Arulpragasm 8/8/10

After reading the Spin Magazine article about M.I.A, or as I like to call her, Maya Arulpragasm, I fell even more deeply in love with her. Infatuated by her mysterious last name, graphic designer intuition, and love for candy-colored lipstick, I immediately connected with her style. Since her 2007 release of Kala, cutely named after her mother, I've been so into her (for lack of better words). Her pop-art graphic style is one that could easily be established on skateboards and surfboards, countless high-fashion outfit combinations, and, sensibly enough, album covers. I actually noticed this flawless combination of eclectic objects early on her Kala CD and hoped that she would create a clothing line -- which I hear she has done. (If only the tanktops weren't $65...) Her makeup is flawless, between her first Spin cover with her seafoam green lip(s) and her perfectly lined eyes. Hair always looks great, no matter what color or style, and I really do believe Maya's pregnant black-clad body onstage last year was setting a trend.

Fashion and appearance covered. My grade? A+. (Can YOU rock a sailor's hat? Probably not.)
But let's talk about M.I.A. from a political standpoint - one that often causes controversy in the media. Maya comes from a war-torn country called Sri Lanka. She and her family escaped to Britain after her father started an anti-Tamil group and was sought after by the violent government. After countless encounters and scares, though always seeking peace, they became refugees. In many of her lesser-known songs, Maya refers to her country and the hardships she personally faced - ones that have shaped her image permanently. This is no "my neighbor got shot in a drive by" rap song -- it is a story about $20 buying someone a peaceful home, or about boys fishing for their dinner in a filthy river. Granted, these issues are not on the same scale, but they are extremely significant when you have nothing at all to your name. M.I.A. takes these personal tragedies, adds a funkadelic beat to them, and makes them instant hits - ones that I enjoy dancing and singing to on the reg.

I may have to wrap up this review of how much I adore M.I.A because it could really last way too long... And I only have 4 1/2 hours left of work. (Only! Ha! Shoot me.) In the end, though, I will say - do not buy or download her new album because it is pop-crap, but if you really want to get into this beautiful woman's political saga, listen to her first two CDs. The first is named after her father Arular (2004) and the second after her mother Kala (2007).

.......Yeah man!