The Dutchess (2006) is the solo debut album of American pop singer Fergie, a member of The Black Eyed Peas. The title is a misspelling of the title "the Duchess of York," as Fergie (byname of Stacy Ferguson) and Sarah Ferguson, the real Duchess of York, share a surname and nickname. will.i.am was an executive producer for the album. Ludacris, B-Real from Cypress Hill and Rita Marley all make guest appearances.[1] Fergie has made it clear in interviews that she will still be an active member in the Black Eyed Peas.
Released on July 18, 2006, "London Bridge" was The Dutchess' first single. Making one of the largest jumps in the Billboard Hot 100 chart's history, "London Bridge" reached the #1 spot for three consecutive weeks. The second single, "Fergalicious," was released on October 232006 peaked at #2 on the Hot 100.
The Dutchess debuted at #3 on the Billboard 200 in the United States with sales of over 150,000.
Miscellaneous
Approximately a minute after the last (13th) track, entitled "Finally," there is a bonus track called "Maybe We Can Take A Ride."
After the album's release, Fergie claimed its title, The Dutchess, was spelled with an extra "T" to add her own trademark to it to so it can separate her from the "The Duchess Of York", although numerous critics have suggested that she misspelled it unintentionally and was saving face.
A latest trademark from Fergie is nearly every song has a bridge with a completely different tune such as a slow and smooth beat for "London Bridge" and a Stevie Ray Vaughan-esque style for "Fergalicious."
The bridge featured in the video for the single "London Bridge" is not London Bridge but the next bridge along the River Thames, Tower Bridge.
At London Bridge Station, London, a giant poster advertising the album was visible on one of the UK's largest billboard sites in autumn 2006. The poster was clearly visible from the south end of London Bridge itself.
