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Monkey Business (Black Eyed Peas album)

Monkey Business is the fourth studio album by American group the Black Eyed Peas. It was released on May 25, 2005, by A&M Records, Interscope Records and will.i.am Music Group.

Monkey Business

May 25, 2005

June–December 2004

66:03

Following the global success of their third studio album, Elephunk (2003), the group embarked on the Elephunk Tour. While touring, they began recording Monkey Business in June 2004, continuing for the following six months at various locations worldwide. Executive producers Ron Fair and will.i.am enlisted producers Printz Board, Noize Trip, Timbaland and Danja for the album. Their final product was a hip hop and pop record incorporating an array of genres, such as crunk, funk, reggae, Raï, calypso, soul, jazz and Latin rock. Similarly to Elephunk, it explores lyrical themes such as relationship complexities, sexual attraction, partying, fame and, to a lesser extent, social issues. Controversy arose over the lyrics of the track "My Humps", which center on a woman using her physical attributes to accomplish her goals.


Monkey Business received mixed reviews from music critics, who complimented its production but criticized its lyrical content and the Black Eyed Peas' inclining to commercialization with the album. It debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 291,000 units, becoming the group's first top-ten album on the chart. The album was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), selling over four million copies in the United States. Internationally, it reached number one in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Mexico, New Zealand and Switzerland, and has sold over nine million copies worldwide. Despite its critical response, the album won two Grammy Awards for its singles "Don't Phunk with My Heart" and "My Humps", receiving three additional nominations.


Monkey Business produced four singles. "Don't Phunk with My Heart" became the group's highest-peaking single on the US Billboard Hot 100 at the time, peaking at number three, and reached number one in Australia, Canada, the Czech Republic, Finland and New Zealand. "Don't Lie" peaked at number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100, being overshadowed by its successor "My Humps", which began receiving heavy unsolicited airplay. After its official release as a single, "My Humps" peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100, reaching number one in Australia, Canada, Ireland and New Zealand. The final single "Pump It" became the album's lowest-peaking single on the Billboard Hot 100, reaching number 18. The album was further promoted with two global concert tours–The Monkey Business Tour (2005–2006) and the Black Blue & You Tour (2007).

Background and development[edit]

In June 2003, the Black Eyed Peas released their third studio album Elephunk. During its production, Fergie joined the group as its female vocalist.[2] Led by a global hit single and the group's first top-ten hit on the US Billboard Hot 100 "Where Is the Love?", the album was a sleeper hit and became their breakthrough record.[3] It peaked at number 14 on the US Billboard 200, was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and garnered six Grammy Award nominations, including the group's first win for "Let's Get It Started".[4] The commercial success of Elephunk made a substantial impact on the group's prominence, and its members will.i.am and Fergie planned on recording solo studio albums in 2004. However, the plans were postponed as they "felt it was important to install the next Black Eyed Peas record this year with the momentum that we've had, which will only allow our solo adventures to be successful and continue to keep our franchise going".[5] Fergie stated: "For us, Black Eyed Peas are feeling really good right now, and for me to come out with a solo record, it just doesn't feel right. This is a family, and we're on a certain kind of wave and I wanna keep riding on that wave together. It's my boys."[5] She would later release her debut solo studio album The Dutchess in September 2006, and will.i.am released his third studio album Songs About Girls in September 2007.

Release and promotion[edit]

In May 2004, the Black Eyed Peas announced Monkey Business would be released by November.[8] Its release was then postponed to early 2005, before ultimately being set for June 7 in the United States.[28] The promotion of the album had already commenced in January, when the Best Buy commercial featuring the group performing "Pump It" was released.[29] They performed "Don't Phunk with My Heart" for the first time during the 2005/2006 MTV Networks UpFront at the Madison Square Garden on May 3, 2005.[30] The group promoted the album in the United Kingdom by performing "Don't Phunk with My Heart" on the May 6 episode of Top of the Pops and the May 13 episode of Later... with Jools Holland.[31][32] There, they commenced their promotional tour at the Brixton Academy in London on May 6, and performed at various venues and festivals across Europe and North America, including Wango Tango, until June 2.[33][34] On June 3, the Black Eyed Peas embarked on The Monkey Business Tour at The Joint in Las Vegas;[35] the tour was originally set to commence on June 11, but three earlier dates were later added.[28] "Don't Phunk with My Heart" was subsequently performed at the 2005 MuchMusic Video Awards on June 19,[36] on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on June 24,[37] at the Live 8 concert in Philadelphia on July 2,[38] and at the 2005 Teen Choice Awards on August 16.[39]


The Black Eyed Peas promoted "My Humps" on Total Request Live on November 1,[40] and performed it at the 2005 MTV Europe Music Awards on November 3.[41] At the NRJ Music Awards on January 21, 2006, the group performed a medley of "Don't Phunk with My Heart", "Don't Lie" and "Pump It".[42] On March 21, an extended play (EP) titled Renegotiations: The Remixes was released, including alternative versions of seven non-single tracks from Monkey Business.[43] Simultaneously with The Monkey Business Tour, the group embarked on the 2006 Honda Civic Tour in the US from March 23 until May 21.[44] Live from Sydney to Vegas, a video album documenting The Monkey Business Tour's June 3, 2005 show in Las Vegas and the October 3, 2005 show at the Sydney SuperDome, was released on December 5, 2006.[45] After visiting North America, Asia, Oceania, South America and Europe, The Monkey Business Tour ended on December 29 at the Mandalay Bay in Paradise, Nevada.[46] On September 11, 2007, the Black Eyed Peas embarked on the third concert tour in support of Monkey Business, the PepsiCo-sponsored Black Blue & You Tour, visiting select countries across Africa, North America, Europe, South America, Asia and Oceania until October 30.[47][48]

signifies a co-producer

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signifies a remix producer

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Black Eyed Peas discography

List of Billboard number-one R&B/hip-hop albums of 2005

List of number-one albums of 2005 (Australia)

List of number-one albums of 2005 (Canada)

List of number-one albums of 2005 (France)

List of number-one hits of 2005 (Germany)

List of number-one albums of 2005 (Mexico)

List of number-one albums from the 2000s (New Zealand)

List of UK R&B Albums Chart number ones of 2005

Sharp, Johnny (2009). Crap Lyrics: A Celebration of the Very Worst Pop Lyrics of All Time ... Ever!. London: . ISBN 9781906032593. OCLC 439916749.

Anova

Official website

at Discogs (list of releases)

Monkey Business