Arular [Explicit Lyrics]

 

 

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Her first track really got my attention around August 2005. I first seen her video "Galang" on the "Yahoo Launch". M.I.A.'s first record is great! It is such an interesting style of dance music and the politics intertwined in it make it intellectual too! Mainly though, this music will have you dancing and repeating the smart and catchy lyrics. M.I.A. has no qualms about mentioning bombs, guns, terrorists and racism in her songs.

Straddling the great musical divide, M.I.A. sticks her tongue out at the mainstream and moons the underground with a sound that both betrays and praises the music of her peers. She borrows from hip-hop, dancehall, reggaeton, electro-clash, drum 'n' bass and world music yet creates a sum different from the parts using little more than a drum machine and her own lyrical might.

Her debut album, Arular (XL/Beggar's Banquet), is a Masala of planet-rock beats and batucada cut ups set off by a delivery so cadent, it's the percussive force behind the album. M.I.A.'s most successful when she's letting loose over a dancehall rhythm, her cockney-Jamaican accent punctuating each low-end blast with proclamations of her prowess on the mike. Such is the nature of her MCing, which can be heard to blistering effect on the single "Fire Fire," on which she dismisses her peers, asserting, "Competition coming' up now/ Load up and fire, fire bo!" This is to say there's no match for M.I.A. Even comparable British MCs like Ms. Dynamite, The Streets and Dizzy Raskal fall short if only because they lack the sexual je ne se quoi that M.I.A. shamelessly exudes.

Moreover, where her countrymen exist solely within the British two-step tradition, M.I.A. is a welcome every woman coming off like a basement (Jamaican party) queen rocking a favela (Brazilian ghetto) bass line. All the while, hers is a patois that can only be heard on the streets of London, yet for all the musical globetrotting, M.I.A. has found a space that's all her own. My favorite tracks are "Pull Up The People", "Bucky Done Gun", "Fire Fire", "SunShower", Hombre, "URAQT," and "Galang".

I do agree with the some of the reviewers when they stated that it's only recommended to those who like different and less commercial approaches to music. This album might be a bit to raw for you due to it's political/sexual nature, especially If you don't understand this recording. It is important to appreciate it's significance and to appreciate how innovative it is. If you're not going to buy it, at least give it a listen... Maya's style deserves attention!

I saw the video for Galang on BPM and was laughing out loud. This skinny little Sri Lankan girl was spitting out london ghetto rap while dancing crazily in front of a cartoon backdrop. But the next few days, something about the beat stayed in my head. I had to hear it again. I did, and I taped it, and the more I listened to it the more I realized I wanted to hear more. I found it at a store and bought it. On the bus ride home I didn't much care for it, but like the Galang video, it stayed in my head. Everytime I listened to it I liked it a little bit more. It's like watching Pulp Fiction, each time you see it, something appears to you that you missed before that makes the whole thing make more and more sense. By now, it is one of my favourite CD's and I don't even listen to this genre (if it even fits into any genre) regularly. It isn't for everyone, but if you have a good subwoofer and an open mind for something unique...give it a shot.

Dès la première écoute, je suis tombé sous le charme. Il ne ressemble à rien d'autre que je connaisse, bien que je possède une grande quantité (et variété) de musique.

La façon de chanter, les rythmes et l'instrumentation y sont uniques. Je suggère chaudement ce CD à toute personne ouverte aux musiques du monde.

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5.0 out of 5 stars refreshing
M.I.A. is truley a unique presence in music today. Her beats are fantastic, her political messages relevant and very current, and she represents for strong women everywhere. Read more

Published on Mar 23 2006 by JC

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing
I don't know why Mr. Cooke thinks that the songs are a bit repetitive, I didn't find that at all. M.I.A. Read more

Published on Mar 5 2006

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant!
M.I.A.'s Arular is unique and creative, thought provoking and ultimately entertaining. It is a challenging first listen, but it is so infectious... Read more

Published on Sep 29 2005

1.0 out of 5 stars Stop while you're ahead!
Save your money or purchase a hammer when you buy this cd because all you'll want to do is hit yourself in the head for buying it in the first place. Read more

Published on Sep 8 2005 by Michael Beckinsale

5.0 out of 5 stars Hot & Hot
That beat's definitely refreshing! Grab one of those for your car; it'll make your summer!

Published on Sep 5 2005 by Louis-Dominic

2.0 out of 5 stars Listen before buying?
Based on the current reviews, I was eager to purchase the CD with anticipation that it had a freshness that crossed generations and music tastes. Read more

Published on Aug 11 2005

5.0 out of 5 stars So Original, So Fun
A friend introduced me to this CD and it's quickly become a favourite. M.I.A.'s music so catchy and so fun to dance to, yet it's also lasting... Read more

Published on Aug 4 2005 by Mansi

4.0 out of 5 stars great cd
love it!! great to play before you go out for the night or dance on the coffee table to. whichever.

Published on July 19 2005 by Lauren

5.0 out of 5 stars yes!
simply put: wicked.
i have been waiting for this release forever. there is just no way you can sit still.

Published on May 11 2005

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