Reviews (page 2 of 9)
Fun fact: Back in 2013, angry Frei.Wild (i'd call them a right wing band from Tyrol/Austria) fans wanted to attack the German band MIA. over the Echo controversy but accidentally targeted M.I.A.’s Facebook page instead. She had absolutely nothing to do with it and suddenly got flooded with angry German comments. quite good album. best songs are XR2 and of course Paper Planes. The rest is not as good as these too
the album is fine, it is mostly as strong as it is thanks to production that was not done by m.i.a. i mostly stand against this on account of how m.i.a. - despite her roots, despite her tumultuous upbringing, despite her father's active constant service as an actual activist and peacekeeper - chose to stay rich and comfortable after getting successful and use her fame to spread anti-vax and 5g myths whilst supporting the current fascist dictator current in office. this would not be an issue normally, yknow people love doing the "separate the art from the artist" shit with music especially, but m.i.a. chose specifically to incorporate those aforementioned things into her lyrics on purpose. fuck her and her fake ass lyrics and activism.
Cool man
sadly this album cant get carried enough by its good songs... the potential of this album was way higher imo (2.5/5.0)
Wat heerlijk om eens geen ‘60-80 plaat te hebben. Maakt dat deze plaat fenomenaal? Zeker niet, maar wel een heerlijke afwisseling.
Wat een leuk album, ik kan me er wel voorstellen dat je er niet altijd zin in hebt maar als je in de goede stemming bent is het erg leuk. De samples zijn leuk en de energie is leip. Vooral het begin van het album vond ik leuk daarna vlakt het wat af naar mijn mening en dan wordt het opeens heel erg pop met paperplanes. Niet alle nummers zijn even toegankelijk, maar dat maakt het ook wel leuk.
Ken je dat je iets heel graag leuk zou willen vinden, maar dat wanneer je heel eerlijk naar jezelf bent het eigenlijk toch niet heel erg leuk vindt? Dat heb ik precies bij dit album. Er zijn zeker elementen die ik leuk vind van dit album, het is creatief en erg out of the box geproduceerd, iets wat de hele wereld opviel toen ze voor het eerst Paper Planes hoorden met dat kassa geluidje en die gunshots, het album zit vol met bijzondere geluidseffecten. Af en toe kan ik het niet helpen dat ik bepaalde geluiden behoorlijk irritant vind: zoals bepaalde synthesizers, auto-tune, digeridoos of beatbox geluiden. Wat wel opvalt is waar Charlie XCX haar inspiratie vandaan heeft gehaald. Ik snap ‘ t wel, maar ik vind het niet erg leuk.
Interesting for sure. Paper Planes papers over some cracks of some dud songs though.
Didn't realise so much was sampled, a great album
First few tracks were pretty annoying but it toned down a bit in the middle. I still don't particularly like this album though, just isn't really my thing Highlights: Paper Planes
Production is exceptional. Everything else is complete crap.
Like the energetic beat. Repetitive lyrics on Bamboo Banga, but I’m not there for the lyrics. I think it’s all about the music. Not sure why I like MIA’s music but I do. Maybe I’m in a “ratatat / horns / clangy” phase.
2 MIA albums on this list is ridiculous
paper planes
A collection of annoying songs by an anti vaccince conspiracy artist. Paper Planes cannot carry this pile of shit
I'd give this an extra star cause paper planes is really good, but this album was soo irritating that I bailed out before I even got there. I've only quit two albums on this list and somehow they are both by this antivax wench. Absolute trash and if you like this then stay the fuck away from me you psycho. -50/10
It's painful to hear this now thinking that "Paper Planes" was such a huge deal at the time. The beats are phenomenal, pulling punk songs that were being rediscovered by a generation and mashing them with beefy bass and all sorts of South Asian music. And then M.I.A. starts to rap and it all just falls apart. Her lyrical skills are garbage at best, and the most she can sustain is a song or two. Totally vapid and meaningless, which is telling when you know where she went after this. Not great!
Well, it's certainly something. I do admire the unique sound with so many different inspirations coming together, I just didn't really enjoy the style that much. A little bit too much sound effect sampling, kind of cheapens it for me. Paper Planes is still good though.
So. Fucking. Good. I didn't expect to love this album this much.
