The Dutchess is the debut solo studio album by American singer-songwriter Fergie. It was released on September 13, 2006, by A&M Records and will.i.am Music Group. The album was recorded between The Black Eyed Peas' tour dates in 2005, and the songs were written in the eight years preceding its release. Fergie wanted to create an autobiographical album that would be more intimate between her and the listener. Musically, it experiments with different music genres, including pop, hip hop, R&B, reggae, punk rock and soul. Lyrically, it contains themes about critics, love, and her personal drug abuse and addiction.