Don't Stop the Party (Black Eyed Peas song) explained

Don't Stop the Party
Cover:bep-don't-stop-the-party.jpg
Type:single
Artist:Black Eyed Peas
Album:The Beginning
B-Side:"The Situation"
Released:May 9, 2011
Length:
  • 6:07 (album version)
  • 4:00 (radio edit)
Label:Interscope
Producer:
  • DJ Ammo
  • will.i.am
Chronology:Black Eyed Peas
Prev Title:Just Can't Get Enough
Prev Year:2011
Next Title:Where's the Love?
Next Year:2016

"Don't Stop the Party" is a song by American hip hop group the Black Eyed Peas. The song was written by members will.i.am, apl.de.ap, Taboo, and Fergie, along with Joshua Alvarez, and DJ Ammo, and was produced by will.i.am. and DJ Ammo for the group's sixth studio album, The Beginning (2010). The song, described as "a hot club jam," features will.i.am rapping in a thick, Caribbean patois.

The song received mixed reviews from music critics, some of them criticizing the use of will.i.am.'s wordplay and characterizing it as "more of the same dancefloor song." Still, others thought that the song was an "exhilarating and whirlwind track."[1] The song became a success in Brazil, Australia, France, and Greece. However, the song has become the band's lowest-charting single to date in the U.S., peaking at number 86. This song also was the last time they charted on the Billboard Hot 100, until the J Balvin collaboration, "Ritmo (Bad Boys for Life)" in late 2019, which debuted at 100, later peaking at 26.[2]

Background and composition

This is one of three tracks on The Beginning to be produced by Damien "DJ Ammo" LeRoy, the other two being the lead single "The Time (Dirty Bit)" and "Do It Like This".[3] The Beginnings third single was announced on the Black Eyed Peas' official website on May 9, 2011.[4] Described as a "buzzing, hot club jam", it features whooshing synths and slap-funk bass grooves. It is the longest track on the album at close to six minutes.[5] Black Eyed Peas member will.i.am told Spin magazine that he is proud enough of the song that he'd even play it for Jay-Z. "I would go to Jay's studio and play this be like 'Boom! Check it out!", said Will. "Then I go dirty Caribbean on him on the last verse."[5]

Critical reception

Monica Herrera wrote for Billboard that "the music is expertly produced, but problems arise when Will.i.am claims the same of his wordplay. On the track 'Don't Stop the Party', he chest-thumps, 'Kill you with my lyricals/Call me verbal criminal.' It's a silly boast for an artist who clearly focuses on beats over rhymes, and is probably better off for it."[6] Andy Gill wrote for The Independent that "with martial synth-stomp riffs, spartan electro beats and loping bass grooves driving tracks whose single-mindedness is signalled by titles like 'Don't Stop the Party'."[7] A positive review came from Bill Lamb, editor from About.com, who went to say that: "BEP boost the beat as they request 'Don't Stop the Party'."Lamb said that "will.i.am starts talking about futurism here again and sure enough we find ourselves in the middle of a futuristic sounding trance break. The party reaches its peak about five minutes into the song, and it is exhilarating."[8] Other positive reaction came from John Bush, editor from Allmusic who went to say that the song is a "scattered moment of respectability" and chose it as an "AMG Pick".[9] Gavin Martin wrote for Daily Mirror that "the operatically ambitious 'Don't Stop the Party' gives way to a briefly terrifying interlude that is more or less a declaration of earth-shaking sonic war."[10]

Music video

The music video, which is directed by Ben Mor, features on-stage and backstage footages of the group during their 'The E.N.D. World Tour' in Brazil in 2010 and was released to iTunes and YouTube/VEVO on May 10, 2011.[11] [12] Beside live footage of the tour, the video also features panoramic shoots of Brazilian landscapes and city life. Closing section of the video documents a visit to a Brazilian record shop, during which close-ups of records by José Roberto Bertrami, Afrika Bambaataa & the Soulsonic Force, Carlos Malcolm and Di Melo are shown.

Live performances

The Black Eyed Peas performed "Don't Stop the Party" live on The Paul O'Grady Show on May 13, 2011. It was part of their set at Radio 1's Big Weekend 2011. On May 17, 2011, the group also performed the song at the French edition of X Factor. On May 24, the band was on season 12 of Dancing with the Stars to perform the track.[13] In June 2011, the band did a mashup of the song with Stromae's "Alors on danse" on French TV show Taratata.[14] The song is included to the official setlist of the promotional tour for The Beginning Massive Stadium Tour.

