Will.i.Am Featuring Pia Mia

Boys & Girls (Single)

(Interscope Records)

So the artist known as Will.i.Am (Multi-platinum seven-time Grammy Award-winning producer and songwriter) has returned to the world of recorded music with his latest pop single offering entitled ‘Boys & Girls’. It is taken from Will.i.Am’s fifth solo studio album which is due for releases in 2016. The track features vocals from Pia Mia who had great success with “Do It Again,” featuring Chris Brown and Tyga. The video secured 200 million views on Vevo.

I must admit that I hadn’t been impressed with Will.i.Am’s previous work especially the track ‘T.H.E. (The Hardest Ever) which featured Jennifer Lopez (J.Lo) and the legendary Mick Jagger. It sounded like someone had broken the Star Trek theme theremin and the lyrics ‘You can call a demon, I’m a call Jesus’ were just bizarre.

Anyway, fast forward to April 2016 and we now have new track ‘Boys & Girls’ to listen to. I have experienced the world of clubbing and I have no doubt in my mind that this song will make the playlists of DJs across the world with its hypnotic beat and top line. The intro is very eighties with electronic drum samples as Will.i.am raps ‘Drinkin’ all the liquor and I ain’t even paying for it!’

Within the chanting female vocals there is a hint of Kelis’s hit ‘Milkshake’ which mixed with the clap machine sounds creates a high-energy pop song which to really be appreciated needs to be listened to a night.

Pia Mia has a radio-friendly vocals and her lyrics are pro-equality in the world which as an overall message is a very positive thing. It frustrates me that the entire song is completely electronic because although that is where Will.i.Am is most comfortable this track could be really funky with a horn section or electric slide guitar thrown in. A sort of James Brown meets Clubland vibe if you will.

With Will.i.Am’s work there are always questions that people ask and some things people are asking on social media include:

  • What does it mean when Will i Am says ‘Spending money like I’m from Saudi’?
  • Is the chorus very similar to Blur’s ‘Girls and Boys’?

The line ‘sippin’ on goodness’ is surprisingly not about Will.i.Am purchasing some Yakult or another healthy yogurt drink but rather the tasty alcoholic beverage which someone else has bought him. However, maybe an advertising sync with a health drink brand isn’t a bad idea. Who knows, Will.i.Am could be a trend-setter as young people around the world start partaking in Benecol and other branded drinks thanks to ‘Boys & Girls’!

In conclusion, people who have been following Will.i.Am’s career since The Black Eyed Peas days will enjoy this track as his vocal is at the forefront and although he may not be everyone’s flavor of the month you can’t really disregard his success both in the world of music and the world of business. For me, production is repetitive but doesn’t annoy as much as some of his earlier work. It is a song that does make you want to dance especially if you hear it on a night with friends which is part of Will.i.Am’s selling point. Will.i.Am is very skilled at what he does and he does help artists other artists exposure.

‘Boys & Girls’ has an official music video which has premiered on VEVO and is directed by by filmmaker Spencer Creigh, the video was shot over three days in downtown L.A. If you enjoy Instagram and other social media channels then watch the video below and see who you can recognize:

Glenn Sargeant

Will.i.Am Featuring Pia Mia’s new single ‘Boys & Girls’ is out now on on Interscope Records via all participating digital retailers. For more information visit Will.i.Am’s official website here: http://bit.ly/1N2GyhL

(Many thanks to Jenny Entwhistle at Chuff Media for help with this review)