''The E.N.D.'' (an abbreviation of and subtitled ''The Energy Never Dies'') is the fifth
studio album
An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-track or Cassette tape, cassette), or digital distribution, dig ...
by American group
the Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas are an American musical group formed in Los Angeles in 1995, composed of rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap and Taboo (rapper), Taboo. Fergie (singer), Fergie was a member during the height of their popularity in the 2000s, and ...
. It was released on June 3, 2009, by
Interscope Records
Interscope Records is an American record label based in Santa Monica, California, owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M imprint. Founded in late 1990 by Jimmy Iovine and Ted Field as a $20 million joint venture ...
.
While on
The Monkey Business Tour, which they embarked on in support of their fourth studio album ''
Monkey Business'' (2005), the Black Eyed Peas began recording material for their fifth studio album. Tentatively titled ''From Roots to Fruits'', it was originally set for a late 2007 release, before being retitled and postponed several times. Executive producer
will.i.am produced ''The E.N.D.'' with fellow member
apl.de.ap
Allan Pineda Lindo (born November 28, 1974), known professionally as apl.de.ap ( ), is a Filipino-American rapper, singer and record producer. He is a founding member of the hip hop group Black Eyed Peas (BEP). With the BEP, he has been nomin ...
and longtime collaborators
Printz Board and Poet Name Life, alongside
David Guetta
Pierre David Guetta (; born 7 November 1967) is a French DJ and record producer. He has sold over 10 million albums and 65 million singles globally, with more than 30 billion streams on Spotify. Guetta was voted the number one DJ in the DJ Mag ...
, Jean Baptiste, DJ Replay, Funkagenda,
Keith Harris,
Mark Knight and Frederic Riesterer. Their final product was a
pop,
hip hop
Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...
and
EDM album, with elements of
electro-funk
Electro (also known as electro-funk, and sometimes referred to as electro-pop)
Gl ...
and significantly differing from their previous albums. However, its lyrical themes were similar to its predecessors ''
Elephunk
''Elephunk'' is the third studio album by American group the Black Eyed Peas. It was released on June 24, 2003, by A&M Records, Interscope Records and will.i.am Music Group. Production of the album commenced in September 2000, and later was aff ...
'' (2003) and ''Monkey Business''.
Upon its release, ''The E.N.D.'' received mixed reviews from
music critics
Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on ...
, who described it as containing more anthemic and inspirational songs in the group's bid to appeal to a new generation of music listeners. It was the Black Eyed Peas' first number-one album on the US
''Billboard'' 200, debuting atop the chart with first-week sales of 304,000 copies. Internationally, it reached number one in Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, New Zealand and Portugal. At the
52nd Annual Grammy Awards, the album was nominated for six awards, including
Album of the Year, and
Record of the Year
The Grammy Award for Record of the Year is presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without re ...
for "
I Gotta Feeling
"I Gotta Feeling" is a song by American group the Black Eyed Peas from their fifth studio album '' The E.N.D.'' (2009). It was written by the group members with the song's producers David Guetta and Frédéric Riesterer. The song was released a ...
", and won the award for
Best Pop Vocal Album. By June 2011, the album had sold over 11 million copies worldwide, being one of the best-selling albums of its era.
''The E.N.D.'' produced five singles, all of which peaked within the top ten on the US
''Billboard'' Hot 100. "
Boom Boom Pow
"Boom Boom Pow" is a song recorded by American group the Black Eyed Peas for their fifth studio album '' The E.N.D.'' (2009). It was written by group members will.i.am, apl.de.ap, Taboo and Fergie, being produced by will.i.am. The song featur ...
" and "
I Gotta Feeling
"I Gotta Feeling" is a song by American group the Black Eyed Peas from their fifth studio album '' The E.N.D.'' (2009). It was written by the group members with the song's producers David Guetta and Frédéric Riesterer. The song was released a ...
" led the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 back-to-back, putting the band at the summit for a record-breaking 26 consecutive weeks. The group's first two number-one singles on the chart, the former spent 12 weeks atop the chart and the latter spent 14. "
Meet Me Halfway" peaked at number seven on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and at number one in nine countries. "
Imma Be" was the group's third ''Billboard'' Hot 100 number-one hit, and reached the top ten in Australia, Canada and Hungary. The final single "
Rock That Body" peaked at number nine on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and within the top ten in nine countries. To further promote the album, the group embarked on
The E.N.D. World Tour (2009–2010).
Recording and production

The Black Eyed Peas began recording material for their fifth studio album during their
The Monkey Business Tour, on which they embarked in support of their fourth studio album ''
Monkey Business'' (2005). In December 2006,
will.i.am revealed that the group had recorded 12 songs and would "probably do another 30 or 40".
The album was put on hold in 2007, as group members focused on solo projects–
Fergie was promoting her debut solo studio album ''
The Dutchess
''The Dutchess'' is the debut solo studio album by American singer-songwriter and rapper Fergie. It was released through A&M Records and the will.i.am Music Group on September 13, 2006. The album was recorded between the Black Eyed Peas' tour ...
'' (2006), which peaked at number two on the US
''Billboard'' 200 and produced three US
''Billboard'' Hot 100 number-one singles, and will.i.am released his third studio album ''
Songs About Girls
''Songs About Girls'' is the third studio album by American musician will.i.am, known from his work with Black Eyed Peas, The Black Eyed Peas. The original title of the album was ''Keep the Beeper''. The album was released on September 19, 2007. ...
''. Production resumed the following year; the recording was completed on October 15, 2008, at the
Metropolis Studios in London.
Most of the album was recorded in Los Angeles, either at the Ethernet Studios or the Jeepney Music Studio.
David Guetta
Pierre David Guetta (; born 7 November 1967) is a French DJ and record producer. He has sold over 10 million albums and 65 million singles globally, with more than 30 billion streams on Spotify. Guetta was voted the number one DJ in the DJ Mag ...
-produced songs–"
Rock That Body" and "
I Gotta Feeling
"I Gotta Feeling" is a song by American group the Black Eyed Peas from their fifth studio album '' The E.N.D.'' (2009). It was written by the group members with the song's producers David Guetta and Frédéric Riesterer. The song was released a ...
"–were recorded at Square Prod in Paris.
Apart from Guetta, the Black Eyed Peas worked with longtime collaborators
Printz Board and Poet Name Life for ''The E.N.D.'', as well as first-time collaborators Jean Baptiste, DJ Replay, Funkagenda,
Keith Harris,
Mark Knight and Frederic Riesterer.
apl.de.ap
Allan Pineda Lindo (born November 28, 1974), known professionally as apl.de.ap ( ), is a Filipino-American rapper, singer and record producer. He is a founding member of the hip hop group Black Eyed Peas (BEP). With the BEP, he has been nomin ...
