Museic: Black Eyed Peas

The Black Eyed Peas is an ever-changing entity. They went from a mismatched group of enthusiastic artists to Grammy Award Winners in the course of seven years. Very few had heard of them before their break-out album Elephunk which was released in 2003. I can count myself in those ranks. Previously (before Fergie had joined the group and their female member was a woman by the name of Kim Hill) they had released a record called Behind the Front. The only commercial song off that album was “Joints and Jams”. The rest was a varied representation of their different backgrounds and styles including hip-hop, soul, funk, latin and reggae.
With Elephunk and stardom came a more radio feel. Most of the album was witty dance songs, blending Fergie’s sex appeal with the smooth talking Will.i.am, Apl.de.ap, and Taboo. However, I truly got chills when I listened to “The Apl song” and “Anxiety” became my theme song. I could listen to this record and get everything; dance jams, soulful anthems, and sexy love songs.
Monkey Business was long awaited for me (released in 2005). I could not wait to hear more from this band! Of course there were quite a few dance club songs, as well as relationship songs and some music that had no purpose but to be music, but it was still a good CD. I really liked “Union”, it being one of the first songs about peace by mainstream artists. I also liked “They Don’t Want Music”, because they acknowledged that many artists (including themselves on some part) made beats that had no meaning to them because that’s what a lot of fans like. They want something they can dance to; listening to lyrics is such a bother!
At this point in time most of the members of BEP went off to establish their solo carriers, but they came back to produce The E.N.D this year. Although the title was really clever, meaning The Energy Never Dies, I was overall disappointed in this album. They made some pretty good dance songs, but they were lacking a bit in the lyrical department. I did like One Tribe, but it was basically a remake of their song Union. Now Generation was good, but it’s already been made into a song. I get it, Ipods are taking over the world and everyone spends way too much time on the internet.
Now I am not one to get onto bands for “selling out” or anything, music is progressive and you can’t help what you are inspired to write. At least they write their own music! Most bands these days have people paid to do that for them. I will continue to listen to and enjoy the Black Eyed Peas, but I will definitely be hoping that the direction that music is going right now will take a U turn or a sharp right and not become a hopeless combination of nice beats and tired rhymes.

-Polyhymnia