The Black Eyed Peas had the perfect message to the world when they opened the 2022 Latin American Music Awards on Thursday: "Where Is the Love?"
Telemundo shared the video of the uplifting, bilingual performance, which saw over two dozen Latin artists, including CNCO and Ozuna, joining BEP on stage to call for global peace via their 2003 hit. Everyone taking the Latin AMA stage symbolically wore white as Ukrainian pop artist NK waved her nation's flag. Images of war-torn Ukraine and calls to stand with the country flashed in the background during the performance.
will.i.am also modified the "Where Is the Love?" lyrics, saying, "Worldwide, yeah, we praying for Ukraine/ Connected at the heart, soul and brain/ But we still got people that's being slain/ I see a lot of humans living inhumane, damn."
Black Eyed Peas wrote "Where Is the Love?" in response to the terrorist attacks on 9/11, and the song has since morphed into a global anti-war anthem.
Telemundo adds NK presented at Thursday night's awards and made an impassioned speech about the events affecting her home country. "Right now, what is going on in my country, it is not just one war... Russia is committing genocide, a genocide against Ukraine," she said in Spanish. "This should not remain unknown."
Russia began its invasion of Ukraine on February 24. World leaders, including President Joe Biden, have since accused Russia of committing war crimes.