I lost track of M.I.A. because the album released after Kala, which was Maya, was kind of a flop in my opinion. Then I saw the music video for her single “Bad Girls”, which was completely bad ass, beautifully produced and got me excited for her next release. That, however, wouldn’t come for another two years. In the meantime I had all but forgotten about M.I.A., but I’m glad I stumbled upon her music again because Matangi is a great album.
Her music, in general, is really interesting. As stated in her wikipedia entry, “her compositions combine elements of electronic, dance, alternative, hip hop and world music.” She’s got that British twang, mixed with Indian (Sri Lankan) musical influences and lives in Brooklyn, NY. It makes for some really amazing music.
Apparently not everyone enjoys Matangi as much as I do. It was the lowest ranking album of the four in her discography according to the billboards. I think it could be a polarizing album in that it’s more electronic and less linear than most of her other work. I’m more of a glitch hop/electronic/alternative rock music fan than I am of hip hop, which may be why this album appeals to me more. I could see fans of hip hop having the same reaction to this album as they had to Kanye West’s Yeezus. But, in my opinion, it’s these albums that are unique, actually worth listening to and what should be considered works of art. Anyone can sample music, put a beat behind it and lyrics on top of it. But what artists like M.I.A. do is something altogether different. And that’s why I’m digging Matangi so much. Because it’s not boring.
If you haven’t given M.I.A.’s music a listen in a while (or ever) I encourage you to check out her newest album. You might like it. But no gaurentees.
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