will.i.am wants Black Eyed Peas' upcoming LP, 'The E.N.D', to be interactive by offering embedded information.
- Oct 10, 2008
AceShowbiz - Hip Hop group Black Eyed Peas are close to release their upcoming fifth major studio album. Called "The E.N.D", the album is recorded at Metropolis studios in London and it is expected to be completed on October 15. "I'll be finishing the record Oct. 15," will.i.am tells Billboard.
The album title doesn't refer to the band's final record, though. "No, no ... it stands for 'The Energy Never Dies,'" he explains as questioned if the title indicates that the band will end their singing careers as a group.
Furthermore, the 33-year-old singer reveals that he has no intention to rush the album release date. However, he admits that he is actually tempted to release the record in 2008 because he's convinced that this year will be the final year where physical sales are significant. "For the last remaining stores that sell CDs, this is the last Christmas that CDs will be in stores," he predicts. "It's f***ing scary."
Following the successful viral campaign of his "Yes We Can" song in support of Barack Obama's campaign, will.i.am adds that he wants his group's music to be interactive. He also wants their songs to offer embedded information and even "songs within songs" when the user clicks on a pop-up.
"I'm tired of making songs for the radio and for MTV," he says. "You should make songs for where songs are actually being listened and played. We have new people ... software programmers. They are just as important as me, apl.de.ap, Taboo, and Fergie (Stacy Ferguson). That's us, the visual members."
"But nowadays it isn't just physical with music and content anymore ... you have to have proprietary software," he shares his thought more. "Just borrowing other people's sh*t doesn't empower the growth and how you monetize that content, so that's why it's important that we got a software guy that is part of the Peas."
