THE UK CORNER CD REVIEW: The Black Eyed Peas THE E.N.D (Video)

     *I was in a market the other day and the pulsating beat of the number one hit Boom Boom Pow meant that I was stood at that one stall rather longer than I had intended, trying my best not to break into dance!

     With the bass and volume amplified, this five-minute song encapsulates the title of the album THE E.N.D (The Energy Never Dies).

     But like the Energiser Bunny, the three-time Grammy Award winning, multi-platinum The Black Eyed Peas have a brand of energy that lasts longer than five minutes.

     In a rather dance fuelled project, the album takes on a very European feel in Rock that Body, despite its sample of It Takes Two by Rob Base and DJ EZ Rock which in turn samples the James Brown-produced gospel-style song Think About It by Lynn Collins. Perhaps because many of the songs were recorded in Europe, they take on an 'electro-hop' tone.

     Imma Be was an understandable promo single being a more street hip-hop joint with a twist. I Got A Feeling, Ring-A-Ling and Out Of My Head are also stand out tracks.

     The diverse quartet have been criticised over the years for a change in line up and musical direction, but there is no doubt that they have a successful formula and are a tight unit who complement each other. Fergie, who replaced Kim Hill in 2002, sparkles as the resident female voice.

     One Tribe is the only political song on the album, but in the four years since their last album Monkey Business, front man Will.i.am revived the BEP's support for the Democratic Party devising the soundtrack Yes We Can for the 2008 election campaign. Not bad PR - being aligned to the groundbreaking election of Barak Obama.

     The E.N.D is equally futuristic in its essence. The avatar on the album cover denotes the vibrancy of the album. The signature song to this image, Alive, reminded me of a mix between Kanye West's current style and Akon. Electric City is one of a couple of tracks reminiscent of Santigold.

     Will.i.am has said that the concept for the album was a project that would be a breathing organism subject to growth and change. In interviews he has been quite introspective about albums and the publics' ability to dissect them. This is an album of value with 15 party songs with something catchy for most fans, offering a slice of dance, soul electronica, funk, a smidge of rock/indie/punk and hip-hop.

     Fans can hear more from Will.i.am on the BEP Dipdive channel. You can judge the album for yourself as it is out now. Look out for the exclusive deluxe version of The E.N.D., available only at Target stores nationwide and Target.com - includes four new songs, six remix hits and additional video content.

Track Listing

1. Boom Boom Pow
2. Rock That Body
3. Meet Me Halfway
4. Imma Be
5. I Gotta Feeling
6. Alive
7. Missing You
8. Ring-A-Ling
9. Party All The Time
10. Out Of My Head
11. Electric City
12. Showdown
13. Now Generation
14. One Tribe
15. Rockin' To The Beat

Black Eyed Peas
The E.N.D
Interscope Records
www.DipDive.com

Black Eyed Peas - Boom Boom Pow (Official Video):

The UK Corner covers urban entertainment from a British perspective and is compiled by Fiona McKinson. She is a freelance journalist and creative writer based in London. Contact her at info@thetalentshow.co.uk.