Elephunk's Song 'Where Is The Love?'

With all of the problems we experience daily and hear about throughout the world, it would appear that humanity is falling apart; that the values of peace, love, and equality, among others, are no longer relevant. In 2003, the Black Eyed Peas released their lead single from the album Elephunk entitled “Where is the Love?”. This song became popular for it inspirational lyrics and its uplifting and “funkafied” beat. The song starts out with two guitars and a bass line that induce a soft and soothing buildup for about 10 seconds until a distinct crescendo on symbols brings in the rest of the music. A slow-paced yet solid background beat is created by light bass sounds and a clap on the second and fourth beat in each measure, providing a sturdy foundation for the variety of instruments played over top of it. Further, the sounds of a shaker and a repetitive chord played on a piano are noticeable. The most recognizable part of the instrumentation is the string section and guitars that play and generate the mood of the song. For example, the deeper sound of the cello can be heard during the part of the song where apl.de.ap talks about the deterioration of humanity, while higher pitched violins are played towards …show more content…
It reached number eight on Billboard Top 100 during its prime, but unlike most of the other pop songs of its day or today, it conveyed an important message. It wasn’t about a relationship or good times, but that the world needed to change before things became irreparable. While this concept was not a new one, these ideas presented in the form of a song allowed them to be seen in a fresh way by the public. Because of the young age of many pop music fans, the Black Eyed Peas were additionally able to incorporate problems facing America’s youth into their song and to sing about the dangers of gangs, violent videogames, violence, and juvenile