Black Eyed Peas Hit Top With Electro Jam

It’s official, according to the Black Eyed Peas’ new single: Fergie is precisely 999 years ahead of the rest of us. “I’m so 3008/You’re so 2000 and late,” she raps on the club-shaking ”˜Boom Boom Pow,’ which, within a week of its April release, became the first Peas song to hit Number One.

”˜Boom,’ the first single from the Peas’ June 9 release, The E.N.D. (Energy Never Dies), is shamelessly entertaining pop, veering between a sparse electro beat and a double-time Euro-dance segment.

And in its own way, according to bandleader and producer Will.i.am, the hedonistic, danceable style of both the song and the album are a response to the economic crisis: “We could’ve been like, ”˜We haven’t been out for a while, I just got finished doing this Obama thing ”“ we need to hit ’em with a little ”˜Where’s the Love’,’ ” says Will, referring to their 2003 hit. “But I think we’re supposed to give people an escape instead. Something to make them excited about life and forget about the things that haunt them.”

As a whole, The E.N.D. is heavy on electronic sounds and four-on-the-floor beats ”“
which Will connects back to the disco grooves of Sugarhill Gang, and Afrika Bambaataa’s fondness for Kraftwerk. “People are realising how limitless ”“ borderless ”“ hip-hop truly is,” he says. “Hip-hop is the Jungle Brothers doing ”˜I’ll House You.’ If hip-hop is dead, it’s because motherfuckers think it’s only one thing.” In keeping with the song’s future-shock theme, Will says he wrote ”˜Boom’ with its video in mind ”“ he imagined the clip flashing with digital effects each time the vocals were accented with Auto-Tune. (It does.)

”˜Boom’ and much of the rest of the album takes inspiration from LA’s hipster electro scene. “Will and Apl would come back after a night out and be like, ”˜Huge shit’s going on!’ ” says Fergie. “It’s another ingredient to add to our fusion.” The group’s mood was definitely right for a party album. “Will was a hologram on CNN, Fergie was so successful, Apl.de.ap became the king of the Philippines,” says group member Taboo. “And I did my first action film, Street Fighter. So we were all on a high from individual successes.”

Black Eyed Peas have yet to announce headlining dates in the US ”“ but they’re considering some unorthodox ideas for the tour, including setting up their own tent instead of playing established venues. In the meantime, they’re hitting European festivals ”“ and opening up on a few dates for U2 in the States. They’re aware that winning over those crowds will be a challenge: “We may add a rock section to our set, like when I covered ”˜Barracuda’ on my solo tour,” says Fergie. “That just makes us want to work harder.”