, Fergie,
Taboo
A taboo is a social group's ban, prohibition or avoidance of something (usually an utterance or behavior) based on the group's sense that it is excessively repulsive, offensive, sacred or allowed only for certain people.''Encyclopædia Britannica ...
and will.i.am wrote all the tracks, including the four deluxe edition bonus tracks. Executive producer will.i.am produced 12 out of 15 tracks, while apl.de.ap produced "Showdown" and bonus track "Mare".
will.i.am remarked that ''The E.N.D.'' was inspired by a trip to Australia, specifically a concert from
the Presets
The Presets are an Australian electronic music duo of Julian Hamilton (vocals, keyboards) and Kim Moyes (drums, keyboards). Formed in 2003 and signed to Modular Recordings, Modular Records, The Presets released two EPs (''Blow Up (EP), Blow Up ...
, stating: "The energy on the Presets' small little stage was crazy energy. That song "
My People" – that is wild. That's the reason why this record sounds the way it does – my three months in Australia." The album was mastered by Chris Bellman, who was assisted by Brian "BC" Catena, at the
Bernie Grundman Mastering
Bernie Grundman (born 16 December 1943, Minneapolis) is an American audio engineer.
He is most known for his mastering work and his studio, Bernie Grundman Mastering, which he opened in 1984 in Hollywood. The studio, which includes engineers Chri ...
in Los Angeles.
Music and lyrics
Briefly after the production of ''The E.N.D.'' commenced in 2006,
will.i.am revealed its songs would address social and political issues, but that the album would be a "fun record" regardless, adding: "We are not complaining. It's not 'Oh everything message up! Oh my gosh, we're doomed!' It's a thinking record. It brings up what's happening in the world. ''
Monkey Business'' didn't do that."
Musically, the album was described by will.i.am as "a lot of
dance
Dance is an The arts, art form, consisting of sequences of body movements with aesthetic and often Symbol, symbolic value, either improvised or purposefully selected. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...
stuff, real melodic,
electronic,
soulful. We call it, like, electric static
funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in African-American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African-Americans in the ...
, something like that."
''
Vibe'' called it "a mélange of soulful
electro-funk
Electro (also known as electro-funk, and sometimes referred to as electro-pop)
Gl ...
and addictive
rave
A rave (from the verb: '' to rave'') is a dance party at a warehouse, club, or other public or private venue, typically featuring performances by DJs playing electronic dance music. The style is most associated with the early 1990s dance mus ...
-ready anthems".
In addition, other critics labeled ''The E.N.D.'' an
EDM,
hip hop
Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...
and
pop record.
The album opens with a vocally-manipulated spoken word hidden intro by will.i.am, who states: "Everything around you is changing. Nothing stays the same. This version of myself is not permanent. Tomorrow I will be different. The energy never dies." The intro segues into "
Boom Boom Pow
"Boom Boom Pow" is a song recorded by American group the Black Eyed Peas for their fifth studio album '' The E.N.D.'' (2009). It was written by group members will.i.am, apl.de.ap, Taboo and Fergie, being produced by will.i.am. The song featur ...
", which lyrically sees the group declaring their superiority over rivals and enemies through a futuristic quality; the theme is also present on "Electric City" and "Showdown".
Trance
Trance is a state of semi-consciousness in which a person is not self-aware and is either altogether unresponsive to external stimuli (but nevertheless capable of pursuing and realizing an aim) or is selectively responsive in following the dir ...
track "
Rock That Body" features heavy usage of
Auto-Tune
Auto-Tune is audio processor software released on September 19, 1997, by the American company Antares Audio Technologies. It uses a proprietary device to measure and Pitch correction, correct pitch in music. It operates on different principles ...
, with
Fergie's vocals notably high-pitched. Lyrically, the song is among ''The E.N.D.''s party-themed tracks, alongside "
Imma Be", "
I Gotta Feeling
"I Gotta Feeling" is a song by American group the Black Eyed Peas from their fifth studio album '' The E.N.D.'' (2009). It was written by the group members with the song's producers David Guetta and Frédéric Riesterer. The song was released a ...
", "Party All the Time" and "Rockin to the Beat". In an interview for ''
Marie Claire
''Marie Claire'' (stylized in all lowercase; ) is a French international monthly magazine first published in France in 1937. Since then various editions are published in many countries and languages.
The feature editions focus on women aro ...
'', will.i.am claimed "I Gotta Feeling" was "dedicated to all the party people out there in the world that want to go out and party", adding that nearly every track on the album "is painting a picture of our party life. It was a conscious decision to make this type of record. Times are really hard for a lot of people and you want to give them escape and you want to make them feel good about life, especially at these low points." The album's mid-tempo tracks deal with relationships–"
Meet Me Halfway" features two partners trying to work on their struggling relationship, while "
Alive" features a male protagonist trying to "rekindle love's spark".
The
love song
A love song is a song about love, falling in love, heartbreak after a breakup, and the feelings that these experiences bring. Love songs can be found in a variety of different music genres. They can come in various formats, from sad and emotion ...
theme continues with "
Missing You", which features "wild
bassline
Bassline (also known as a bass line or bass part) is the term used in many styles of music, such as blues, jazz, funk, Dub music, dub and electronic music, electronic, traditional music, traditional, and classical music, for the low-pitched P ...
s and vocal snarling". "Ring-A-Ling" speaks about
casual sex
Casual sex is sexual activity that takes place outside a romantic relationship and implies an absence of commitment, emotional attachment, or familiarity between sexual partners. Examples are sexual activity while casually dating, one-nig ...
, mentioning the term "booty call".
Inspirational lyrical themes prevail on "Now Generation", a
power pop
Power pop (also typeset as powerpop) is a subgenre of rock music and form of pop rock based on the early music of bands such as the Who, the Beatles, the Beach Boys, and the Byrds. It typically incorporates melodic hooks, vocal harmonies, ...
guitar and harmonica-driven track, and the
world peace
World peace is the concept of an ideal state of peace within and among all people and nations on Earth. Different cultures, religions, philosophies, and organizations have varying concepts on how such a state would come about.
Various relig ...
-themed "One Tribe".
"Now Generation" additionally references
iChat
iChat (previously iChat AV) is a discontinued instant messaging software application developed by Apple Inc. for use on its Mac OS X operating system. It supported instant text messaging over XMPP/Jingle or OSCAR ( AIM) protocol, audio and video ...
,
Mac,
Myspace
Myspace (formerly stylized as MySpace, currently myspace; and sometimes my␣, with an elongated Whitespace character#Substitute images, open box symbol) is a social networking service based in the United States. Launched on August 1, 2003, it w ...
,
Facebook
Facebook is a social media and social networking service owned by the American technology conglomerate Meta Platforms, Meta. Created in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with four other Harvard College students and roommates, Eduardo Saverin, Andre ...
,
Google
Google LLC (, ) is an American multinational corporation and technology company focusing on online advertising, search engine technology, cloud computing, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, consumer electronics, and artificial ...
and
Wikipedia
Wikipedia is a free content, free Online content, online encyclopedia that is written and maintained by a community of volunteers, known as Wikipedians, through open collaboration and the wiki software MediaWiki. Founded by Jimmy Wales and La ...
.
