With the release of their fifth album, the Black Eyed Peas establish The E.N.D. of a musical era and propel their own music into an electronic space age. The E.ND. – Energy Never Dies – is nothing short of a goulash of a variety of genres with core roots in dance and electro funk.
Rather than opening the album with a beat, listeners are seemingly welcomed to space – or at least, a space themed album. As the interlude dies down, the highly energetic “Boom, Boom, Pow” takes the album (and virtually dance floors worldwide) by storm. Though being the first song off the album, “Boom…” also outlines the framework of the remaining tracks, stating ‘we got the beats of 808s’ and simultaneously the autotune to match. “Rock that Body,” the David Guetta co-produced track (House/Dance DJ responsible for 2002 hit “Just a Little More Love”), uses Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock “It Takes Two” to help blend hip-hop, dance pop and the sounds of a vocoder to create a bangin’ electro funk track that further shapes the ambiance of this album. While diggin’ in the crates, BEP also came across Eddie Murphy’s “Party All the Time,” and incorporated the single into the same-titled name track, putting a twist on a classic party anthem to follow suit with today’s anthems.
One of the more hip-pop infused tracks, “Imma Be,” divulges in the success of Weezy’s “A Milli” by using its chorus melody, however, lays down a serious jazz-funk second half, whereas “Electric City” brings forth the fusion of electronic/house and hip-hop. Slowing down the pace of the album, Fergie takes the reigns on “I Got a Feeling,” and “Alive.” The former samples David Guetta’s “Love is Gone,” to create a joyous pop-rock dance tune, whereas “Alive” etches an edge lacking from the majority of this album. Although Fergie’s voice may not be the best, it effortlessly patterns the baselines and syncs itself to the pop melodies. Bringing the album full circle, BEP flips the script on all electronic/house aspirations upheld throughout the album with the track “One Tribe,” an African-infused ideology similarly to that of “Where is the Love,” which promotes peace, love and unity.
The E.N.D. may have its core roots in electro-pop, but it is seemingly all over the place and embraces genres from rock to techno. Lacing house with ballads and dance with hip-hop, the Black Eyed Peas bring forth an impressive amount of innovation but without a doubt, recycled creativity. Whether it is the strikingly similar chorus of “Imma Be” to Lil Wayne’s “A Milli” or the staggering resemblance between the baseline of “Out of My Head” and that of Ne-Yo’s “Miss Independent,” bits and pieces of 2008′s most successful songs have undoubtedly been revisited.
Nonetheless, the production of the lengthy 16-track album is vivid and energetic – although stagnant as the album progresses, nonetheless creating ‘Electric Static Funk,’ as proclaimed by the group themselves. However, to lend a hip-hop ear to this album is a tactful mission, as the album involves nothing more that hip-POP. will.i.am and crew don’t shy away from the autotune, but most definitely hide from conscious lyrics, complex rhyme scenes and smooth deliveries. Despite deflecting from original [way-back-when] BEP material, The E.N.D. provides track after track of pure power and energy.
71/100
“I Got a Feeling”
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“Imma Be”
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“Boom, Boom, Pow”
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