The Black Eyed Peas are back -- but where's Fergie?
The Black Eyed Peas have reinvented themselves as a trio and dropped a new album, "Translation," featuring multiple collaborations with Latinx artists such as Shakira, Maluma and J Balvin. It's the logical next step after their comeback single, "Ritmo (Bad Boys for Life)," their first top-40 hit in nine years.
But there's just one question on many fans' minds: where's Fergie?
"We try to keep in touch," BEP frontman will.i.am told Billboard. "We reach out every once in a while and say our hellos and happy birthdays and Merry Christmas and Happy Easter. She knows where we're at!"
"We love her, and she’s focusing on being a mom," will.i.am continued. "That's a hard job, and that’s what she really wants to do and we’re here for her, and she knows how to contact us for a retreat or a breakaway. It’s really the way Fergie designed it, so we’re respecting her design. We love Fergie, and we don’t want anything but awesomeness for her."
Band member apl.de.ap adds, "Fergie is our sister ... she’s always going to be our sister. But unfortunately our schedule is displaced by [her] wanting to be a great mom, and she wants to focus on that. And like Will said, we support her 100%."
As for the new album, will.i.am admits Fergie "hasn’t heard it. She’s going to hear it when everybody else hears it. I hope she likes it."
The Black Eyed Peas going in a Latin direction isn't that surprising, band member Taboo explained.
"We’ve always been influenced by Latin rhythms, even in our earlier work in the ’90s," he said. "We collaborated with folks like Juanes and Daddy Yankee."
And will.i.am points out, "Between 2003 and 2011, Black Eyed Peas were bigger in Latin America and Spain than we were in America."
