", with updated lyrics and numerous featured artists, addressing topics such as the Black Lives Matter movement, gun violence in the United States, the Syrian civil war and refugee crisis, and terrorism in Europe.

[14][15][16] The band purposed the remake as a "[call] for calm" that asked "to stop the hate and violence that has resulted in many lives lost.

"[17] In 2017, the Black Eyed Peas collaborated with Marvel Comics to release Masters of the Sun, a science fiction superhero graphic novel that references social issues and street culture in Los Angeles.

[18][19] The novel's adaptation for augmented reality devices featured a downbeat jazz and soul soundtrack composed by Hans Zimmer,[20] which inspired the "mood" of the next Black Eyed Peas album.

"[25] The group stuck to a general philosophy of "art, smart, and heart" during the creative process, aiming to depict their philanthropic career through their music, in contrast to their earlier production-centric albums,[26] and challenging themselves to constantly re-write lines to make them better.

1, the Black Eyed Peas released numerous singles throughout 2018 from recording sessions for the album: "Street Livin'" on January 9,[34] "Ring the Alarm" on May 18,[35] "Get It" on July 10,[36] and "Constant" on August 30,[37] each with accompanying music videos, the former three of which politically-charged.

[31][40] Its two-part music video raising awareness of gun control and anti-separation movements in the United States was released on September 21,[41][42] and profits from sales of the single were donated to gun control activist group March for Our Lives and the anti-separation activist group Families Belong Together.

[24] The group appeared as one of two pre-match entertainment acts at the 2018 AFL Grand Final, along with Australian rock musician Jimmy Barnes,[44] performing "Big Love" along with a number of their earlier hits with The Voice of the Philippines finalist Jessica Reynoso.

[45] The performance was met with criticism, especially for a moment in which will.i.am pulled out his phone mid-performance,[45] prompting an apologetic response from will.i.am and Taboo on Twitter.

[46][47] The group embarked on the Masters of the Sun Tour to promote the album, performing fourteen shows across Europe in October and November 2018.

[50][51] Masters of Sun Vol.1 generally received positive reviews by the music critics, Glenn Gamboa of Newsday praised the album as a "welcome return" for the band, writing that the band had "[recaptured] the edge the Peas once had" on "Yes or No", and singled out the socially conscious lyrics of "Ring the Alarm", jazz influences on "Vibrations", and Nicole Scherzinger's performance on "Wings" as positives.