You know the one. That digital, distorted voice kicks in—"Gotta get that"—and suddenly your car frame is rattling like it’s about to fall apart. Most people just call it the speakers go boom boom song, but it’s actually the 2009 Black Eyed Peas mega-hit "Boom Boom Pow." It’s a track that basically defined the transition from the ringtone rap era into the EDM-obsessed landscape of the 2010s.
Honestly, it’s a weird song.
Think back to when it dropped. Music was in this strange middle ground. We were moving away from the crunk beats of the mid-2000s and leaning into something colder, more robotic, and way more obsessed with the low end of the frequency spectrum. Will.i.am reportedly wanted to create something that sounded like it belonged in the future, or at least a version of the future dreamed up in a neon-lit club in 2009. It worked. The song spent 12 consecutive weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100.
But why do people specifically remember it as the "speakers go boom boom song"?
It’s because of the engineering.
The Science of the "Boom"
The "boom boom" isn't just a catchy lyric; it’s a command to your hardware. When you hear Fergie belt out those lines about the "808," she’s referencing the Roland TR-808 Rhythm Composer. That specific drum machine is the backbone of almost every bass-heavy track in history, from old-school hip-hop to modern trap.
Most pop songs back then were mastered to sound loud on the radio. They were compressed within an inch of their life. But "Boom Boom Pow" was mastered differently. It left room for the sub-bass to actually breathe. When that kick drum hits, it hits around 50Hz to 60Hz. If you’ve got a cheap pair of headphones, you’ll hear a "thump." If you’ve got a dual 12-inch subwoofer setup in your trunk, you’ll feel your heart change rhythm.
That’s the magic.
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The song was a tech demo for car audio enthusiasts. It became the go-to track for showing off what your aftermarket speakers could do. It wasn't about the melody—which is pretty repetitive, let’s be real—it was about the physical movement of air.
Why 2009 Was a Turning Point for Sound
Before the speakers go boom boom song took over the airwaves, pop music was still very much "organic." Think about the guitar-heavy hits of the early 2000s or the soulful R&B that dominated the charts. Then the Black Eyed Peas showed up with "The E.N.D." (Energy Never Dies).
They ditched the live instruments. They embraced the "auto-tune" aesthetic not as a correction tool, but as an instrument. Critics at the time actually hated it. Rolling Stone and Pitchfork weren't exactly kind. They called it repetitive. They called it shallow.
They weren't wrong, but they were missing the point.
The point was the club. The point was the sonic impact. Will.i.am has often talked about how he wanted to make "underground" sounds accessible to the masses. He took the aggressive synths of the European electro scene and polished them for American Top 40.
Breaking Down the Structure
The track doesn't follow a standard verse-chorus-verse structure. It’s more like a series of builds and drops.
- The Intro: A robotic "Gotta get that" that establishes the tempo.
- The Hook: "Boom boom pow." It’s simple. It’s monosyllabic. It’s designed to be shouted.
- The Breakdown: The "I’m on the 808" section where the beat actually gets more complex before dropping back into the main rhythm.
This structure influenced everything that came after it. You don't get the dubstep-inflected pop of 2012 without the success of this song in 2009. It proved that audiences were ready for music that felt less like a story and more like an experience.
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Misconceptions and Lyrical Weirdness
If you actually look at the lyrics, they're kind of hilarious. "I’m so 3008, you’re so 2000 and late." It’s dated. It’s goofy. But in the context of the speakers go boom boom song, it doesn't matter.
People often confuse this track with other "Boom" songs. There’s Vengaboys’ "Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom!!" which is a completely different Eurodance vibe from the late 90s. There’s also "Boom" by Snoop Dogg, which actually samples "Self Control" by Raf.
But none of those songs have the same relationship with speaker hardware. When someone searches for the "speakers go boom boom song," they aren't looking for a lyrical masterpiece. They’re looking for that specific frequency. They’re looking for the song that makes the rearview mirror vibrate.
The Gear That Made It Famous
You have to remember that 2009 was the peak of the "custom car audio" craze. Shops like Pimp My Ride had made everyone want a vibrating trunk.
Brands like Kicker, Rockford Fosgate, and JL Audio were huge. If you went to a car meet in 2010, you would hear this song on a loop. It was the "standardized test" for bass. If your system didn't distort when the "boom boom" hit, you had a high-quality setup.
The song actually sounds pretty thin on small speakers. Try listening to it on a 2009-era laptop speaker. It sounds like tin. It needs displacement. It needs air.
The Legacy of the Sound
Is it a "good" song? That’s subjective. But its impact on the industry is undeniable. It shifted the focus of pop production toward the low end. It made sub-bass a requirement for a hit record.
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We see this legacy in artists like Travis Scott or even Billie Eilish. The focus on textures and frequencies over traditional melody started with the "The E.N.D." album cycle.
Even today, when people play this track, it doesn't feel as dated as other hits from that year. Why? Because bass is timeless. A good kick drum hits the same way in 2026 as it did in 2009. The technology we use to listen has improved—we have better Bluetooth speakers and more sophisticated car systems—but the physics of the "boom" remain the same.
What to Do If You Want That Sound Today
If you're trying to replicate that feeling of the speakers go boom boom song in your own setup, you can't just crank the volume. You need to understand your equipment.
- Check your Crossover: If you’re using a subwoofer, set your low-pass filter (LPF) to around 80Hz. This ensures your sub is handling the "boom" while your door speakers handle the vocals.
- Bitrate Matters: Don't listen to a low-quality rip on YouTube. The compression kills the low-end frequencies. Use a high-quality streaming setting or a lossless file to actually feel the air move.
- Enclosure Type: If you want that specific "Boom Boom Pow" punch, a ported box for your subwoofer is usually better than a sealed one. It allows for more movement and a louder, deeper resonance at specific frequencies.
Don't overcomplicate it. The song was designed to be loud and fun. If you're over-analyzing the EQ curves, you're probably missing the spirit of the track. Just turn it up, make sure your trim panels are secured so they don't rattle too much, and let the 808 do the work.
The reality is that "Boom Boom Pow" isn't just a song; it’s a physical event. It’s the moment pop music decided it wanted to be felt as much as it was heard. Whether you love the Black Eyed Peas or find them annoying, you have to respect the way they engineered a track to literally move the air around you.
Next time you're testing out a new set of speakers, skip the acoustic tracks for a second. Throw on the speakers go boom boom song. If the mirrors don't shake, you might need a bigger amp.
Actionable Insights for Bass Enthusiasts
To get the most out of bass-heavy tracks like this, focus on sound deadening. Most of the "bad" noise you hear when the bass hits isn't the speaker—it's your car's metal panels vibrating. Applying butyl-based deadening sheets (like Dynamat or similar brands) to your door skins can increase the perceived bass response by 3dB or more without even changing your speakers. It keeps the "boom" inside the cabin and stops your car from sounding like a tin can full of marbles to people outside. Focus on the trunk lid and the area behind your main drivers for the best results.