Black Eyed Peas have been out of the public eye for a few years as the group’s members pursued solo careers. But the band will be back in 2009 with new material and an early summer tour.
Hip-hop artist and producer will.i.am divulged that the quartet plans to hit the road in May or June in a recent interview with Billboard. The Peas have performed together internationally in the years since releasing “Monkey Business” in 2005, but have not extensively toured North America since headlining the 2006 Honda Civic Tour.
The Peas frontman and founding member stated that singer Fergie would also be along for the ride. In the interview, he quoted Fergie as saying, “Our show needs to be f***in’ ridiculous this time. We need to put together a monster show.”
Will.i.am continued, “I’m gonna hold her to that, and we’re gonna follow her lead and really knock ’em out.”
When the Peas hit the road, they’ll be supporting their fifth studio album, “The END” or “The Energy Never Dies,” which is slated for a March 2009 release. Though the record will have a conventional 12-track component, there will also be an online component that will allow songs, blogs and more to be added and updated over a period of time.
“I’m trying to break away from the concept of an album,” he told Billboard. “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.”
Since the release of the last Peas record, will.i.am has released his third solo effort, “Songs About Girls.” However, he has also grown increasingly prominent as a social and political activist. Will.i.am was one of the performers slated to appear at Live Earth India, which was cancelled due to the terrorist attacks in the host city of Mumbai, India.
Pop singer Fergie first joined the Black Eyes Peas on 2003’s “Elephunk” as a guest singer, but was asked to permanently join the group when the performers bonded. In 2006, she released her triple-Platinum solo album, “The Dutchess,” which hit No. 2 on the Billboard 200. Since then, she has been promoting the record, which included a November 14 concert in Dubai.
|
|