Since the last Black Eyed Peas album four years ago, Fergie's surprised us all by becoming one of the world's most popular solo stars. Despite penning most of her album, Will.i.am had no such success with his own record, even if he managed to woo the UK by taking Queen Cheryl of Cole under his arm on Heartbreaker.
Now the pair are back with fellow BEP comrades Taboo and apl.de.ap for their fifth studio album. While Monkey Business was a fun party album, The E.N.D steps it up a gear and through the power of the mighty vocoder transforms the Peas into in your fave dancefloor creatures.
The dramatic Boom Boom Pow lays out the album's intentions perfectly and with its “You're so two thousand and LATE” snap gives us a brand new insult to throw out there. I Gotta Feeling practically screams it's producer David Guetta from the off and fellow anthems Missing You and Rock That Body continue pummeling us with wild basslines and vocal snarling.
When it's time to take a breath of fresh air from the all-night rave, Meet Me Halfway is there to show you what BEP doing a Coldplay song would sound like. Answer: very good. Fergie regains some of the softness she explored on Big Girls Don't Cry on gorgeous love song Alive, but you’re advised to give her attempt at a Jamaican accent on the instantly skip-able Electric City a miss.
Daring and constantly innovative, the Black Eyed Peas have taken the techno/RnB door opened by Kanye West and flung it open wide.
Originally written for BBC Music
I'm still not sure on the album as of yet, but "Meet Me Halfway" and "Alive" are absolute classics.
ReplyDeleteI must admit, I just want another Fergie album though.