The group that experienced the greatest success in 2009 with their hit singles “Boom Boom Pow” and “I Gotta Feeling” are back with their sixth studio album, “The Beginning”. The Black Eyed Peas dipped their feet into a club/dance music vibe, and that vibe continues with the release of their new project by focusing on beats and production. Many fans will be quick to notice that the sound is nothing close to the reason why they began to enjoy the group. Preceded by their new top ten hit, “The Time (Dirty Bit)”, the album will be on their list of hit albums for sure.
The album begins with a song that the group has just added to their list of top ten hits. “The Time (Dirty Bit)” is a great choice for the first single off this project after the amazing success of their previous effort, “The E.N.D”. The song contains a sample of “(I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life” which is used in the chorus with successful results. The group makes the sample their own by not making it sounds out of place like most samples do. The track sets the tone for the album and allows listeners to get acquainted with the sound of the new album. When “Light Up The Night” first starts it is evident that you are in for another dance, club anthem which the group has shown is their new expertise. The track progresses nicely, which each member taking a verse and making the song sound like it is coming from a group. The song is catchy, and is sure to be another hit for the group, although not as big as “I Gotta Feeling”. The album continues with “Love You Long Time”. The song comes off extremely cute and innocent, something that is new for the band that is used to loud beats and production. The track would fit in perfectly with the 80s genre which is not a bad thing. The delivery of the lyrics is a job well done and I found the song to be an enjoyable one. Being a fan of BEP for many years, “XOXOXO” really pleased me because I feel it is as close to their old sound as they get on this album. The production on this track does not hurt it like I feel it does on some other songs, it’s the perfect mix for the tone of the song. The track is a love song with a twist, and the chorus is one that will get stuck in your head which I do not mind. “Someday” is a song that begins on a positive note, I could not help but move along to the beat. Some of the lyrics do fall flat unfortunately, but I do not think the song fails. The song is perfectly crafted and it will have many dancing and singing along. The second half of the song is much more enjoyable than the first due to the fact that the performance is better. Fergie’s vocals return for the song “Whenever”, and it is the main reason the song is a success. The song is a beautiful one and I think it takes the title as “second best on the album”. It is a shame that Fergie has less to do on this project because she knocks it out on this track. The loud beats disappear in order to allow the talent to really come across, and I think it was a very smart move that paid off well. The album hits a low point with the next three tracks which was a disappointment for me. The 70s vibe of “Fashion Beats” does not make for a pleasurable experience and I think it ruined the potential the song could have had. The song is plain forgettable and one that I think I would skip in the future. Too much is going on at once which causes the lyrics and everything else to just get lost. It is a song that I think was just thrown onto the album to fill it some space. “Don’t Stop The Party” sounds like a remix of one of their previous hits. The beats are loud, but when I listen to a song off an album I do not want to feel like I am in an actual club. With a time of six minutes and seven seconds, the only thing I liked about the song was Fergie’s vocals that were found in bits and pieces throughout. I hate to say that I actually found the track annoying. “Do It Like This” made me laugh many times, I still do not know if that is a good or bad thing. I think with the lyrics and the delivery, the song is not one that takes itself too seriously. The track is fun and changes completely in the second half, which I must say I liked much more. The change makes the song sound like it was two mashed together; I prefer the second half only. The album starts breathing life again with the track “The Best One Yet (The Boy)”. The track is a good one; however, it is not on the same level as the other great songs off the album. Compared to most of the track list, the song is one that I would consider slow and I find it very sweet and a nice listen. All the vocals are near perfect, but the lyrical material is not the best which I think takes away some of the magic from the song. For some reason, maybe it’s the lyrical content, but “Just Can’t Get Enough” reminds me a bit of “Meet Me Halfway”. The song as a whole is beautiful and enjoyable and I think I have clicked the repeat button more than fifty times already. The last minute of the song changes dramatically, but I do not think it takes much away from the song. The standard edition of the album closes with the track “Play It Loud”. I feel that the song is one that could be blasted out of car stereos and become an enjoyable listen for many different genre lovers. Even though I do not think that the song is anything truly amazing, it is a good song that closes the album on a positive note. The album continues the party vibe that the group played with in “The E.N.D”. The album has its ups and downs but I think it was a good move to continue with what has worked for them.
“The Beginning” follows in the footsteps of its predecessor as an album that is filled with club banging, house/pop music. Many of the tracks on the album work, but there are some that caused the album to halt the party vibe and focused too much on the production and mixing and not the lyrics. While many magazines are calling the album a failure, I do not agree with those statements. The album succeeds in many ways, especially the vocals. Those expecting to hear the sound of “Elephunk” will be disappointed, but the new sound that the group is experimenting with really works. For great single material, great vocals, and different beats and production, the album receives an 82%.
Tracks to Hear: "The Time (Dirty Bit)", "Whenever", and "Just Can't Get Enough"
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