Title and artwork
The title for the Black Eyed Peas' fifth studio album had been thought about since 2006, around the time
Fergie released her debut solo studio album ''
The Dutchess
''The Dutchess'' is the debut solo studio album by American singer-songwriter and rapper Fergie. It was released through A&M Records and the will.i.am Music Group on September 13, 2006. The album was recorded between the Black Eyed Peas' tour ...
''. It was originally titled ''Evolution'', but that was also the title for what would become
Ciara
Ciara Princess Wilson ( ; Harris; born October 25, 1985) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer and actress. She was discovered by record producer Jazze Pha in the early 2000s, and rose to prominence with her debut studio album, ''Goodies ...
's
second studio album.
The title was then tentatively changed to ''From Roots to Fruits'', before the group decided it might be better suited for a future
compilation album
A compilation album comprises Album#Tracks, tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one Performing arts#Performers, performer or by several performers. If the recordings are from ...
. The title was changed again to ''The Energy Never Dies'', before being shortened to ''The E.N.D.''
In an interview with ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'', will.i.am stated that the title ''The Energy Never Dies'' described his model for a project that would be living and frequently updated throughout its designated cycle: "It's a diary
..of music that at any given time, depending on the inspiration, you can add to it", adding: "I'm trying to break away from the concept of an album. What is an album when you put 12 songs on
iTunes
iTunes is a media player, media library, and mobile device management (MDM) utility developed by Apple. It is used to purchase, play, download and organize digital multimedia on personal computers running the macOS and Windows operating s ...
and people can pick at it like scabs? That's not an album. There is no album anymore."
Designed by
Mathew Cullen and Mark Kudsi, the album cover for ''The E.N.D.'' was revealed on April 30, 2009, showing a green face against a black background. will.i.am explained: "This is the face of digital energy. This is what we look like when Fergie, apl, Taboo, and will.i.am combine digitally. We are one in this image. This is the E.N.D.!!!!" The green face had already appeared in the accompanying
music video
A music video is a video that integrates a song or an album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device intended to ...
for the album's lead single "
Boom Boom Pow
"Boom Boom Pow" is a song recorded by American group the Black Eyed Peas for their fifth studio album '' The E.N.D.'' (2009). It was written by group members will.i.am, apl.de.ap, Taboo and Fergie, being produced by will.i.am. The song featur ...
" earlier that month, directed by Cullen and Kudsi.
Release and promotion

''The E.N.D.'' was originally set to be released within the second half of 2007, before being postponed indefinitely due to the group members' solo efforts.
In October 2008, will.i.am expressed his hopes of releasing the album by the end of the year.
However, it was pushed back to March 2009,
before ultimately being set for June 9 in the United States. Leading up to the release, a campaign titled "The Countdown to ''The E.N.D.''" was organized, producing three
promotional singles–"
Imma Be" on May 19, "
Alive" on May 23, and "
Meet Me Halfway" on June 2.
A double-disc deluxe edition was released simultaneously with the standard edition; in the US, it was released exclusively at
Target stores.
The album and its deluxe edition were promoted by a Target commercial featuring the group perform "
I Gotta Feeling
"I Gotta Feeling" is a song by American group the Black Eyed Peas from their fifth studio album '' The E.N.D.'' (2009). It was written by the group members with the song's producers David Guetta and Frédéric Riesterer. The song was released a ...
".
The Black Eyed Peas performed at various festivals across the US and Europe from May to September, most notably
Wango Tango
iHeartRadio Wango Tango, commonly referred to as simply Wango Tango, is an annual day-long concert produced by local Los Angeles radio station KIIS-FM. The concert series has been staged at various venues around southern California including Dod ...
and the
Glastonbury Festival 2009
The 2009 Glastonbury Festival/Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts was held from 24 to 29 June 2009.
Tickets
Registration
In a similar way to previous festivals, tickets for the 2009 event required pre-registration (of a p ...
.
In addition, the group performed "
Boom Boom Pow
"Boom Boom Pow" is a song recorded by American group the Black Eyed Peas for their fifth studio album '' The E.N.D.'' (2009). It was written by group members will.i.am, apl.de.ap, Taboo and Fergie, being produced by will.i.am. The song featur ...
" on the
eighth season finale of ''
American Idol
''American Idol'' is an American Music competition, singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle (company), Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It a ...
'' on May 20. They promoted the album in Japan by performing "Boom Boom Pow" with
Koda Kumi as guests on her tour on May 31, and "I Gotta Feeling" on ''
Music Station
, stylised in all caps, is a Japanese music television program. Broadcasting live weekly on TV Asahi since October 24, 1986, it currently airs from 9PM-10PM on Fridays. The program is also colloquially known as , , and . The show is currently sy ...
'' on June 5.
In the US, "I Gotta Feeling" was performed on the ''
Late Show with David Letterman
''Late Show with David Letterman'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS, the first iteration of the ''Late Show'' franchise. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and was produced by Letterman's production com ...
'' on June 9 and the
2009 Teen Choice Awards on August 9. In Canada, the Black Eyed Peas performed "Boom Boom Pow" at the
2009 MuchMusic Video Awards on June 21. The group also headlined the
NFL Kickoff Game for the
2009 season on September 10. In Germany, the group promoted ''The E.N.D.'' by performing "I Gotta Feeling" on ''
Wetten, dass..?'' on November 7. They further promoted the album in the United Kingdom on November 8 by performing "Boom Boom Pow", "Meet Me Halfway" and "I Gotta Feeling" on
BBC Switch, and "Meet Me Halfway" on ''
The X Factor
''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for '' Pop Idol'' (2001–200 ...
''. On November 14, the Black Eyed Peas performed "I Gotta Feeling", "Meet Me Halfway" and "Boom Boom Pow" on ''
Saturday Night Live
''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') is an American Late night television in the United States, late-night live television, live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC. The ...
''. They then performed "Boom Boom Pow" and "Meet Me Halfway" at the
Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2009
The ''Victoria's Secret Fashion Show'' is an annual fashion show sponsored by Victoria's Secret, a brand of lingerie and sleepwear. Victoria's Secret uses the show to promote and market its goods in high-profile settings. The show features some o ...
on November 19, and at the
American Music Awards 2009 on November 22. In France, the group performed "Meet Me Halfway" and "I Gotta Feeling" at the
NRJ Music Awards on January 23, 2010. At the
52nd Annual Grammy Awards on January 31, where they won three awards, the Black Eyed Peas performed "Imma Be" and "I Gotta Feeling".
In order to globally promote ''The E.N.D.'' further, the Black Eyed Peas embarked on
The E.N.D. World Tour in
Hamamatsu
is a Cities of Japan, city located in western Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. In September 2023, the city had an estimated population of 780,128 in 340,591 households, making it the prefecture's largest city, with a population density of over the t ...
, Japan on September 15, 2009. It was the group's biggest tour production-wise, with
Fergie stating that they were "trying to up
heir
Inheritance is the practice of receiving private property, titles, debts, entitlements, privileges, rights, and obligations upon the death of an individual. The rules of inheritance differ among societies and have changed over time. Offi ...
game" and the shows would "utilize a lot of the technology that's out there". The tour was backed by presenting sponsor
BlackBerry
BlackBerry is a discontinued brand of handheld devices and related mobile services, originally developed and maintained by the Canadian company Research In Motion (RIM, later known as BlackBerry Limited) until 2016. The first BlackBerry device ...
