Shock your system with their energetic vibe! Read more…
Review:
The E.N.D (The Energy Never Dies)
– The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas fifth studio album, third with Fergie, signals a change of direction. Ditching the older, more authentic funk of previous albums, The E.N.D. is a fusion of dance and hip-hop; after all they worked with one of the most notable names in dance music, David Guetta (Love Is Gone, Love Don't Let Me Go).
The album starts with the propulsive first single Boom Boom Pow, their established #1 hit, and then moves onto more quirky devours, such as the infectious Imma Be -the closest thing on the album to their previous hit My Humps- which is heavily criticized for its lyrics. But, no matter how bad the reviews were no one can deny how catchy it is.
David Guetta's contribution to the album is situated within two songs, that are, to no one’s surprise, fantastic: Rock That Body, and I Gotta Feeling! The second is already a confirmed second single, which is on its way to the #1 spot; that's if the iTunes chart is any indication.
It's obvious that after the huge success of Fergie's solo album (three #1‘s), her place in the band is now more evident. She delivers the goods on songs such as Meet Me Halfway (an 80s inspired track in which she sounds like Lisa Lisa), Missing You (one of the album's highlights), and a dance floor-ready ballad dubbed Electric City (where she dons a Jamaican accent layered upon a thumping beat that’s sure to set radios on fire). Other highlights include Party All The Time which showcases Will.I.Am's prowess as a producer, and the Auto-Tune abusing Ring-a-Ling.
Sadly it’s not all highs for the BEPs, as they sink low on songs like Now Generation (where Will.I.Am raps about everything "electronic", from iChat to Facebook and Wikipedia. Out Of My Head, a Fergie solo is one of the worst songs they’ve ever done, it’s lacking in melody, tune and just about everything that got them where they are now. Fans of Bebot, the Filipino song on Monkey Business can expect a disappointing follow-up on Mare.
Overall the album is enjoyable, although inferior to their older material, it's a pleasant addition to their catalogue. It delivers exactly what it's title promises: "Never-dying energy."
Listen to:
* "Meet Me Halfway"
* "Imma Be"
* "Missing You"
* "I Gotta Feeling"
* "Ring-a-Ling"
– Fahad AlSabah. Images: Interscope http://www.interscope.com/
