Both The Black Eyed Peas and Lady Gaga were responsible for leading this technological fusion, with BEP reaching the masses like never before thanks to “Boom Boom Pow” and “I Gotta Feeling,” which took the group to the top of the Billboard chart for a record-breaking 26 consecutive weeks. When The END arrived, on June 3, 2009, the gap between pop and dance music was almost non-existent. On tour for The END, shows would often feature an interlude during which he’d perform a DJ set while wearing a RoboCop-inspired uniform. He opens the album with “Boom Boom Pow,” bragging about “digital, next-level visuals” later, on “Imma Be” he’s dissing critics and plotting world domination. Will.i.am’s fixation with technology and the future takes center stage on almost every song.
It’s filled with synth anthems that helped usher in a new era of electronic-infused pop while further cementing hip-hop as a presence in the mainstream. If Elephunk was music for house parties, and Monkey Business a soundtrack for the club, then The END was built for arenas. The group had always had hits, but The END, whose title stands for “The Energy Never Dies,” reached for something bigger. The END marked The Black Eyed Peas’ fifth album overall, but as their third with Fergie as a member, it felt like the conclusion of a trilogy. By the time they were ready to return, however, the group who had owned the early 00s with their unstoppable set of singles had prepared an album that was both a comeback and a victory lap.
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