Boom Boom Pow

"Boom Boom Pow" is a song recorded by American group the Black Eyed Peas for their fifth studio album The E.N.D. (2009). It was written by group members will.i.am, apl.de.ap, Taboo and Fergie, being produced by will.i.am. The song features a vocal sample from the 1990 song "Reach Out" by British house duo Sweet Mercy featuring singer Rowetta. It was released as the lead single from The E.N.D. on February 22, 2009, by Interscope Records. "Boom Boom Pow" topped the Billboard Hot 100 for 12 weeks, making it the group's first number-one single on the chart. It is the second longest-running single to stay atop the chart in 2009, beaten only by their own "I Gotta Feeling", which held the top spot for 14 consecutive weeks. The song also topped the charts in Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom, as well as reaching the top ten in more than 20 countries. It was ranked atop the Billboard Hot 100 year-end chart for 2009, at number seven on the decade-end chart for the 2000s, and at number 51 on the all-time chart. As of 2015, it has sold over six million units in the US. Critically acclaimed, "Boom Boom Pow" was nominated for Best Dance Recording and won Best Short Form Music Video at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards (2010). Rolling Stone ranked the song at number 14 on their list "Best 25 Songs of 2009". As of October 2023, the music video has over 469 million views on YouTube. Music and lyrics "Boom Boom Pow" features a vocal sample from the 1990 song "Reach Out" by British house duo Sweet Mercy featuring singer Rowetta. It opens with will.i.am meditating on and affirming a new, futuristic sound for the group: "I got that rock-and-roll, that future flow". Fergie, Taboo, and apl.de.ap each offer a variation on this theme, after which will.i.am, introduced by Fergie, demonstrates the theme at work in a series of rapid-fire raps, punctuated with digital effects. The song concludes with Fergie repeating her initial verse, forming an outro of sorts and taking the listener more or less full-circle. Fergie has commented on the unusual structure of the song, stating: