3LW

Three young vocalists formed the R&B trio 3LW, also known as Three Little Women. Naturi Naughton, Kiely Williams, and Adrienne Bailon produced a healthy pop sound that echoed the soulful poise of Destiny's Child, TLC, and Blaque, even though their separate origins produced a wide range of musical influences. Michelle Williams, mother of Kiely, organized the initial lineup by holding auditions to create a performing outlet for her daughter; after hand-selecting each participant she took on management duties and made 3LW official.

Kiely Williams, a New Jersey native, first entered show business at age five in a television pilot directed by Robert DeNiro, though her interest in singing surfaced later. Naturi Naughton, likewise from New Jersey, had already begun singing in church choirs at five. Adrienne Bailon, of Puerto Rican and Ecuadorian background, absorbed music from her father, a singer and songwriter who emigrated from Ecuador in pursuit of stronger professional prospects. She developed a taste for salsa and cumbia, admiring pioneers Celia Cruz and La Lupe as well as later artists such as Marc Anthony and La India. Prior to joining 3LW, Bailon was noticed by Ricky Martin while performing with her church choir at a conference in Madison Square Garden; the Latin superstar selected her to sing backup for his set that same evening.

In fall 2000 the group appeared as the fictional all-female band Blue Mascara in an episode of the Nickelodeon series Taina and supplied the track "Til I Say So" to the teen film Bring It On featuring Kirsten Dunst. After signing with Epic, 3LW became TRL regulars around the release of their self-titled debut that autumn. Two years later the members added vocals to Bone Thugs-N-Harmony's summer hit "Get Up and Get It." They spent most of summer 2002 refining their second album, A Girl Can Mack. In August, founding member Naturi Naughton announced she had been forced out of the group one month before the album's scheduled release, leaving the trio's future in doubt. Auditions followed in Atlanta, Los Angeles, and New York to locate a replacement; the remaining duo issued the holiday collection Naughty or Nice before Jessica Benson joined in December and restored the lineup to three. The group returned in 2006 with Point of No Return, an album that featured production from Jermaine Dupri, Dre & Vidal, and Rich Harrison.