Peas’ Fergie still single
You can relax boys.
If you’re one of the delusional who likes to fool himself into thinking you actually have a shot — Fergie is technically still on the market.
Contrary to recent published reports, the member of the Black Eyed Peas is not engaged to Las Vegas star Josh Duhamel.
“Oh, no,” Fergie (Stacy Ferguson) told the Calgary Sun on Monday.
“No, no, no — I’m not engaged.
“That’s all a rumour … it’s crazy. (I can) entirely dismiss that right now.”
“I’m not engaged — there’s no time to have a wedding right now.”
And when and if there finally is, don’t expect to see the pictures splashed all over People, Us or any of the other celeb-watching supermarket magazines.
“Josh and I try to stay out of the limelight together,” the 30-year-old says.
“It’s not like we’re the couple that goes down the red carpet and flashes a big smile at the camera — that’s just not our style.”
But the fact that people actually care, that gossip columnists would even speculate about it — and the rest of us would have to follow up on it — shows exactly how far Fergie has come since joining the veteran Black Eyed Peas prior to their 2003 breakthrough album Elephunk, which yielded seven million copies sold, a Grammy, several hits and high profile gigs.
She is now officially a star — much photographed, much sought-after — something she can can acknowledge while at the same time reiterating she’s only one member of a successful four-piece act.
“I just think it’s really flattering …,” she says.”
“But in different areas we all have our different audiences.”
Granted, but there is an increasingly larger audience that is waiting for a solo album from the singer — who could easily have a career comparable to that of Gwen Stefani’s.
Fergie admits that’s a possibility, but for now, she’s happy to be part of the biggest act in hip hop and pop music.
“It’s always been transparent and well known that I’m going to do a solo record,” says the one-time child star, featured on the TV show Kids Incorporated, as well as a member of the all-girl R&B act Wild Orchid.
“It’s just a matter of when. And after Elephunk it just didn’t feel right — it felt right to make another Black Eyed Peas record.
“So mine will come after.
“Everyone’s got their time and it’s got to be the right time. I wasn’t ready to be onstage without my boys.”
Good thing, too. Because together, the four-piece from L.A. (Fergie, Will.I.Am, apl.de.ap and Taboo) are responsible for this year’s Monkey Business, one of the best summer party albums — and mainstream records — to come along in ages.
It is very much the sum of its parts, with the chemistry — much like on Elephunk — of all of the Peas coming into play.
All of their unique personalities as well as, rather importantly, the gender makeup contributes a great deal to their wide appeal.
“I think that people can relate with it, the whole female and male perspective — giving both sides of that is nice,” she says.
“Because a lot of times you’ll often hear just from the female perspective when you go to a show or you’ll see the opposite.
“This is a two-sided perspective on things, like relationships.
“It’s nice to have that contrast.”
It’s also nice that their music and their performances are more about fun than anything else.
Take Monkey Business tracks such as the James Brown collaboration They Don’t Want Music and the ridiculously stoopid but wonderfully catchy My Humps — it’s all about the get-up and have a great time.
“The key thing for us is not taking ourselves seriously,” she says.
“And we want the people to do the same when they come to the show — just let loose.
“We’re acting like idiots onstage and getting buck wild and not really caring about how we look or trying to be pretentious, it’s all about having a good time and that’s what the record’s like as well.”
Of course, with the success, there have been some calling the addition of Fergie — after several years of BEP in the underground — and the move towards pop music a calculated stab at stardom.
Of the criticism, Fergie doesn’t seem to concerned, merely taking the opportunity and making the most of it.
“People can call it what they want,” she says, “but it’s just making great music and not really thinking too hard about that.”
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