M.I.A certainly knows how to use a sample effectively as can be evidenced by the sublime Paper Planes which introduced a whole new group of listeners to the delights of "the only band that matters". With Born Free she samples Ghost Rider by Suicide with similar results. I still can't understand why this was never released as a single. especially as there was very powerful and quite brutal video made to accompany the song.
A few commentators over at JC's bit last week were ruminating over the lack of protest singers about just now and MIA is one of the very few that I can think of that use music in this manner.
M.I.A - Born Free
5 comments:
This is superb- the TV appearance on a chat show with multiple MIA's was memorable too
I'd never seen this before and was transfixed. Extraordinarily powerful.
tremendous stuff Drew. But it's amazing that so few of her worldwide fans realise how much of a protest singer with protest songs she truly is
Since Sunday, the US media has been filled with all sorts of histrionics over Beyonce performing at the Super Bowl with dancers dressed in Black Panther-esque uniforms and singing parts of a new song that references the Black Lives Matter movement. Calls of her being anti Police and unAmerican are flying around the interweb and television. It's just proof to me that we no longer want our pop stars to have a conscience, a point of view, reflect a platform - especially not our female pop stars...
M.I.A has been wonderfully controversial for a number of years as well. I have to say I really enjoy her music and respect her messages. She grew up fully exposed to a certain ideology and she has used that as her grounding to have quite a global outlook. Her lastest single, at least I think it was, Borders took on the refugee crisis and reminds us it's about what we are loosing on a global level when it comes to the next generation. It's a damn catchy tune as well - and isn't that the most subversive part?
I thought the Beyonce performance was superb. Especially given the audience and event.
Swiss Adam
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