The Hot Sheet

Music

The Beginning by the Black Eyed Peas — After the best-selling The E.N.D. comes The Beginning — at least in the world of the Black Eyed Peas. And while lyrics still aren’t their strong suit (“Girl you stole my heart like a klepto / Now the flies in my tummy need Pepto” is a shining example from “XOXOXO”), but the fun party beats the Peas have become known for are better than ever. Fergie takes a bit of a backseat on this album — which isn’t really a good thing — but when she is allowed to take center stage, she shines, particularly on the mid-tempo, guitar-laden “Whenever.”

Endlessly by Duffy — Blue-eyed soul songstress Duffy has a assembled a classy, catchy — albeit too brief — collection of 10 tunes for her long-awaited sophomore album, Endlessly. As she did on her first album, Rockferry, she sings of love with the yearning of a lovesick teen and the skill of a modern-day Dusty Springfield. Plenty of tracks here have the potential to be this album’s “Mercy,” her runaway hit. Whether radio will embrace this unique sound once again remains to be seen.