Track listing

Digital download
  1. "Don't Stop the Party" – 6:07
German CD single
  1. "Don't Stop the Party" (radio edit) – 4:00
  2. "The Situation" (album version) – 3:47

Credits and personnel

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2011)Peak
position
Belgium Dance (Ultratop Flanders)3
Belgium Dance (Ultratop Wallonia)1
Italy (Musica e dischi)[15] 44
Luxembourg Digital Songs (Billboard)[16] 9
Poland (Polish Airplay New)[17] 5
Romania (Romanian Top 100)[18] 96

Year-end charts

Chart (2011)Position
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[19] 69
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[20] 53
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[21] 18
Brazil (Crowley)[22] 82
France (SNEP)[23] 19
Hungary (Dance Top 40)[24] 41
Hungary (Rádiós Top 40)[25] 41
Poland (Dance Top 50)[26] 30
UK Singles (OCC)[27] 130

Release history

Region! scope="col"
DateFormatLabel
AustraliaMay 9, 2011Contemporary hit radioUniversal
ItalyJune 3, 2011Radio airplay
GermanyJune 24, 2011CD
United StatesJune 28, 2011Contemporary hit radioInterscope

Notes and References

  1. Vozick-Levinson. Simon. The Beginning Music. Entertainment Weekly. 2 December 2010. 24 November 2010. 19 March 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140319115301/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20444705,00.html. dead.
  2. The Black Eyed Peas Chart History. Billboard. 2020-01-09.
  3. News: Don't Stop the Party by Black Eyed Peas – Songfacts. May 13, 2011. Songfacts. November 12, 2010.
  4. News: BEPnews. The next BEP single is..... May 12, 2011. Black Eyed Peas.com. May 9, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20130106161148/http://www.blackeyedpeas.com/home/news/825396. January 6, 2013. dead.
  5. News: O'Donell. Kevin. Will.i.am Breaks Down Black Eyed Peas' New Disc. May 13, 2011. Spin. November 10, 2010.
  6. Herrera. Monica. The Black Eyed Peas, "The Beginning" Billboard.com. Billboard. 2 December 2010. 19 November 2010.
  7. News: Gill. Andy. Album: Black Eyed Peas, The Beginning (Interscope/Polydor) – Reviews, Music – The Independent. The Independent. 2 December 2010. 26 November 2010.
  8. News: Lamb. Bill. Black Eyed Peas' Exhilarating Tour of Dance Pop Beginnings. May 13, 2011. About.com. November 10, 2010. April 27, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110427133320/http://top40.about.com/od/albums/fr/Black-Eyed-Peas-The-Beginning.htm. dead.
  9. Web site: [{{AllMusic|class=album|id=the-beginning-r2067866/review|pure_url=yes}} The Beginning – The Black Eyed Peas ]. John. Bush. Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. 2 December 2010.
  10. News: Martin. Gavin. The Black Eyed Peas – The Beginning album review: Welcome to spinal rap – mirror.co.uk. Daily Mirror. 27 November 2010. 26 November 2010.
  11. News: Apple – iTunes – Download Don't Stop the Party by Black Eyed Peas . May 13, 2011 . . May 10, 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110802215821/http://www.apple.com/itunes/charts/music-videos/the-black-eyed-peas/dont-stop-the-party/ . August 2, 2011 .
  12. Web site: Corner. Lewis. Black Eyed Peas unveil new music video – Music News – Digital Spy. Digital Spy. 11 May 2011. May 12, 2011.
  13. News: Black Eyed Peas – Don't Stop The Party – Dancing with The Stars . May 25, 2011 . YouTube . May 24, 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131026082010/https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Press_releases/Sue_Gardner_statement_paid_advocacy_editing . October 26, 2013 .
  14. Web site: The Black Eyed Peas / Stromae "Alors On Danse / Don't Stop The Party" (2011). MyTaratata.com. August 18, 2014.
  15. Web site: Classifiche. Musica e Dischi. it. May 28, 2022. Set "Tipo" on "Singoli". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "Black Eyed Peas".
  16. Luxembourg Digital Songs – July 16, 2011 . Billboard. 30 April 2013.
  17. Web site: Listy bestsellerów, wyróżnienia :: Związek Producentów Audio-Video. Polish Airplay New. 30 March 2017.
  18. Web site: Romanian Top 100 . RT100.RO . 2011-07-24 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110529072441/http://www.rt100.ro/ . 2011-05-29 .
  19. Web site: Jahreshitparade Singles 2011. austriancharts.at. May 8, 2020.
  20. Web site: Jaaroverzichten 2011. Ultratop. May 8, 2020.
  21. Web site: Rapports Annuels 2011. Ultratop. May 8, 2020.
  22. Web site: Brazilian Top 100 Year-End 2011. April 3, 2018. Crowley Broadcast Analysis. January 30, 2022.
  23. Web site: Classement des 100 premiers Singles. SNEP. 2012-02-14.
  24. Web site: Dance Top 100 – 2011. May 8, 2020. Mahasz.
  25. Web site: Rádiós Top 100 – hallgatottsági adatok alapján – 2011. May 8, 2020. Mahasz.
  26. Web site: "Loca People" – Hit of the Year 2011 in Poland! . . Dj Promotion . 2011 . 2012-01-07 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20151225171157/http://djpromotion.com.pl/articles/819/Loca-People---Hit-of-the-Year-2011-in-Poland- . 2015-12-25 .
  27. Web site: Year End Chart 2011. 2012-04-10. OfficialChartsCompany. 2012-09-15. https://web.archive.org/web/20120915084445/http://www.ukchartsplus.co.uk/UKChartsPlusYE2011.pdf. dead.