Through the first decade of the brand new millennium, The Black Eyed Peas have been one of the crucial dominant forces in music. This was true even earlier than they launched 2009’s The END. Lots of their early singles off Elephunk and Monkey Business had felt like biggest hits virtually as quickly as they arrived, proving the group to be each a musical and a cultural powerhouse, with lots of their lyrics rapidly turning into a part of the frequent lexicon.
Rather a lot occurred within the 4 years following Monkey Business. Most notably, Fergie emerged as one of the crucial profitable pop stars of the period when she launched her solo album, The Dutchess, in 2006. With will.i.am producing, The Dutchess gave the impression of an extension of The Black Eyed Peas, serving to to offer a stopgap within the four-year silence that adopted Monkey Business.
By the point they have been able to return, nevertheless, the group who had owned the early 00s with their unstoppable set of singles had ready an album that was each a comeback and a victory lap.
The END marked The Black Eyed Peas’ fifth album general, however as their third with Fergie as a member, it felt just like the conclusion of a trilogy. The group had at all times had hits, however The END, whose title stands for “The Energy Never Dies,” reached for one thing greater. It was a celebration. If Elephunk was music for home events, and Monkey Business a soundtrack for the membership, then The END was constructed for arenas. It’s full of synth anthems that helped usher in a brand new period of electronic-infused pop whereas additional cementing hip-hop as a presence within the mainstream.
A glimpse into the long run
will.i.am’s fixation with expertise and the long run takes heart stage on virtually each music. He opens the album with “Boom Boom Pow,” bragging about “digital, next-level visuals”; later, on “Imma Be” he’s dissing critics and plotting world domination. On tour for The END, reveals would typically characteristic an interlude throughout which he’d carry out a DJ set whereas sporting a RoboCop-inspired uniform.
When The END arrived, on June 3, 2009, the hole between pop and dance music was virtually non-existent. Each The Black Eyed Peas and Woman Gaga have been chargeable for main this technological fusion, with BEP reaching the plenty like by no means earlier than because of “Boom Boom Pow” and “I Gotta Feeling,” which took the group to the highest of the Billboard chart for a record-breaking 26 consecutive weeks.
The early 00s have been the heyday for dance-pop, leaving loads of disposable stars in its wake, however The Black Eyed Peas at all times had a not-so-secret ace of their pocket: will.i.am’s manufacturing. The super-producer had racked up a powerful listing of credit throughout this time, working with aware hip-hoppers like Frequent and Talib Kweli, and massive hitmakers together with Flo Rida, Rihanna, and even U2.
Like most of his productions, The END was stacked with rave breakbeats and anthemic hooks – his signature contact. You can too hear the affect of one other hybrid document as will.i.am takes cues from the techno/R&B blueprint laid out by Kanye West’s 808s & Heartbreak.
“Electric static funk”
At this time limit, The Black Eyed Peas had turn into each hitmakers and self-referentialists, with Fergie utilizing her move from “My Humps” on “Alive,” and can.i.am doing his model of Daft Punk on “Rock That Body.” On that very same observe, Fergie declares that everybody else is “2000 and late” – and he or she’s proper. Because of a string of three hit singles, “Imma Be,” “I Gotta Feeling” and “Boom Boom Pow,” The Black Eyed Peas have been their very own hardest competitors. They grew to become the primary group in 19 years to attain three Billboard Sizzling 100 chart-toppers from one album.
The END was an exploration into “electric static funk”, because the band described it. Ever since founding members will.i.am, apl.de.ap and Taboo introduced Fergie into the fold, BEP had been evolving their sound, making an attempt to pin down the proper mixture of pop, hip-hop, and dance music. The END was the logical conclusion to this chameleon-like method – as in the event that they’d cracked the code they’d be making an attempt to resolve for six years.
A defining second
The album can also be aspirational and arresting at instances, as on “Meet Me Halfway,” one among its slower and extra highly effective moments. Then there’s the irrepressible vitality of the smash hit “I Gotta Feeling,” one of the crucial infections earworms of all time. Years later, the music nonetheless boasts one of many longest ever runs at No.1.
Not solely the band’s defining second, The END was an era-defining second. You may hear its affect for years to return, first in “Starships”-era Nicki Minaj, then LMFAO’s “Party Rock Anthem,” Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream” and Flo Rida’s “Club Can’t Handle Me.” Its DNA even turned up even in surprising locations like Lupe Fiasco’s “The Show Goes On.”
Clearly, the vitality by no means died. Its title might need been shortened to The END, however for The Black Eyed Peas, the album represented a artistic starting.
The END will be purchased right here.
