The Black Eyed Peas are set to release a new album this June. The project, titled The E.N.D., will be the first studio album the group has released in four years, and their fifth album in total.
“‘The E.N.D.’ stands for ‘The Energy Never Dies,’” group member will.i.am [click to read] explained to Billboard.com. “It’s a diary…of music that at any given time, depending on the inspiration, you can add to it.”
After the success of their fourth studio album, Monkey Business, which, according to NielsenSoundScan, sold 4.2 million copies in the U.S., members took time off to pursue solo endeavors. Most notable of these solo projects is member Fergie’s album The Duchess, which peaked at number 2 on the charts, and will.i.am’s ardent activism during the ’08 elections. The group describes the upcoming album as “electric static funk,”“electronic soulful,” and as having “a lot of dance stuff.”
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“I’m trying to break away from the concept of an album,” continued will.i.am. “What is an album when you put 12 songs on iTunes and people can pick at it like scabs? That’s not an album. There is no album anymore.”
In addition, will.i.am recently won two awards for the song “Yes We Can” at the NAACP Image Awards last Thursday. The song was performed in an effort to gain support for Obama’s campaign last year. Of the award wins, will.i.am wrote in a blog on the Huffington Post stating, “i am so proud to have received a NAACP award by my black community… because at one point in time i wasn’t even considered ‘black enough.’”
“and now i ask this question…what does the ‘C.P.’ mean in the NAACP now?” he continued. “if the NAACP fought so that a black man could be president in a country that practiced slavery…then the NAACP should now stand and represent all people of color…and fight to unite every version of ‘pigment’…”
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will.i.am has recently released a new socially conscious video titled “Take Our Planet Back,” which can be seen on Dipdive.com.
The E.N.D. is scheduled to be released on June 9.
