Black Eyed Peas: A touch of Pinoy

The Black Eyed Peas’ first two releases, Bridging the Gap and Behind the Front were hits that also drew a lot of acclaim from the critics. The group was new and daring and it seemed like they will bring excitement to the sound of R&B where the new releases were starting to sound alike. So having effortlessly hurdled both the debut jitters and the sophomore jinx, it was no surprise that a lot of people were quite curious about what the Los Angeles-based group had in store for its listeners in its third album which they titled Elephunk.

What the BEP served up was funk, lushly arranged with abundant touches of hip hop, rock, reggae and good old disco. Mixed reviews greeted the album. Some said that Elephunk was a disappointment. They found the contents of the album too diverse and lacking in unity. The songs and arrangements are too radio friendly, too derivative of current hits and sound like total sell-outs to others. But on the other hand, there were also those who praised the BEP for a major accomplishment, that of getting all those different types of R&B together in one cohesive sound and making this its own kind of funk.

The tracks Hands Up, Labor Day (It’s a Holiday) and Let’s Get Retarded are prime examples of this compendium of styles. Hey Mama, Shut Up, Where is the Love and Smells Like Funk are not what we expect from Black Eyed Peas but these songs have the hooks and can compete with most R&B releases in the market these days. And the group is really off into unusual directions with the dance cut The Boogie That Be, the rocker Anxiety and the Latin tune Sexy, which samples the bossa nova standard composed by Antonio Carlos Jobim, How Insensitive.

Though each is an interesting production we might want to take apart, none of these songs are taking Elephunk to the top of the charts. The one which is doing that job is the melodic Where is the Love? which features ‘N Sync heartthrob Justin Timberlake. Now, now don’t you turn up your noses at the mention of his name. Anything that this guy does will sell nowadays. Besides, Justin has a big winner with his very well-produced first solo album. He has paid his dues and is most welcome to try out other styles.

The most interesting thing for Pinoys in the BEP album though is The Api Song. And when I say api I mean api, Tagalog for abused, abased or downright miserable. The song has a Tagalog refrain about the balita from the Philippines while the rap tells of a Fil-Am kid’s trip to the country of his parents. What can be deduced from this is that a member of the Black Eyed Peas is a Filipino. I do not know which one he is among will.i.am, apl.de.ap and Taboo but whoever he is, he sure makes me feel good, knowing there is an album in the hit charts of the world with a song with Filipino lyrics in it.

And The Api Song is certainly more than enough reason for a Pinoy to have a copy of Elephunk.

Billboard’s Top 10

The Black Eyed Peas’ single Where is the Love? drops one slot to number nine in the latest Billboard Hot 100 tabulation. The full Top 10 list is as follows: Shake Ya Tailfeather by Nelly, P. Diddy & Murphy Lee; Crazy in Love by Beyonce featuring Jay-Z; Right Thurr by Chingy; P.I.M.P. by 50 Cent; Into You by Fabolous featuring Tamia or Ashanti; Get Low by Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz featuring Ying Yang Twins; Frontin’ by Pharrell featuring Jay-Z; Unwell by matchbox twenty; Baby Boy by Beyonce featuring Sean Paul; and Where is the Love? by the Black Eyed Peas featuring Justin Timberlake.

As for the top selling albums of the week in the US of A, these are: The Neptunes Present…. Clones by Various Artists; Greatest Hits Volume II and Some Other Stuff by Alan Jackson; Bow Wow: Unleashed by Bow Wow; Trap Muzik by T.I.; Bad Boys II, the motion picture soundtrack by various artists; Chicago, the soundtrack of the Academy Award winning musical; Fallen by Evanescence; From Me to u by Juelz Santana; Dangerously in Love by Beyonce and In This Skin by Jessica Simpson.