Fergie fought back emotion as she reunited with the Black Eyed Peas onstage during the 2026 American Music Awards, marking one of the group’s most nostalgic moments in years.
Nearly a decade after stepping away from the chart-topping band, the singer stood alongside will.i.am, Taboo, and apl.de.ap after their hit “Rock That Body” won Best Throwback Song.
The moment quickly turned sentimental as Fergie reflected on old memories, loyal fans, and the surprising way the group’s music finally connected with her son, Axl.
The Black Eyed Peas took home the 2026 American Music Award for Best Throwback Song after their 2010 anthem “Rock That Body” beat out Goo Goo Dolls’ “Iris” and 4 Non Blondes’ “What’s Up?”
The victory became even more memorable because it reunited Fergie with will.i.am, Taboo, and apl.de.ap onstage years after her 2018 departure from the group.
The emotional moment clearly hit hard for the singer as she addressed the audience during the May 25 ceremony hosted by Queen Latifah.
“What a moment,” she said per ET while standing beside her longtime bandmates. “I want to thank all of the fans for voting for this so I can stand up here right now with my longtime friends and brothers, the Black Eyed Peas.”
Fergie also reflected on the memories tied to the hit song and the era that helped define one of the group’s biggest periods of success. “In honor of this special song, this era, ‘Rock That Body,’ there’s so many memories along the line with that,” the singer revealed.
Throughout the speech, Fergie appeared emotional while tightly holding onto will.i.am and Taboo’s hands.
Black Eyed Peas Music Finally Reached Fergie’s Son
Despite spending years creating massive hits with the Black Eyed Peas, Fergie revealed that “Rock That Body” recently became especially meaningful because of her son, Axl.
The 51-year-old shared that fan-made videos online unexpectedly introduced the group’s music to her 12-year-old son with ex-husband Josh Duhamel.
As she addressed the crowd, Fergie thanked supporters for keeping the song alive through social media trends and nostalgic content.
“I want to thank everyone who made TikToks and Instagram videos and making this moment possible so that my son would put our song on his playlist,” she said.
The Grammy winner explained that seeing the continued love for the group’s music has often left her overwhelmed emotionally.
“To all of our supporters who have made content throughout the years, thank you so much,” she continued. “Sometimes, the content you make is so big and the feelings are so big for me it’s overwhelming to look because there’s so much love that you put into it and I just wanna say thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
Black Eyed Peas Reunion Gave Fergie A Full-Circle Moment
As the emotional speech continued, Fergie used the AMAs stage to send a sweet message directly to her son.
“And I get to now say this,” she teased, “I finally, finally get to say this on TV: ‘Hi Axl!’ ‘Rock That Body’ we did it!”
The touching reunion also reminded fans that, despite Fergie’s exit from the Black Eyed Peas years ago, the members’ relationship has remained close behind the scenes.
In fact, the group reunited privately not long ago to celebrate a major personal milestone together.
With Fergie, will.i.am, and Taboo all turning 50 in 2025, while apl.de.ap celebrated the milestone in 2024, the longtime friends gathered for a special birthday celebration.
“Finally got to break bread and celebrate our milestone birthdays together,” Fergie wrote on Instagram in December, adding, “What a special night with my brothers, filled with so much love.”
Emotional Fans Share Their Thoughts On The Black Eyed Peas Onstage Reunion
Fergie’s emotional moment with the Black Eyed Peas members at the AMAs waited no time in going viral.
The video was shared on X, and die-hard fans trooped to the comments section to reveal how beautiful that moment was.
“I don’t think people understand how legendary this moment is,” one fan wrote, while another added, “Oh, this is beautiful, and can they go back to the studio and create magic again?”
Other fans revealed that their reunion felt nostalgic. “Not gonna lie…instant dopamine hit. I was the biggest fan in middle & high school, so this hit me right in the nostalgia,” one person noted.
Another shared, “Fergie back with the Peas on stage like that felt like someone hit rewind on my whole childhood playlist. Those early 2000s hits were everywhere growing up and seeing them link up again after all the solo stuff and time away just brings back that pure party energy.”
The Rise Of The Black Eyed Peas From Hip-Hop Crew To Global Superstars
The history of Black Eyed Peas dates back to the late 1980s when will.i.am and apl.de.ap first met in Los Angeles and began performing together as part of a rap crew before eventually signing with Eazy-E’s Ruthless Records under the name Atban Klann.
After Eazy-E’s death and the shelving of their original album, the group reinvented itself in the mid-1990s as the Black Eyed Peas alongside Taboo, initially building a reputation in underground hip-hop with socially conscious albums like Behind the Front and Bridging the Gap.
The group’s mainstream breakthrough came after Fergie joined in 2001, helping transform the band into one of the biggest pop acts in the world with hit albums like “Elephunk,” “Monkey Business,” and “The E.N.D.”
After several hiatuses and solo projects, Fergie eventually stepped away from the group, with J. Rey Soul later joining touring and recording efforts.