, while
Bacardi served as its "official spirit". In Canada, a
remix album
A remix album is an album consisting of remixes or rerecorded versions of an artist's earlier released material. The first act who employed the format was American singer-songwriter Harry Nilsson ('' Aerial Pandemonium Ballet'', 1971). As of 200 ...
titled ''The E.N.D. Summer 2010 Canadian Invasion Tour: Remix Collection'' was released on July 27, 2010, via
iTunes Store, during the second North American leg of the tour. After a total of 115 shows across Asia, Oceania, North America, Europe and South America, the tour ended on November 13, 2010, in
Lima
Lima ( ; ), founded in 1535 as the Ciudad de los Reyes (, Spanish for "City of Biblical Magi, Kings"), is the capital and largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón River, Chillón, Rímac River, Rímac and Lurín Rive ...
, Peru. In December, the tour placed at number five on ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
''s list "Top 25 Tours of 2010", grossing $81,579,114 for 82 shows, and at number nine on ''
Pollstar
''Pollstar'' is a trade publication for the concert and live music industry. The publication was purchased by Oak View Group, a venue consultancy founded by Tim Leiweke and Irving Azoff, in July 2017.
''Pollstar'' holds an annual award ce ...
''s list of top ten North American tours for grossing $50.5 million.
Singles
"
Boom Boom Pow
"Boom Boom Pow" is a song recorded by American group the Black Eyed Peas for their fifth studio album '' The E.N.D.'' (2009). It was written by group members will.i.am, apl.de.ap, Taboo and Fergie, being produced by will.i.am. The song featur ...
" was released as the
lead single
A lead single (or first single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date.
A similar term, "debut ...
from ''The E.N.D.'' on February 22, 2009. It peaked atop the US
''Billboard'' Hot 100, becoming the group's first number-one single on the chart. The song features a vocal sample from the 1990 song "Reach Out" by British house duo Sweet Mercy featuring singer
Rowetta. It stayed atop the chart for 12 consecutive weeks, making it the second longest-running single to stay atop the chart in 2009, after the Black Eyed Peas' own "
I Gotta Feeling
"I Gotta Feeling" is a song by American group the Black Eyed Peas from their fifth studio album '' The E.N.D.'' (2009). It was written by the group members with the song's producers David Guetta and Frédéric Riesterer. The song was released a ...
".
The song was named "Song of the Year" on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 year-end chart for 2009. On May 18, 2010, the digital single was certified
quintuple platinum by the
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
(RIAA) for selling five million units in the United States.
Internationally, it peaked atop the charts in Australia, Belgium, Canada, Croatia, Israel, Portugal and the United Kingdom.
At the
52nd Annual Grammy Awards (2010), the song was nominated for
Best Dance Recording, but lost to
Lady Gaga
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta (born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her image reinventions and versatility across the entertainment industry, she is an influ ...
's "
Poker Face". An accompanying
music video
A music video is a video that integrates a song or an album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device intended to ...
for the song was directed by
Mathew Cullen and Mark Kudsi, and is set in the year 3008; it won
Best Short Form Music Video at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards.
"I Gotta Feeling" was released as the second single from ''The E.N.D.'' on June 15, 2009.
Debuting at number two, it replaced "Boom Boom Pow" at the summit of the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, making them only the fourth group to replace themselves at number one in the chart's history. The song remained at the top spot for 14 consecutive weeks, being the longest-reigning number-one single on the chart of 2009.
On June 6, 2018, the digital single was certified diamond by the RIAA for selling ten million units in the US.
Internationally, it peaked atop the charts in 21 countries. Critically acclaimed, the song won
Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards. Its accompanying music video was directed by Mikey Mee and features guest appearances from
David Guetta
Pierre David Guetta (; born 7 November 1967) is a French DJ and record producer. He has sold over 10 million albums and 65 million singles globally, with more than 30 billion streams on Spotify. Guetta was voted the number one DJ in the DJ Mag ...
,
Kid Cudi
Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi (born January 30, 1984), also known by his stage name Kid Cudi ( ; formerly stylized as KiD CuDi), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, and fashion designer. Born and raised in Clevelan ...
, members of the
indie rock
Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United Kingdom, United States and New Zealand in the early to mid-1980s. Although the term was originally used to describe rock music released through independent reco ...
band
Gossip
Gossip is idle talk or rumor, especially about the personal or private affairs of others; the act is also known as dishing or tattling.
Etymology
The word is from Old English ''godsibb'', from ''god (word), god'' and ''sibb'', the term for the ...
, the designer duo
Dean and Dan Caten
Dean and Dan Caten (née Catenacci; born December 19, 1964) are Canadian people, Canadian fashion designers, radio personalities, and businessmen. They are identical twin brothers and the founders and owners of Dsquared², an Italian luxury fash ...
of Dsquared
2 and ''
RuPaul's Drag Race
''RuPaul's Drag Race'' is an American reality competition television series, the first in the Drag Race (franchise), ''Drag Race'' franchise, produced by World of Wonder (company), World of Wonder for Logo TV (season 1–8), WOW Presents Plus, ...
'' alumni
Ongina.
Originally released as the third
promotional single
A promotional recording, promo, or plug copy is an audio or video recording distributed free, usually in order to promote a recording that is or soon will be commercially available. Promos are normally sent directly to broadcasters, such as mu ...
from ''The E.N.D.'' on June 2, 2009,
"
Meet Me Halfway" was released as its third single on September 22 to critical acclaim.
It became the album's third US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 top-ten single, peaking at number seven.
The digital single was certified double platinum by the RIAA on May 18, 2010, for selling two million units in the US.
Internationally, it peaked atop the charts in Australia, Belgium, Germany, Greece, Israel, Luxembourg, Norway, Romania and the United Kingdom. Directed by Ben Mor, the song's accompanying music video features the members in different parts of the
Solar System
The Solar SystemCapitalization of the name varies. The International Astronomical Union, the authoritative body regarding astronomical nomenclature, specifies capitalizing the names of all individual astronomical objects but uses mixed "Sola ...
–
Fergie lies in the middle of a lush green jungle,
apl.de.ap
Allan Pineda Lindo (born November 28, 1974), known professionally as apl.de.ap ( ), is a Filipino-American rapper, singer and record producer. He is a founding member of the hip hop group Black Eyed Peas (BEP). With the BEP, he has been nomin ...
levitates on a desert planet in nomadic clothing,
will.i.am rides an elephant on a moon of
Jupiter
Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the List of Solar System objects by size, largest in the Solar System. It is a gas giant with a Jupiter mass, mass more than 2.5 times that of all the other planets in the Solar System combined a ...
and
Taboo
A taboo is a social group's ban, prohibition or avoidance of something (usually an utterance or behavior) based on the group's sense that it is excessively repulsive, offensive, sacred or allowed only for certain people.''Encyclopædia Britannica ...
glides around the
Sun
The Sun is the star at the centre of the Solar System. It is a massive, nearly perfect sphere of hot plasma, heated to incandescence by nuclear fusion reactions in its core, radiating the energy from its surface mainly as visible light a ...
in a spacesuit.
