The group Black Eyed Peas will be present at Rock in Rio on September 6, 2026, taking to Palco Mundo for another performance. This will be the band’s second time at the renowned festival, repeating their participation from 2019, which featured singer Anitta.
When they were at the event previously, the Black Eyed Peas already performed as a trio, without vocalist Fergie. However, the artist remains alive in fans’ memories for having been the voice of many of the group’s biggest hits. Below, we detail the reasons for Fergie’s departure and introduce the current female singer in the lineup.
Understand the reasons for Fergie’s departure from the Black Eyed Peas
The band Black Eyed Peas was initially formed in the 1990s as a trio. Fergie joined in 2002, during the creation of the album “Elephunk”, marking the beginning of the group’s most commercially successful phase.
During Fergie’s tenure, albums such as “Monkey Business,” “The E.N.D.” and “The Beginning” generated countless hits, propelling the group to the top of the most played lists. This rise continued until 2011, the year in which the band announced an indefinite hiatus.
The return of the Black Eyed Peas took place in 2015, with the release of new singles, but without the presence of Fergie. At that time, the information was that the vocalist was just taking a break to dedicate herself to her second solo work, “Double Dutchess”.
The artist’s departure was only made official in 2017, through Will.i.Am, who guaranteed that she would not be replaced. The other members of the band stated that the separation occurred amicably, without disagreements.
Later, Taboo revealed that, during the period of her departure, Fergie chose to dedicate herself completely to motherhood, prioritizing her family.
More recently, the four members were seen together again. In a conversation with producer Papatinho from Brazil, which aired in January 2026, Will.i.Am shared that his desire was to create a Black Eyed Peas album especially for Rio Carnival.
“Imagine if the Black Eyed Peas released an album about Rio Carnival and during Rio Carnival. With me, Taboo, Apl and Fergie. It would be something epic. If we were to reunite this lineup again, it would have to be in Brazil, during Carnival. This is the ideal scenario for it,” said Will.i.Am. In May 2026, the band, still as a quartet, appeared to receive an award at the American Music Awards. Despite these meetings, Fergie’s definitive return to the group was not confirmed.
The dynamics of Black Eyed Peas shows without Fergie
Will.i.Am tried hard to honor his promise not to replace Fergie. Currently, the Black Eyed Peas remain an official trio, but use the support of female voices to perform their biggest hits. Songs like “Meet Me Halfway” or “Boom Boom Pow” would certainly lose their essence without the artist’s striking vocal passages.
The role of performing this vocal part is usually performed by Filipino singer J. Rey Soul. On certain occasions, the group also invites partner artists, as happened with Anitta at Rock in Rio in 2019, when they released the track “Explosion”.
