The Black Eyed Peas have been hard at work in London on their fifth album, and they are set to complete it soon. Next week actually!

The album is entitled The E.N.D., but, don't you worry, they're not going anywhere. The title is an abbreviation for "the energy never dies."

Get it?

They're SO clever!

It's been three years since their last album, Monkey Business, was released through A&M/Interscope, with whom the band still has a contract for a couple more albums. Tha record sold 4.2 million copies in the United States alone.

They may or may not reconsider their partnership with the label, with will.i.am telling Billboard.com that "It all depends on how they evolve, it's up to them to define what they're going to be in the future."

At this point the label is pressuring them to get the album out soon, but will.i.am hesitates. Instead, he wants to bring a "software guy" onto the band, to help develop a record release that is better suited to today's internet sales, with interactive features and planted content.

He believes that this Christmas is the last year that stores will actually carry physical content. A phenomenon that will.i.am describes as "Fucking scary."

Doubt that will happen - at least not THAT soon!

Will is eager to roll with the times, despite the initial intimidation.

"You should make songs for where songs are actually being listened and played. We have new people — software programmers. They are just as important as me, apl.de.ap, Taboo and Fergie."

Can't wait to see what they come up with! It sounds very futuristic!

[Image via WENN.]