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. 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." 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." 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, alleging that she had a number of conflicts and arguments with Bailon, Williams, and