The Dutchess [PA]

Performer: Fergie (US)
Artist: Nelly; Soulja Boy Tell'em
Producer: DJ Moormille; Ron Fair; Will.I.Am
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: This is an Enhanced CD, which contains both regular audio tracks and multimedia computer files. The association that versatile pop chanteuse Fergie (aka Stacy Ferguson) struck up with the hip-hop crew Black Eyed Peas (she was central to their hugely successful 2003 release, ELEPHUNK) proved she was capable of playing in the big leagues, and it was only a matter of time before the singer dropped a solo effort. THE DUTCHESS arrived in 2006 and was packed, not surprisingly, with slick, commercially viable pop-rap. The first release on Black Eyed Pea will.i.am's record label, THE DUTCHESS seems intent on giving Beyonce, Kelis, and every female pop/R&B singer a run for her money. With production help from Polow the Don and will.i.am (who also contributes raps to a couple of songs), Fergie delivers a record that kicks out spare club tracks inspired by Missy Elliott and M.I.A. (such as the disc's lead-off single "London Bridge"), alongside sultry soul ballads ("Clumsy"). There aren't many surprises here, but THE DUTCHESS is a glossy, fun, and satisfying album, which is exactly what her fans are expecting.

Rolling Stone (p.69) - 3.5 stars out of 5 -- "[F]ull of Eighties-style electro bangers, mostly produced by the Peas' Will.i.am, though Atlanta mogul Polow Da Don steals the show on 'London Bridge'..." Entertainment Weekly (p.92) - "[She] retains the group's proven gift for indelible melodies....Here, she proves herself equally adept at well-deep reggae riddims, giddy dance-floor jams, and fervent ballads." -- Grade: B+

Stacy Ferguson was a former child star on the show KIDS INCORPORATED and a member of the short-lived dance/pop trio Wild Orchid before bottoming out with a drug addiction in the early 2000s. Ferguson cleaned up, joined the pop-rap act Black Eyed Peas, and was reintroduced to the world as Fergie. Fergie's contributions to the Peas (particularly her absurd club-banging ode to her own body, "My Humps") helped launch the group to a new level of stardom and set the stage for her 2006 solo debut, THE DUTCHESS. The album was an immediate smash, moving up the charts on the strength of the ubiquitous singles "London Bridge" and "Fergalicious."

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