Maps of Music

Masters of the Sun Vol. 1 (2018)

Where the lyrics of Masters of the Sun Vol. 1 take you, and where it was really made.

A political album from a band best known for dance-pop hits, it went back to the boom bap hip-hop of the group's early years.

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Seventh studio album by the American group Black Eyed Peas
Political album loosely inspired by the graphic novel of the same name and the social climate of the United States
Departs from the electronic dance and pop sound of The E.N.D. and The Beginning
Returns to the hip-hop and boom bap style of the group's early career
First album in eight years for the group
First album after Fergie's departure earlier in 2018
Credited as Black Eyed Peas without the 'the' prefix, a first since Bridging the Gap in 2000
Released October 26, 2018 by Interscope Records
Last Black Eyed Peas album with the longtime label Interscope Records

The E.N.D. (2009) and The Beginning (2010) followed Barack Obama's 2008 election
By the end of 2010, The E.N.D. had sold over eleven million copies worldwide, and The Beginning over two million
A seventh album was planned soon after The Beginning, but frequent delays and Taboo's cancer treatment put the project on hiatus
'Ring the Alarm' was written in 2014, inspired by deaths by law enforcement and unrest in Ferguson, Missouri
August 2016 remake of 'Where Is the Love?' addressed Black Lives Matter, gun violence, and the Syrian civil war
2017 collaboration with Marvel Comics on the Masters of the Sun graphic novel, which referenced social issues and street culture in Los Angeles
The novel's augmented reality adaptation had a jazz and soul soundtrack by Hans Zimmer, which shaped the mood of this album
Composition aims at 'art, smart, and heart', with will.i.am comparing the lyrical themes to a GPS
'Big Love' was released as the lead single, with a video about gun control and anti-separation movements in the United States
Singles 'Street Livin'', 'Ring the Alarm', 'Get It' and 'Constant' came out through 2018 from the album sessions
A sampling accusation by the British musician Lone and his label R&S was made over 'Constant', based on his 2013 track 'Airglow Fires'

Formed in Los Angeles in 1992 by rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap and Taboo.
Started as an alternative hip hop trio; early albums Behind the Front (1998) and Bridging the Gap (2000) were released through Interscope Records.
Rebranded toward a more marketable pop-rap sound after the early albums.

Current core members: will.i.am, apl.de.ap and Taboo.
Fergie was the lead singer from 2002 until her departure in 2018.
J. Rey Soul joined in 2018 as a touring member and later appeared as a featured artist on recordings.

Breakthrough with Elephunk (2003) and the single "Where Is the Love?", which topped the UK chart for seven weeks.
Monkey Business (2005) debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 and was certified triple platinum by the RIAA.
The E.N.D. (2009) topped the Billboard 200 and produced three Hot 100 number-one singles, including "I Gotta Feeling".
Performed at the Super Bowl XLV halftime show in February 2011.
Went on indefinite hiatus in 2011, briefly reunited in 2015, and released Masters of the Sun Vol. 1 (2018), Translation (2020) and Elevation (2022).
Estimated to have sold around 80 million records.

Masters of Sun Vol.1 generally received positive reviews from music critics
Newsday's Glenn Gamboa called it a 'welcome return' for the band
Gamboa said the band recaptured the edge the Peas once had on 'Yes or No'
Gamboa singled out the socially conscious lyrics of 'Ring the Alarm', the jazz influences on 'Vibrations', and Nicole Scherzinger's performance on 'Wings'
AllMusic's Neil Z. Yeung gave the album four stars out of five
Yeung praised the group's move away from electropop toward the conscious hip-hop of its early years
HipHopDX's Riley Wallace rated the album 4.1 out of 5
Rolling Stone's Mosi Reeves praised the group's political and social intent, but found some tracks less memorable than its best-known hits

Switzerland album chart: number 55, its best international chart position
France album chart: number 112
Japan: debuted at number 94 on Billboard Japan Hot Albums and number 118 on Oricon
UK: number 72 on the Official Charts Company album download chart
United States: did not enter the Billboard 200
United States: number 35 on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Album Sales
Commercial performance was lower than Elephunk, Monkey Business, and The E.N.D.

will.i.am tried to move away from the pop-centric sound of The E.N.D. and The Beginning, to the dismay of the record label Interscope.
In Switzerland the album reached number 55 on the official album chart, its best international chart result.
The album's credits are not printed in the booklet and are only available online.