Black Eyed Peas: Praise singers (UPDATED)

At least as described by Mike, our headlining Religious Progressive, while writing about a recently attended U2 concert:

Last night was the final gig on this leg of the tour, and what can I possibly add that hasn't already been said? I may say more later, and I may not not. (The Vancouver Sun reviews the concert here.) Suffice to say the night was everything I hoped for, and more. It was a slice of Heaven. (I kept thinking about parties... this was definitely a whosoever party. If Jesus was around today he's be throwing parties, and the three Indian brothers two rows ahead of us smoking weed all night long and dancing like it was Woodstock would probably be there.)

The part of the evening that surprised me was the Black Eyed Peas. This wasn't some wannabe opening act with a couple of guitars, a snare drum and an amp... this crew came tricked out and ready to bring it. They have a ton of talent, something that is in short supply in the music biz these days. Nevertheless I can't say that I've been a big fan, but I Gotta Feeling has become a favorite. Don't laugh, but it's the best praise song I have heard in a long, long time. (The link takes you to the video, which doesn't do a lot for me, but listen to the lyrics.) BEP finished their set with this one, and it was indeed a good night. The joint was jumping, and I'm sure folks could feel the vibrations all the way to Chilliwack. Four years ago the Peas were in town only a few blocks away, as they opened the Cambie Street Best Buy Store, and here they were, back in town playing to 50,000 at BC Place.

I've already said I think I Gotta Feeling is a praise song. The one that really blew me away though was Where Is The Love? Old Testament meets hip hop meets rap. A modern-day lamentation with a prophetic beat. What a question. Are we listening? They've made believers out of me.

Modern day lamentation, Old Testament meets hip hop, best praise song, made a believer out of him. 

I find all that interesting.  I mean I like a number of Black Eyed Peas songs including those Mike's listed... but as praise songs?

I guess it's all in what the object of that praise might be, I don't know.

I mean, there's certainly a part of me that's taken by the following hit also performed by The Black Eyed Peas but it's also a hit that makes me question Mike's choice of praise bands, a choice he's bandying as one that's "made a believer" out of him:

The female lead singer by the way is Fergie... minority owner of the Miami Dolphins... those Dolphins that play in the NFL... you know, that league that has standards as to who ought to be an owner...

UPDATE: Tony Woodlief has posted related thoughts:

I was familiar with the Black Eyed Peas from a telephone commercial or some such thing, as well as general cultural osmosis, but never before had I been confronted with their glaring obnoxiousness in full force. It’s hard to imagine a more popular mix of tribal beats, misogynistic lyrics, borderline illiteracy, and astounding irrelevance. One expects this sort of thing from thug rappers and warring Third-World tribes, but what distinguishes the Black Eyed Peas is their success in bringing the worst of American culture into mainstream pop.

We endured an hour of their insipid booty-shaking. At one point, one of them tried to praise U2. He could only manage two adjectives (I think they were “greatest” and “dopest”) before he sputtered into silence. I was impressed that he knew the two, however. It was comical, and in retrospect I’m glad I saw it, in the same way that the survivor of a shark attack might appreciate being able to tell others about it for years to come. I’m haunted, though, by their existential question: “What you gonna do with that junk in your trunk?”

The answer, to me, is obvious: take it to the Goodwill. But I don’t think that’s the answer they were looking for.

I'm thinking Tony disagrees with Mike on the whole praise thing.

Comments

[Mommynator]

I have to admit that I love that song. Sometimes I play it in the kitchen after I've come home from work and I'm tired and I have to cook and do the rest of my second job.

I think it could be a very indirect praise song, but I wouldn't use it in church.

[Leslie]

Bonomania runs deep. I have friends who attended in Vancouver and say it was "pure worship" and have other friends who intend to see him in Alberta when he comes in the summer. I'm not going.

Black Eyed Peas may be received by some as praise music, but then when you watch their videos it's easy to see that the message the band is singing would not match the message the receivers are deciding to receive.

We do that in these post-modern times...switch up what people are really saying for something that jives with us. That's when folks start getting sued for making an offensive joke that isn't really that offensive, but someone took offense because they spend their life offended and that's all they hear. Same deal.

That said, I struggle with calling any music that brings in big profits worship music. And I include the contemporary Christian music industry here. So I don't know if Black Eyed Peas is much worse than any of the rest of them.

[Dan Gill]

If that is a praise song, it's praising self. Or maybe partying. One big problem is there is no mention of the one who will host that heavenly party.

Let's see, Fergie strips down to her underwear, poses suggestively (to put it mildly), sells every song with sex. Yeah, she's a real poster girl for God.

[Rick]

For those watching the comments, this post was updated with an interesting find from Tony Woodlief...