Do (Wanna Get Close to You)" (featuring Loon)
4:14
2."Neva Get Enuf" (featuring Lil Wayne)
  • President
  • Dimilo
3:44
3."I Need That (I Want That)" (featuring Lil' Kim)
Full Force4:43
4."Ain't No Maybe"
  • Steve Russell
  • Stacia Gardner
Russell4:22
5."Ghetto Love & Heartbreak"
Estiverne4:07
6."Good Good Girl"
  • Smash Central
  • Travon Potts
3:42
7."Put Em Up" (featuring Treach of Naughty by Nature)
Daniels3:35
8."This Goes Out"
  • Moore
  • Fusari
4:01
9."Leave wit You (I Think I Wanna)"
Dozier3:48
10."Crazy"
  • Dozier
  • Butler
Dozier3:21
11."Funny"
  • Alex Cantrell
  • Eric Jackson
  • Joey Elias
  • Jonathan Robinson
  • Shaunna Bolton
  • Elias
  • Robinson
3:34
12."One More Time"
  • Alfred Jackson
  • Robinson
  • Bolton
  • Elias
  • Robinson
3:37
13."Be Like That" (Hidden track)
  • Connie McKendricks
  • Anthony T Prendatt
Dozier4:15
14."More Than Friends" (Hidden track)
  • Dozier
  • Jason Edmonds
Dozier3:34
Japan bonus track
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
15."High Fashion"Michelle Bell88-Keys3:58

Sample credits

Unreleased/Leaked Tracks

Title Producer Note
A Girl Can Mack 88-Keys Title Track
Do I Ever Make U Wonder Unknown (leaked)
Do What U Came 2 Do Jon-John Robinson (leaked)
Fire The Pharmacy Given to Tiffany Villarreal
Meet Me At The Crib Unknown (leaked)
Hold Me Down Unknown (Unreleased)
I Don't Wanna Unknown (leaked)
Yes I Took Your Boyfriend Randeu Williams (leaked)
Uh Oh Beau Dozier (leaked)

Charts

Chart performance for A Girl Can Mack
Chart (2002) Peak
position
Canadian R&B Albums (Nielsen SoundScan)[10] 24
US Billboard 200[11] 15
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[12] 12

Release history

A Girl Can Mack release history
Region Date Format(s) Label
Japan August 2002
  • CD
  • digital download
 Epic Records
United States October 22, 2002
Germany November 4, 2002

References

  1. ↑
  2. ↑ "A Girl Can Mack Overview". AllMusic. Retrieved November 24, 2022.
  3. ↑ Washington, Natasha. "CD REVIEWS". The Oklahoman. Retrieved November 24, 2022.
  4. 1 2 Oh, Minya (October 21, 2002). "3LW Become 2LW – News Story". MTV News. Retrieved 2010-03-15.
  5. ↑ "3LW: One Story, Two Sides". MTV. March 9, 2006. Archived from the original on September 28, 2009. Retrieved 2010-03-15.
  6. ↑ "3LW: One Story, Two Sides". MTV. March 9, 2006. Archived from the original on April 19, 2009. Retrieved 2010-03-15.
  7. ↑ "3LW : Naturi Describes Alleged 3LW Fist Fight That Led To Split". VH1. Archived from the original on April 19, 2009. Retrieved 2010-03-15.
  8. ↑ D'angelo, Joe (2002-10-30). "Santana's Shaman Blessed; Foos At #3 On Albums Chart". Archived from the original on September 12, 2014. Retrieved June 13, 2008.
  9. ↑ "3LW Is A Trio Again". Billboard. March 4, 2003. Archived from the original on June 20, 2014. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
  10. ↑ "R&B : Top 50". Jam!. Archived from the original on November 1, 2002. Retrieved January 29, 2023 – via Wayback Machine.
  11. ↑ "3LW Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  12. ↑ "3LW Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
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