World famous group Black Eyed Peas, with Filipino member apl.de.ap, will perform “Ritmo (Bad Boys For Life)” at the closing ceremony of the South East Asian (SEA) Games in the Philippines on Dec. 11 at New Clark City in Capas town, Tarlac.

Black Eyed Peas (Photos from their official website)

“Ritmo” is their collaboration with reggaeton superstar J Balvin. The mid-tempo number fuses hip hop, reggae and pop and it will be released worldwide on Nov. 4, a full month ahead of the games. The word “ritmo” translates to “rhythm” in English.

“I wanted to reimagine ‘The Rhythm of the Night’ by Corona and give it a minimal, futurist, afro-fused reggaeton vibe. The final song and video feel like the classic next level futurism that the Black Eyed Peas are all about,” Black Eyed Peas co-founder will.i.am was quoted to have said in a statement.

Previous reports have it that Black Eyed Peas’ number at the SEA Games closing ceremony will be “12-minute epic.”

“Ritmo” is the first Black Eyed Peas song under Epic Records, their new home. It is their first released song in a long time and they have started promoting it. Last week, Black Eyed Peas jetted to Brazil to co-headline RockInRio. They appeared on Luciano Hucks’ show the day after. The group has included Australia and New Zealand for the next leg of their tour.

The song is part of the Original Soundtrack of the movie “Bad Boys For Life” starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence. It stands out as the third installment of the classic Bad Boys franchise, one of the most successful action series of all-time. The movie opens in Philippine theaters early next year.

Black Eyed Peas with J Balvin

The forthcoming biennial sports event this year is the 30th edition since it started in 1977.

The last times the Philippines hosted the SEA Games was in 2005, during which Filipino athletes won 291 medals and ranked first among the participating Southeast Asian countries.

This year, the game will be participated in by 11 countries, namely: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam.

Apl.de.ap (Manila Bulletine file photo)

The 2019 SEA Games — which runs from Nov. 30 to Dec. 11 — will commence with 11,000 athletes and officials, 9,000 volunteers, 530 events, 56 sports, plus 44 venues in Clark, Subic, Metro Manila, Cavite, Batangas, Laguna, and La Union.

Some of the big hits of Black Eyed Peas in the past are “Where Is the Love,” “Boom Boom Pow,” “Imma B,” “I Gotta Feeling” and “The Apl Song” that sees apl.de.ap give a nod to his Pinoy roots.

Although the group released an album in 2018, their last big hit was “The Time (Dirty Bit)” in 2010 and it was from the album “The Beginning.”