Topical: Part II Songs/Album Development

Black Eyed Peas ft. Kid Cudi- Boom Boom Style (Zuper Blaqh Remix) (Link 2)

Black Eyed Peas ft. 50 Cent & Cîroc Obama- Let The Beat Rock (Boys Noize Mix) (Link 2)

Black Eyed Peas- Boom Boom Pow (Mr. Gaspar Remix) (Link 2)

Black Eyed Peas recently commissioned a ‘Boom Boom Pow’ Megamix. Prominently featured on the mix are ‘Boom Boom Style (Zuper Blahq Remix)’ and “Let The Beat Rock (Boyz Noize Megamix)’… or ‘Boom Boom Pow II’ to you or me. They recycle some parts of the original, namely Fergie’s ‘People in the place, people get downnnn’ refrain and the . Other than that, both are a serious improvement.

The move highlights a growing trend, in this, the era in which the album is supposed to kick the bucket- if a song performs on the charts, why not recycle the name, drawing in a guaranteed audience. For some, however, the principle is taken into uncharted territory, recycling aspects of the song and dressing it up as new material. Boom Boom Style is a tick in the positives box, however, as Kid Cudi is brought in, and the band rein the ‘energy’ in for a tidier cut. Cudi really kills it here, once again proving his versatility by pulling off an Auto-Tune refrain- ‘Give it to ‘em, that boom boom boom boom boom, babe’. I’ve yet to see anything of this guy that I don’t like. On ‘Let The Beat Rock’, Fiddy returns triumphant, and Boyz Noize wipes the floor with the original song structure. Once again, BEP deliver on the promise of this new album, in that the beat is absolutely insane, and this is definitely going to be a club record.

The most prominent past example was Usher’s ‘Love In This Club’ and ‘Love In This Club Part II’. The original was a tired, derivative exploration of the RnB ballad. Usher pulled it off well, though, and the song unsurprisingly charted at 1. Commercially minded, he called in two fantastic cameo artists to revive ‘Love In This Club’ and quickly released the follow up. Ultimately, it embarrassed Young Jeezy (the original’s featuring artist) as the sequel was far superior , with Beyonce as Usher’s ‘boo’ and providing a much more interesting foil for his attentions. Part II peaked at 18 on the Billboard Hot 100, in comparison to Part I’s number 1 chart hit, and found a comfortable place on ‘Here I Stand’, the album. That’s a fair amount of extra exposure for an afternoon’s work…

This whole process started years ago when DJ’s began to move their work from the clubs onto records. There was a huge uproar- how could they be pressing music to record, when essentially all they were doing was mixing existing people’s work? We have come on a long way- see mashups- but artists like DJ Shadow pioneered the ‘Part x’ trick, as his sets were often based around call and response, bringing back familiar elements all the way through the set. It makes it a much more personal experience.

The trend does highlight worrying facts- first of all, it is prominently featured in the hip hop, rap and urban music scene, mostly isolated from indie and rock (barring Get Cape, Wear Cape, Flys ‘Chronicles of a Bohemian Teenager’). And these are exactly the genres that need innovation, as the same tricks keep appearing over and over again…

This ties in nicely with another idea being touted, of album development. Kanye did it with ‘808’s & Heartbreak’, tweaking songs right up until the release date in response to feedback from the fans. And Black Eyed Peas are following exactly the same concept. To be fair to them, they are trying their best to beat the tired formulae:

“It’s a diary … of music that at any given time, depending on the inspiration, you can add to it,” Will.i.am explains. “I’m trying to break away from the concept of an album. 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.”

So which version of Boom Boom Pow will be found on ‘The E.N.D’? There are a number of edits flying around- even the video features a different track to the chart single. And what further twists can we expect? I have to say, I am fairly convinced this is going to be their best album to date- Will.i.am is getting the exposure and proving that he is the primary creative force in the band. The last few months have been interesting for him, after a part in Wolverine got his acting career started (and possibly finished) as well as a number of side projects, including Zuper Blaqh, an ‘anonymous’ DJ (solo post coming soon). Taboo and apl seem to have more air time- balance is important… they are a ‘group’, after all. I’m still not buying the video concept, which is along the lines of ‘what would happen if we fused with technology?’ or the live performances, but Black Eyed Peas might have found hip hop’s next cliche. Anything to end the endless auto-tune and featuring artists, I’m begging you.

‘The E.N.D.’ is out on June 9th. The “Invasion Of Boom Boom Pow – Megamix E.P.” was released on May 5, 2009. The tracklisting is as follows:

1. “Let The Beat Rock” – Boys Noize Megamix feat. 50 Cent
2. “Let The Beat Rock” – Boys Noize Megamix feat. Gucci Mane
3. “Boom Boom Style” Zuper Blahq Megamix feat.Kid Cudi
4. “Boom Boom Guetta” – David Guetta’s Electro Hop Remix
5. “Boom Boom Wow” – D.J. will.i.am Megamix
6. “Boom Boom Pow” – DJ Ammo/Poet Named Life Megamix