Black Eyes Peas – The E.N.D.
Black Eyed Peas have come a long way and turned in such a different direction. When they first came out with Behind The Front in 1998, they were more indie than Billboard 100. Things have changed for them immensely, especially after taking on female lead Fergie. They’ve left behind Kim Hill, a more soulful artist, and forged ahead to susperstardom with Fergie. For indie lovers, this is a bit of a flaw right? I mean, purposely breaking into mainstream is admitting that you will now be using sounds and beats that will more likely appeal to the masses. In BEP’s case, their sound is just drastically different from their first days of hip-hop. There’s nothing wrong with that. Let’s just call it evolution and progression.
This week BEP’s fifth album’s came on: The E.N.D., they called it. Like N.E.R.D., something about never dies, The Energy Never Dies. It’s true, their energy doesn’t die. The album is full of beats and drum sets that make you move. Some say it’s a guilty pleasure. They’re definitely right. You listen to BEP but don’t want to admit to having them on your iPod when you’re on the treadmill…. but you know you have it. The E.N.D. is full of 80s Pop influence and 90s Hip-Hop/R&B, 90s Dance music influence, applying some Southern Miami/Atlanta bass drums, with a lot of sampling and cheese.
Tracks like Boom Boom Pow, I Gotta Feeling, Rock That Body are the more modern/futuristic (or whatever) sounding tracks. Rock That Body incorporates a sample from Rob Base & Ez Rock’s It Takes Two. Honestly, I love the track Alive, but not really liking that on the track Alive, Fergie’s melody borrows from My Humps, seriously not into recycling within the same group. The 80s sounding tracks are Meet Me Halfway, Rockin’ To The Beat, which sounds cool with the updated technology. Imma Be borrow from the dirty south’s bass drum combo making you want to get down at the club (don’t even lie). I love Party All The Time because I have never heard any use the Eddie Murphy flawed track, it’s a creative mix. Then again, maybe it’s about making something unfinished better. Electric City uses the beginning of I Want Candy by Bow Wow Wow and then moves it into the reggae way. Sorry though, the rest of the tracks kind of fall in between the cracks. It’s true.
The Deluxe version (red cover) comes with a bonus CD, which is basically remixes of their old tracks. Pretty good mixes too since they re-sing most of them, it’s not just a fast-forward or slow down over a different beat. They actually change the tracks, while keeping the main melody.
Oh yes, I got the perfect sentence for this album. Do you remember those dance mix CDs MuchMusic used to put out? Black Eyed Peas’ The E.N.D. sounds like the old MuchMusic Yearly Dance Mix CDs with the combination of rock/pop/r&b/dance.
The E.N.D.
Black Eyed Peas – Boom Boom Pow
Black Eyed Peas – Party All The Time
Remix of Shut Up, from Elephunk, on the Deluxe Version
Black Eyed Peas – Shut The Phunk Up
Tags: album
Check out Toronto artist’s remix of BOOM BOOM POW:
https://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=batch_download&batch_id=cmcyNU1ITkE1R1BIRGc9PQ