Originally released as the first promotional single from ''The E.N.D.'' on May 19, 2009,
"
Imma Be" was released as the fourth US and fifth and final international single on January 12, 2010, simultaneously with "
Rock That Body", to critical acclaim.
Following its performance at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards, the song became the Black Eyed Peas' third US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 number-one single.
The digital single was certified double platinum by the RIAA on May 18.
Internationally, the song failed to replicate the commercial success of its predecessors, but peaked within the top ten in Australia, Canada and Hungary.
Directed by
Rich Lee, the song's accompanying music video was filmed back-to-back with the music video for "Rock That Body". The videos were put together in a ten-minute medley titled "Imma Be Rocking That Body".
"Rock That Body" was released simultaneously with "Imma Be" as the fourth international and fifth and final US single from ''The E.N.D.'' on January 29, 2010. It became the Black Eyed Peas' fifth consecutive US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 top-ten single, peaking at number nine.
Internationally, it peaked within the top ten in Australia, Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Italy and Portugal. Directed by Rich Lee, the song's accompanying music video was filmed back-to-back with the music video for "Imma Be". The videos were put together in a ten-minute medley titled "Imma Be Rocking That Body".
"
Alive" was released the second promotional single from ''The E.N.D.'' on May 23, 2009, as part of "The Countdown to ''The E.N.D.''"
"
Missing You" was released as the fourth and final promotional single exclusively in France on April 23, 2010. It peaked at number ten on the French airplay chart, and at number 19 on the French digital chart. The March 30 performance of "Missing You" in Los Angeles during
The E.N.D. World Tour was filmed and released as the official music video in France. "Showdown" was used in theatre rounds of ''
So You Think You Can Dance Australia'', which propelled it to number 66 on the
Australian Singles Chart
The ARIA Charts are the main Australian record chart, music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA beca ...
on February 15, 2010. "One Tribe" was used for
Pepsi
Pepsi is a Carbonated water, carbonated soft drink with a cola flavor, manufactured by PepsiCo which serves as its flagship product. In 2023, Pepsi was the second most valuable soft drink brand worldwide behind Coca-Cola; the two share a long ...
commercials in 2010, and was also included on the album ''
Songs for Japan
''Songs for Japan'' is a charity compilation album created to benefit relief efforts for the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. A collaborative project between the music industry's "big four" record labels ( EMI, Sony, Universal, and Warner), ...
'' (2011), released in support of the victims of the
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
On 11 March 2011, at 14:46:24 Japan Standard Time, JST (05:46:24 UTC), a 9.0–9.1 Submarine earthquake, undersea megathrust earthquake occurred in the Pacific Ocean, east of the Oshika Peninsula of the Tōhoku region. It lasted approx ...
.
Critical reception
''The E.N.D.'' received mixed reviews from
music critics
Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on ...
upon its release. On review aggregator
Metacritic
Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...
, it received an average of 60 out of 100 indicating "mixed or average reviews", based on 15 reviews,
which was higher than ''
Monkey Business'' (2005) but lower than ''
Elephunk
''Elephunk'' is the third studio album by American group the Black Eyed Peas. It was released on June 24, 2003, by A&M Records, Interscope Records and will.i.am Music Group. Production of the album commenced in September 2000, and later was aff ...
'' (2003), with critics agreeing that the album showcased more of a
dance
Dance is an The arts, art form, consisting of sequences of body movements with aesthetic and often Symbol, symbolic value, either improvised or purposefully selected. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...
-oriented sound than its predecessors. ''
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
'' described the album as "pure
Top 40
In the music industry, the Top 40 is a list of the 40 currently most popular songs in a particular genre. It is the best-selling or most frequently broadcast popular music. Record charts have traditionally consisted of a total of 40 songs. "To ...
nirvana
Nirvana, in the Indian religions (Jainism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism), is the concept of an individual's passions being extinguished as the ultimate state of salvation, release, or liberation from suffering ('' duḥkha'') and from the ...
",
while
PopMatters
''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, ...
concluded that after listening to the album and "dancing all night
..you just may not be able to respect yourself in the morning".
Other critical reactions to ''The E.N.D.'' were comparatively mixed, with John Bush of
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
commenting on the Black Eyed Peas' move from
hip hop
Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...
to
pop music
Pop music is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form during the mid-1950s in the United States and the United Kingdom.S. Frith, W. Straw, and J. Street, eds, ''iarchive:cambridgecompani00frit, The Cambridge Companion to Pop ...
by writing: "The Black Eyed Peas make effective pop/crossover music, but with all the limitations of the form – vapid lyrics, clumsy delivery, vocals smoothed over by
Auto-Tune
Auto-Tune is audio processor software released on September 19, 1997, by the American company Antares Audio Technologies. It uses a proprietary device to measure and Pitch correction, correct pitch in music. It operates on different principles ...
, and songwriting that strains for (and reaches) the lowest common denominator."
Eric Henderson from ''
Slant Magazine
''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New Yor ...
'' also commented on the Black Eyed Peas' change in musical direction, saying: "On the one hand, you have the pre-
Fergie band, which delighted the
college rock
College rock is rock music played on student-run university and college campus radio stations located in the United States and Canada in the 1980s and 1990s. The stations' playlists were often created by students who avoided the mainstream rock p ...
intelligentsia with its bite-sized, pre-chewed imitation of legitimate
alternative hip-hop
Alternative hip-hop (also known as alternative rap and experimental hip-hop) is a subgenre of hip-hop music that encompasses a wide range of styles that are not typically identified as mainstream. AllMusic defines it as comprising "hip-hop group ...
a la
A Tribe Called Quest
A Tribe Called Quest was an American Hip hop music, hip hop group formed in Queens, New York City, in 1985,[Q-Tip< ...](_blank)
and
the Roots
The Roots are an American Hip-hop, hip hop band formed in 1987 by singer Black Thought, Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and drummer Questlove, Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Roots serve as the house band on NBC's ''T ...
... On the other hand, you have the post-Fergie clown troupe, which has traded any and all available credibility in pursuit of becoming (successfully) the most flagrantly commercial pop supergroup since
Destiny's Child
Destiny's Child was an American girl group whose final lineup comprised Beyoncé, Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams (singer), Michelle Williams. The group began their musical career as Girl's Tyme, formed in 1990 in Hou ...
."
Accolades
, -
! scope="row",
2009
2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...
,
MuchMusic Video Award
,
Best International Group Video
, rowspan="2", "
Boom Boom Pow
"Boom Boom Pow" is a song recorded by American group the Black Eyed Peas for their fifth studio album '' The E.N.D.'' (2009). It was written by group members will.i.am, apl.de.ap, Taboo and Fergie, being produced by will.i.am. The song featur ...
"
,
,
, -
! scope="row" rowspan="2",
2009
2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...
