If you’ve been wondering what happened to Fergie and the Black Eyed Peas, you’re not alone.
There’s been a lot of speculation as to why the singer left the group back in 2017 and it’s caused more questions than answers.
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Well, will.i.am finally set the record straight in a new interview with Billboard .
Come see what he had to say.
Ever since the Black Eyed Peas made their 2020 comeback, fans have wondered; “where’s Fergie?”
The original group, best known for their hits “I Gotta Feeling,” “My Humps,” and “Pump It” originally consisted of Will.i.am, Fergie, Apl.de.ap, and Taboo.
Fergie first stepped back officially from the group in 2017.
This was so she could focus on her solo career , but drama behind-the-scenes soon became apparent.
This all started when she left Interscope Records to form her own label, Dutchess Music, as part of a global partnership with BMG Rights Management.
will.i.am was supposed to help produce her sophomore album, “Double Dutchess” but that never happened.
This made it all the more cryptic when will.i.am, apl.de.ap and Taboo shared a post on Instagram with the caption:
“Hear no evil / See no evil / Speak no evil.”
To add to the drama, Taboo then went ahead and unfollowed Fergie on Twitter.
Soon after this, with the status of the group unclear, will.i.am gave a statement to AHLAN Live , confirming that, yes, Fergie had left the band.
“Since the beginning of Black Eyed Peas, we’ve always had amazing vocalists that appeared on the mic with us. People like Macy Gray, Esthero, Debi Nova, Fergie,” he began.
“On Elephunk, there were several females that appeared on that album. Obviously Fergie was the featured female, but on songs like Lets Get it Started, it’s Noelle (Scaggs), and then Fergie, songs like Latin Girls, it’s Debi Nova, and Request Line, it’s Macy Gray.”
“We’ll always work with good females,” he continued.
When asked if Fergie was being replaced, he said no.
“As for replacing, what people know The Black Eyed Peas to be, nobody is replacing Fergie…She’s working on her solo project at the moment.”
“We’re on this brand-new experience, celebrating 20 years of Black Eyed Peas putting out music.”
“We worked on a bunch of songs on her solo record, we’re proud that she has her label, but Black Eyed Peas are pushing it forward in terms of content, technology and experiences on our new project, Masters of the Sun.”
Around this time, Fergie was also dealing with her own personal matters.
The same year she left the BEP, she ended up splitting from actor Josh Duhamel, her husband of 10 years.
Together, they share a six-year-old son, Axl .
Now, in 2020, the group has spoken out again about Fergie’s absence, specifically on their new album, “Translation.”
When asked by Billboard about whether Fergie has heard the new album or not, will.i.am said :
“She hasn’t heard it. She’s going to hear it when everybody else hears it. I hope she likes it.”
He also said that they all try to keep in touch.
“We reach out every once in a while and say our hellos and happy birthdays and Merry Christmas and Happy Easter.”
He then stated that there’s no bad blood between Fergie and the BEP.
“She knows where we’re at! We’re at the studio. And we love her, and she’s focusing on being a mom.”
“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,” will.i.am continued.
This explains why Fergie hasn’t released any music of her own since 2017.
She’s busy being a mom, even though she did tell Entertainment Weekly back in 2017 that becoming a mom got her back on her game with music.
“I kept wanting to make it better and better. I wanted to strive for greatness,” she said .
“It’s really the way Fergie designed it, so we’re respecting her design,” will.i.am continued to *Billboard*:
“We love Fergie, and we don’t want anything but awesomeness for her.
Apl.de.ap also chimed in, saying that Fergie is their “sister.”
“So even with these small connections, she’s always going to be our sister.”
He continued:
“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 per cent.”
Well, there you have it, folks.
Do you miss Fergie in the Black Eyed Peas? Let us know in the comments.
Also, check out the group’s full interview with Billboard here .
h/t: Billboard
