Maps of Music

The Beginning (2010)

Where the lyrics of The Beginning take you, and where it was really made.

The Beginning was the group's third album to chart in the top ten, yet its debut at number six was its lowest-charting top-ten result since Elephunk.

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The Beginning: sixth studio album by American group Black Eyed Peas
Released November 26, 2010 by Interscope Records
Prequel to the group's previous album The E.N.D. (2009)
Lead single "The Time (Dirty Bit)", second single "Just Can't Get Enough", third and final single "Don't Stop the Party"
Debuted at number six on the US Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 119,000 units
Final album with Fergie as a member, followed by a five-year hiatus

Band confirmed new album work in a June 6, 2010 interview for The Big Issue
Album described as a sequel to The E.N.D.
Officially announced in a press release on October 26, 2010
Promotional singles "Do It Like This" and "Light Up the Night" released before the album
Named one of Oprah's Favorite Things for 2010; audience members received copies 11 days before release
The Beginning Massive Stadium Tour ran from June to November 2011 with 20 shows

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.

Metacritic: average score of 47 from 19 reviews, indicating mixed or average reviews
Overall critical response: praise for production, criticism for Fergie's absence, will.i.am's vocals, Auto-Tune and lyrics
Billboard: Monica Herrera wrote that the production was expert but the wordplay drew criticism
Entertainment Weekly: Simon Vozick-Levinson gave a very positive review
Chicago Tribune: Greg Kot gave 1.5 out of 4 stars, calling it the quartet's tamest, most hook-deprived album in the Fergie era
The Guardian: Caroline Sullivan gave 3 out of 5 stars
The Independent: Andy Gill gave three out of five stars
New York Times: Ben Ratliff gave a negative review, noting similarities with The E.N.D.
AllMusic: John Bush gave 3 out of 5 stars
Rolling Stone: Jon Dolan said the album largely picks up where The E.N.D. left off

US: debuted at number six on the Billboard 200 with 119,000 first-week copies, third top-ten album, lowest since Elephunk (number 14, 2003)
US: over 800,000 copies sold as of October 2011
UK: debuted at number 17 with 34,006 copies, later rose to number nine after an X Factor performance
Canada: debuted at number two with 27,400 copies in its first week
France: debuted at number one with 35,653 copies in its first week
Germany: peaked at number two in its fifth week, after the success of The Time (Dirty Bit)

"The Time (Dirty Bit)" interpolates "(I've Had) The Time of My Life" from the 1987 film Dirty Dancing
"Light Up the Night" samples Slick Rick's "Children's Story"
The "Just Can't Get Enough" video was shot over three days in Tokyo, one week before the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
The "Don't Stop the Party" video, directed by Ben Mor, uses footage from The E.N.D. World Tour in 2009 and 2010
The Beginning was selected for Oprah's Favorite Things for 2010