, rowspan="2",
Teen Choice Award
The Teen Choice Awards were an annual awards show that aired on the Fox television network between 1999 and 2019. The awards, based on a popularity vote that could be overridden by the producerswho reserved the right to choose the winnerscovered ...
, Choice Music – Rap/Hip-Hop Track
,
,
, -
, Choice Music – Group Album
, ''The E.N.D.''
,
,
, -
! scope="row",
2009
2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...
,
MTV Europe Music Award
,
Best Song
, "
I Gotta Feeling
"I Gotta Feeling" is a song by American group the Black Eyed Peas from their fifth studio album '' The E.N.D.'' (2009). It was written by the group members with the song's producers David Guetta and Frédéric Riesterer. The song was released a ...
"
,
,
, -
! scope="row",
2009
2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...
,
American Music Award
The American Music Awards (AMAs) is an annual American music awards show produced by Dick Clark Productions since 1974. Nominees are selected on commercial performance such as sales and airplay. Winners are determined by a poll of the public and ...
,
Favorite Soul/R&B Album
, ''The E.N.D.''
,
,
, -
! scope="row",
2009
2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...
,
Premios 40 Principales
, Best International Song
, rowspan="2", "I Gotta Feeling"
,
,
, -
! scope="row" rowspan="2", 2010
, rowspan="2",
NRJ Music Award
An NRJ Music Award (commonly abbreviated as an NMA) is an award presented by the French radio station NRJ to honor the best in the French and worldwide music industry. The awards ceremony, created in 2000 by NRJ in partnership with the televisio ...
, International Song of the Year
,
,
, -
, International Album of the Year
, rowspan="3", ''The E.N.D.''
,
,
, -
! scope="row" rowspan="6",
2010
The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...
, rowspan="6",
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...
,
Album of the Year
,
, rowspan="6",
, -
,
Best Pop Vocal Album
,
, -
,
Best Dance Recording
, rowspan="2", "Boom Boom Pow"
,
, -
,
Best Short Form Music Video
,
, -
,
Record of the Year
The Grammy Award for Record of the Year is presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without re ...
, rowspan="2", "I Gotta Feeling"
,
, -
,
Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals
,
, -
! scope="row",
2010
The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...
,
Brit Award
,
International Album
, ''The E.N.D.''
,
,
, -
! scope="row",
2010
The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...
,
NAACP Image Award
The NAACP Image Awards is an annual awards ceremony presented by the U.S.-based National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to honor outstanding performances in film, television, theatre, music, and literature. The over 40 ...
,
Outstanding Music Video
, "Boom Boom Pow"
,
,
, -
! scope="row",
2010
The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...
,
Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Award
, Favorite Song
, "I Gotta Feeling"
,
,
, -
! scope="row",
2010
The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...
,
Juno Award
The Juno Awards (stylized as JUNOS), or simply known as the Junos, are awards presented by Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences to recognize outstanding achievements in Canada's mu ...
,
International Album of the Year
, rowspan="2", ''The E.N.D.''
,
,
, -
! scope="row" rowspan="2",
2010
The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...
, rowspan="2",
World Music Award
, World's Best Album
,
, rowspan="2",
, -
, World's Best Single
, rowspan="3", "I Gotta Feeling"
,
, -
! scope="row" rowspan="3",
2010
The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...
, rowspan="3",
MTV Video Music Award Japan
,
Best Group Video
,
, rowspan="3",
, -
,
Best Karaokee! Song
,
, -
,
Album of the Year
, ''The E.N.D.''
,
, -
! scope="row",
2010
The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...
, MuchMusic Video Award
, Best International Group Video
, "I Gotta Feeling"
,
,
, -
! scope="row",
2011
The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...
,
''Billboard'' Music Award
, Top Pop Album
, ''The E.N.D.''
,
,
Commercial performance
In the United States, ''The E.N.D.'' debuted atop the
''Billboard'' 200 and
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a music chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine that ranks R&B and hip-hop albums based on sales in the United States and is compiled by Luminate. The chart debuted as Hot R&B LPs in the issue dated January 30, ...
, selling 304,000 copies in its first week.
In its second week, its sales decreased by 51 percent to 148,000 copies, and the album descended to number two on the ''Billboard'' 200, while remaining atop the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. The following week, it returned to the summit of the ''Billboard'' 200, despite its sales declining to 88,000 copies. The album has spent 38 weeks within the top ten on the ''Billboard'' 200 and a total of 114 weeks on the chart.
It was the seventh best-selling album of 2009 in the country, selling 1.79 million copies throughout the year. On March 30, 2010, it was certified
double platinum by the
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
(RIAA).
By March 2011, the album had sold over three million copies in the US.
In Canada, the album debuted atop the
Canadian Albums Chart
The ''Billboard'' Canadian Albums is the official record chart
A record chart, in the music industry, also called a music chart, is a ranking of Sound recording and reproduction, recorded music according to certain criteria during a given ...
, on which it has spent a total of 66 weeks.
It was certified quintuple platinum by the
Canadian Recording Industry Association
Music Canada is a non-profit trade organization that was founded 9 April 1963 in Toronto to represent the interests of companies that record, manufacture, produce, and distribute music in Canada. It also offers benefits to some of Canada's leadin ...
(CRIA).
In Mexico, it debuted at number ten on the
Top 100 Mexico
Top 100 México was a record chart which accounted for sixty percent of the albums sold in Mexico. The chart had the support of major record distributors in Mexico and was issued by the Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videograma ...
, peaking at number seven and charting for 91 weeks.
On December 17, 2010, it was certified platinum by the
Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas
Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas (AMPROFON) (English: Mexican Association of Producers of Phonograms and Videograms, A.C.) is a non-profit organization integrated by multinational and national record companies in M ...
(AMPROFON).
In the United Kingdom, ''The E.N.D.'' debuted and peaked at number three the
UK Album Charts
The Official Albums Chart is the United Kingdom's industry-recognised national record chart for albums. Entries are ranked by sales and audio streaming. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Offici ...
, spending eight non-consecutive weeks at the position.
Additionally, it debuted atop the
UK R&B Albums Chart and peaked at number two on the
Scottish Albums Chart
The Scottish Albums Chart is a chart compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC) which is based on how physical and digital sales towards the UK Albums Chart fare in Scotland. The official singles chart for Scotland, the Scottish Singles Chart, ...
.
The album was certified quintuple platinum by the
British Phonographic Industry
BPI (British Recorded Music Industry) Limited, trading as British Phonographic Industry (BPI), is the British recorded music industry's trade association. It runs the BRIT Awards; is home to the Mercury Prize; co-owns the Official Charts C ...
(BPI) on July 22, 2013.
In France, it debuted at number two and peaked atop the chart in its second week, spending 11 non-consecutive weeks at the summit and 58 weeks within the top ten.
The album has been certified diamond by the
Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique
SNEP (, in English National Syndicate of Phonographic Publishing) is the inter-professional organisation that protects the interests of the French record industry. Originally known under the acronym SNICOP, the organisation was established in ...
(SNEP).
