TLC raised more than $430,000 for Kickstarter album

TLC has raised nearly three times its Kickstarter goal to record a new album.

Late last month the group’s surviving members, Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins and Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas, launched a campaign on the crowdfunding site to record their first new album in more than a dozen years.

The group hoped to raise $150,000 in 30 days – they did it in fewer than three – and hit $430,255 by Thursday, the campaign’s final day.

The R&B/hip-hop group, one of the biggest-selling girl groups of all time, announced the record -- TLC’s first since the death of founding member Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes in 2002 -- will be its last.

When TLC asked fans to fund the album, the contributions came fast and furious – pushing the group way over its goal in just a few days and making it the fastest-funded project from a pop act.

There were a few famous benefactors too. New Kids on the Block – the veteran boyband is launching an arena tour with TLC and Nelly in May -- put $20,000 toward the campaign, and Katy Perry contributed $5,000.

“We’ve always been known to do innovative, creative and out-of-the-box things,” Watkins previously told the Los Angeles Times. “Kickstarter is one of those opportunities. It’s really ideal for artists who want to express themselves creatively without restrictions, and this is the perfect platform to do an album with our fans and have them involved.”

Supporters will be covering writing and studio sessions with producers and engineers, as well as other costs associated with making the album. TLC is also offering creative say in album tracks and packaging.

“They are going to be heavily involved,” Thomas said. “The title of the album, how it will look -- everything. There will be a poll when it comes to the songs.”

TLC set September as the estimated release of the album and the group tapped veteran producer/ and label executive Ron Fair (Christina Aguilera, Black Eyed Peas, Mary J. Blige) to executive produce the project.

Follow me @GerrickKennedy.