The Black Eyed Peas make effective pop/crossover music, but with all the limitations of the form — vapid lyrics, clumsy delivery, vocals smoothed over by Auto-Tune, and songwriting that constantly strains for (and reaches) the lowest common denominator. Led by will.i.am’s production, which is continually the best thing about the album, the Black Eyed Peas move even farther away from hip-hop into the type of blandly inspirational dance-pop that has become ripe for advertising and marketing opportunities. The E.N.D. (Energy Never Dies) certainly won’t change the minds of everyone who thinks that the group’s pandering approach and clumsy execution make it the worst thing about pop music in the 2000s. – John Bush