M.I.A. "Maya"

Space by M. I. A.    (5525 KB)
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Within a couple millions of users on Youtube, you'll probably find M.I.A. looking at some videos along with them. Maybe she's watching a cute cat video or learning about the conspiracies kept secret by George W. Bush. Whatever the videos might be, the newest album really shows that M.I.A. has gotten herself into a lot of Youtubing, social networking, online communities, and become very internet savvy. I mean, look at the cover art, it looks as if it's a Youtube page. 

It's not just the album cover that's 21st century-centric, the music is indeed 2010 electronica. It doesn't sound one bit as it did in Kala (2007) and it brings in a new kind of M.I.A. altogether. Softer, more melodic sounds can be found on the album from songs likes "Space" and "Caps Lock." Maya is a new approach, as it doesn't feature a lot of love, money, or strictly contemporary music topics. It does bring the whole genre of electronica a new precedent and fills up a blank between mainstream and underground music scenes.

The darker the sound becomes, the better the album defines itself. It contains some of the weirdest sounds I've heard all year. Oddly, "Teqkilla" brings out a sound that only robots would have sex to, it's something new and the grittiness just gives it more creditability to sound electronic. Of course, out of the half-a-dozen-singles, the most striking and controversial has to be "Born Free" with M.I.A.'s echoing like a 20th century dictatorship's loudspeakers over a city with all its citizens in hiding. The music video (below) surely sparked a lot of interest in her, at the time yet-to-be-released, album. 

Some notable music is a part of this album, if you're in for an electronic sound from hip hop then this is your album. The best thing about this album is that there isn't any other album as blunt, hardcore, gritty, and electronic as this. M.I.A. rapped most of her earlier albums but this one contains her mainly singing and producing more polished beats. And she keeps reminding you that she's on the internet, just check out her homepage. 

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