Across Europe, it peaked atop the charts in Portugal, Wallonia and the
European Top 100 Albums
The European Top 100 Albums chart was the European adaptation of the ''Billboard'' 200 albums chart. It ran from March 1984 until December 2010. Also commonly referred to as Eurochart Top 100 Albums, the chart showcased the sales of an act in 19 E ...
, while reaching the top ten in Austria, Denmark, Flanders, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Spain and Switzerland.
International Federation of the Phonographic Industry
The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) is the organisation that represents the interests of the recording industry worldwide. It is a non-profit members' organisation registered in Switzerland and founded in Italy in 1 ...
(IFPI) certified it triple platinum in 2010, for sales of three million copies across Europe.
''The E.N.D.'' fared similarly across Oceania and Asia. In Australia, it debuted atop the
ARIA Top 100 Albums, spending three non-consecutive weeks at the summit and a total of 55 weeks on the chart.
On December 24, 2009, it was certified quadruple platinum by the
Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade association representing the Australian recording industry which was established in the 1970s by six major record companies, EMI, Festival Records (Australia), Festival, Sony Music ...
(ARIA).
In New Zealand, the album debuted at number two, reaching the summit in its ninth week and staying there for four non-consecutive weeks.
It was certified double platinum by the
Recording Industry Association of New Zealand
Recorded Music NZ (formerly the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ)) is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell recorded music in New Zealand. Membership of Recorded ...
(RIANZ) in 2010.
In Japan, the album peaked at number two on the
Oricon Albums Chart
The Oricon Albums Chart is the Japanese music industry standard albums popularity chart issued daily, weekly, monthly and yearly by Oricon. Oricon originally published LP, CT, Cartridge and CD charts prior to the establishment of the Oricon A ...
, on which it has spent a total of 58 weeks.
It was certified platinum by the
Recording Industry Association of Japan
The is an industry trade group composed of Japanese corporations involved in the music industry. It was founded in 1942 as the Japan Phonogram Record Cultural Association, and adopted its current name in 1969.
The RIAJ's activities include pro ...
(RIAJ) in 2010.
''The E.N.D.'' was the second best-selling album worldwide of 2009,
and went on to sell over 11 million copies by November 2010.
Controversy
Much like its predecessors ''
Elephunk
''Elephunk'' is the third studio album by American group the Black Eyed Peas. It was released on June 24, 2003, by A&M Records, Interscope Records and will.i.am Music Group. Production of the album commenced in September 2000, and later was aff ...
'' (2003) and ''
Monkey Business'' (2005), ''The E.N.D.'' and its tracks were subjects of controversy. Since the release of ''Elephunk'', the Black Eyed Peas had been targeted by music critics and media outlets for
selling out
To "sell out" is to compromise one's integrity, morality, Authenticity (philosophy), authenticity, or Principle#As moral law, principles in exchange for personal gain, such as money or power. In terms of music or art, selling out is associated w ...
. The accusations intensified following the partnership the group formed with the
Target Corporation
Target Corporation is an American retail corporation that operates a chain of discount department stores and hypermarkets, headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the seventh-largest retailer in the United States, and a component of th ...
, whose stores would exclusively sell the deluxe edition of the album, while the Black Eyed Peas would appear in Target's television advertisement performing their then-new single "I Gotta Feeling". Writing for ''
Slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous, metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade, regional metamorphism. It is the finest-grained foliated metamorphic ro ...
'', advertising critic Seth Stevenson was extremely deprecatory of the partnership, branding the commercial "an abomination" and the group "a bunch of sellouts".
In addition, the
Government of Malaysia
The Government of Malaysia, officially the Federal Government of Malaysia (; Jawi script, Jawi: ), is based in the Federal Territories of Malaysia, Federal Territory of Putrajaya, with the exception of the legislative branch, which is located in ...
initially banned Malaysia's Muslim citizens from attending the Black Eyed Peas' September 25, 2009 concert near
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur (KL), officially the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, is the capital city and a Federal Territories of Malaysia, federal territory of Malaysia. It is the largest city in the country, covering an area of with a census population ...
, which was organized both to promote ''The E.N.D.'' and as part of a global promotion by
Guinness
Guinness () is a stout that originated in the brewery of Arthur Guinness at Guinness Brewery, St. James's Gate, Dublin, Ireland, in the 18th century. It is now owned by the British-based Multinational corporation, multinational alcoholic bever ...
, celebrating the 250th anniversary of its flagship
Dublin
Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...
brewery; however, the ban was soon reversed.
Multiple songs from ''The E.N.D.'' were subjects of
plagiarism
Plagiarism is the representation of another person's language, thoughts, ideas, or expressions as one's own original work.From the 1995 ''Random House Dictionary of the English Language, Random House Compact Unabridged Dictionary'': use or close ...
disputes and
copyright infringement
Copyright infringement (at times referred to as piracy) is the use of Copyright#Scope, works protected by copyright without permission for a usage where such permission is required, thereby infringing certain exclusive rights granted to the c ...
lawsuits. In July 2009, English record producer
Adam Freeland accused the Black Eyed Peas of plagiarizing the beat from his song "Mancry" on the track "Party All the Time". However, a settlement was later reached out of court. In January 2010, American recording artist Phoenix Phenom and producer Manfred Mohr filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against the group, claiming "Boom Boom Pow" was "virtually identical" to their song "Boom Dynamite", which Phenom had previously submitted to
Interscope Records
Interscope Records is an American record label based in Santa Monica, California, owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M imprint. Founded in late 1990 by Jimmy Iovine and Ted Field as a $20 million joint venture ...
executives. In October, the Black Eyed Peas were sued for copyright infringement again, by American songwriter Bryan Pringle. Both cases were eventually won by the Black Eyed Peas as the judges ruled that the songs were not similar enough.
Track listing
;Notes
*
signifies a co-
producer
*Digital editions of ''The E.N.D.'' eliminate will.i.am's minute-long album intro on "Boom Boom Pow", instead using its single version.
;Samples
*"Rock That Body" contains a sample from "
It Takes Two", as performed by
Rob Base & DJ EZ Rock, which in turn samples "
Think (About It)
"Think (About It)" is a funk song recorded by Lyn Collins and released as a single on James Brown's People Records in 1972. The recording was produced by Brown (who also wrote the song) and features instrumental backing from his band The J.B.' ...
", as performed by
Lyn Collins
Gloria Lavern Collins (June 12, 1948 – March 13, 2005), better known as Lyn Collins, was an American soul singer best known for working with James Brown in the 1970s and for the influential 1972 funk single, "Think (About It)".
A favorite ...
.
*"Imma Be" contains a sample of "Ride or Die", as performed by
the Budos Band.
*"Electric City" contains excerpts from "
I Want Candy", as performed by
Bow Wow Wow
Bow Wow Wow are an English New wave music, new wave band, created by manager Malcolm McLaren in 1980. McLaren recruited members of Adam and the Ants to form the band with then 13-year-old Annabella Lwin on lead vocals. They released their deb ...
.
*"Mare" contains a sample of "Hai Rama", written by
A. R. Rahman
Allah Rakha Rahman (; born A. S. Dileep Kumar; 6 January 1967), also known by the initialism ARR, is an Indian music composer, record producer, singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and philanthropist known for his works in Indian cinem ...
.
Personnel
Credits are adapted from the liner notes of ''The E.N.D.''
* Kathy Angstadt – Interscope video commissioning
*
apl.de.ap
Allan Pineda Lindo (born November 28, 1974), known professionally as apl.de.ap ( ), is a Filipino-American rapper, singer and record producer. He is a founding member of the hip hop group Black Eyed Peas (BEP). With the BEP, he has been nomin ...
– production (tracks 12 and 16), songwriting (all tracks), vocals
* Eddie Axley – logo design
*
Jean Baptiste – additional A&R coordination, co-production (track 1), keys (track 7), songwriting (tracks 2, 3, 6 and 7), synthesizers (track 7)
* Chris Bellman – mastering
*
Bert Berns – songwriting (track 11)
*
Printz Board – drum programming (track 10), keys (track 15), production (tracks 7 and 10), songwriting (tracks 7, 10, 14 and 15), synth bass (track 3), synthesizer (track 10)
*
Thomas Brenneck – songwriting (track 4)
* Brian "BC" Catena – mastering assistance
*
Mathew Cullen – art direction
* Dimitri Daniloff – photography
* Michael Deller – songwriting (track 4)
* Dennis Dennehy – public relations
* William Derella – management
* DJ Replay – production (tracks 12 and 16), songwriting (track 12)
* Todd Douglas – Interscope legal
*
Dylan Dresdow
Dylan Charles Dresdow Jr. is an American audio engineer and mixer. He has mixed recordings for music industry acts including Prince, Michael Jackson, Madonna, Usher, Black Eyed Peas, Nas, Britney Spears, Ice Cube, Kanye West, the Wu Tang Clan, Mi ...
– mixing
* Robert Feldman – songwriting (track 11)
*
Fergie – songwriting (all tracks), vocals
* Daniel Foder – songwriting (track 4)
* Funkagenda – co-production (track 2)
*
Robert Ginyard Jr. – songwriting (track 2)
* Fred Goldring – legal representation
*
Gerald Goldstein – songwriting (track 11)
* Sylvia Gordon – songwriting (track 3)
*
Richard Gottehrer
Richard Gottehrer (born June 12, 1940) is an American songwriter, record producer and record label executive.
His career began as a Brill Building songwriter in the 1960s. His first number one record as a songwriter and producer was " My Boyfr ...
– songwriting (track 11)
*
David Guetta
Pierre David Guetta (; born 7 November 1967) is a French DJ and record producer. He has sold over 10 million albums and 65 million singles globally, with more than 30 billion streams on Spotify. Guetta was voted the number one DJ in the DJ Mag ...
– production (tracks 2 and 5), songwriting (tracks 2 and 5)
*
Keith Harris – bass guitar (tracks 3 and 13), drum programming (tracks 3 and 8), drums (track 10), keys (tracks 3 and 8), percussion (track 10), production (tracks 3, 4 and 8), songwriting (tracks 3, 4, 8 and 10), synthesizers (tracks 3 and 8)
* Julie Hovsepian – product management
*
Neil Jacobson – additional A&R coordination
* Padraic "Padlock" Kerin – engineering (all tracks), production coordination, recording (all tracks)
*
Mark Knight – co-production (track 2), keyboards (track 2), songwriting (track 2)
* Mark Kudsi – art direction
* Sean Larkin – business management
* Josh Lopez – guitar (track 6)
* Deborah Mannis-Gardner – sample clearance
* Craig Marshall – Interscope legal
* Polo Molina – additional production coordination, management
* Tim "Izo" Orindgreff – acoustic guitar (track 13), guitar (track 3), harmonica (track 13), horns (track 10), songwriting (tracks 10 and 13)
*
George Pajon – guitar (tracks 3, 7 and 13–15), songwriting (tracks 10, 13 and 15)
* Joe Peluso – mixing assistance
* Poet Name Life – co-production (track 1), songwriting (track 2)
*
A. R. Rahman
Allah Rakha Rahman (; born A. S. Dileep Kumar; 6 January 1967), also known by the initialism ARR, is an Indian music composer, record producer, singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and philanthropist known for his works in Indian cinem ...
– songwriting (track 16)
* Frederic Riesterer – production (track 5), songwriting (track 5)
* Hal Ritson – additional guitar (track 2), additional keyboards (track 2), backing vocals (track 2)
* Rachel Rosoff – additional production coordination, legal representation
*
Dante Santiago – creative A&R, logo design
* Hillary Siskind – public relations
*
David Sonenberg – management
* Caleb Speir – bass (tracks 6, 10 and 14)
*
Taboo
A taboo is a social group's ban, prohibition or avoidance of something (usually an utterance or behavior) based on the group's sense that it is excessively repulsive, offensive, sacred or allowed only for certain people.''Encyclopædia Britannica ...
– songwriting (all tracks), vocals
*
Jared Tankel – songwriting (track 4)
* Adam Walder – keyboards (track 2), songwriting (track 2)
* Andrew Van Meter – Interscope production
*
will.i.am – arrangement (tracks 2, 8 and 12), art direction, drum programming (tracks 1, 7, 9–11, 13 and 15), engineering (all tracks), executive production, keys (track 13), piano (track 6), production (tracks 1–4, 6, 7, 9–11 and 13–15), recording (all tracks), songwriting (all tracks), synthesizers (tracks 1, 5–7, 9, 11, 13 and 15), vocals
* Ianthe Zevos – Interscope creative
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Decade-end charts
Certifications
Release history
See also
*
Black Eyed Peas discography
The American hip hop group Black Eyed Peas has released nine studio albums, two compilation albums, one extended play, forty singles, eight promotional singles, thirty-eight music videos, and two video albums. Interscope Records released the ba ...
*
List of ''Billboard'' 200 number-one albums of 2009
*
List of ''Billboard'' number-one R&B/hip-hop albums of 2009
*
List of number-one albums of 2009 (Australia)
The highest-selling albums in Australia are ranked in the ARIA Charts, Australian Recording Industry Association albums chart, also known as the ARIA Charts, published by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). The data are comp ...
*
List of number-one albums of 2009 (Canada)
These are the Canadian number-one albums of 2009 in music, 2009. The chart is compiled by Nielsen Soundscan and published by ''Jam!'' Canadian Online Explorer, Canoe, issued every Sunday. The chart also appears in Billboard (magazine), ''Billboard ...
*
List of number-one hits of 2009 (France)
*
List of number-one albums from the 2000s (New Zealand)
*
List of number-one albums of 2009 (Portugal)
*
List of UK R&B Albums Chart number ones of 2009
*
Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album
Notes
References
External links
Official website*
The E.N.D.' at
Metacritic
Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:E.N.D., The
2009 albums
Albums produced by will.i.am
Interscope Records albums
Black Eyed Peas albums
Interscope Geffen A&M Records albums
Albums produced by David Guetta
Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album
Albums involved in plagiarism controversies
Electronic dance music albums by American artists