Yes, you should listen to this. A modern artist that pushes boundaries. She certainly flies like paper gets high like planes. Nobody can say that this album isn't interesting and fun to listen to. Bamboo banger is certainly that, great way to start the album, lively - various genres and roots in the song, Birdflu and Boyz continue at full throttle, with Bollywood as the co driver, and a pint of vodka redbull to keep hydrated. Jimmy has been a stand out track all week, ear worm at it's finest. Paper planes is one of the best pop songs this millennium. M.I.A is the whole album, she's taken risks, not complied the major rules, had fun and made some bangers. Timberland pops up at the end in a totally unnecessary cameo. Especially when the cameo turns into stealing the song and the album closer. Should have ended with paper planes. God damn those major record labels! Never boring, varied, unique but for me not loveable and an uneven lsiten. I enjoyed them album and very much appreciate the artiste behind it but won't be catching up in a hurry. It did take me back to being 17/18 again when hearing MR2 which was high on my iTunes!
Not a fan. Very disjointed. Paperplanes was the standout track
Paper planes is the exception to this album. It’s a great mashup of genre and Influence. Judy was not for me
Fajne takie 3,5 lub 4. Soldine i równe.
god awful. unlistenable.
Fun, nostalgic listen. Held up better than I expected.
4/5 https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/m_i_a/kala/ Liked this so much more than I anticipated (and hoped). M.I.A. nowadays is a right-wing nutjob, so I don't necessarily have a good opinion of her, but this album (from when she was not yet problematic) is just full of bangers. Of course there's Paper Planes, but while that one stands out, it's far from the only great song. Sure, her rapping and singing is not fantastic, but the beats and swagger and vibe are sick throughout.
It’s pretty obvious she wrote paper planes and then decided it wasn’t worth the effort to make even a half decent album with it
How does a song like Paper Planes end up on an album like this. Repetitive melodies and drum sounds. The master also sounded flat
I quite like M.I.A and some of her songs are quite nostalgic for me so I’m honestly quite excited for this! Bamboo bangaa was a decent start to this album. Pretty much what I expected. Birdflu was very interesting. Boyz was quite a bop! I enjoyed it quite a bit. I thought Jimmy was a bit strange, but it wasn’t bad. Hussel was cool! I liked the feature. I just honestly like the name of Mango Pickle Down River. 20 dollar was cool. I really enjoyed World Town. Paper planes is always such a great track. I love it. The last track was good too. A good end. Overall, a strange album but I did quite enjoy it. Paper planes is always going to be a top song for me. 3.5/5 ⭐️ 218/1089
I already wrote a bit about M.I.A. in my review for "Arular", her previous album. The family theme continues here, with "Kala" being the name of M.I.A.'s mother. Hard not to see why this album would've launched M.I.A. into international stardom, with "Paper Planes" making an appearance here. That single almost feels out of place here however, as almost every single other track incorporates all sorts of interesting third world musical styles (South Asia, Africa, etc.). Really hits the listener right out of the gate too, with a seemingly non-stop barrage of dance/hip-hop beats and fitting sampling used all throughout. I don't think it's meant to be an "easy" listen, both from a sonic and thematic perspective. Definitely a tad more interesting than her previous album too.
Неожиданно. Прикольно
The songs were very monotone - no ups or downs, just constant. No buildup, midpoint or climax like a story.
I can enjoy some of it, but a few songs are very grating. Not my thing.
This has three all-time bangers on it ("Jimmy," "Boyz," and "Paper Planes," of course), filled in with a bunch of weirdly underdeveloped like incidental music or half-music, beats chants and yells and raps airhorns and shit. I need to think more about what I mean by half-music, but for now, there it is.
Interesting to say the least. There’s a LOT going on with this record! It was a bit wonky at times, and a bit jarring at others and then it’s absolutely joyous fun in other ways? Zany? Shit word for it, but it is zany.
Matangi is my favorite of her albums, but this is a close two. I like my music chaotic and unpredictable and this album delivers on both. 4.5 stars
I can't remember if I found this song before Slumdog M$. I loved Paper Planes, so gangsta, then I saw the hilarious video. Album is pretty mediocre.
Like a cool breath of fresh air. Loved it.
Found it quite monotonous, yet quite enjoyable too.
nope
Really good album. Sounds like a mix of a bunch of different regional music almost; has some Jamaican, South African, and American rap sounds throughout. And Paper Planes is just a great iconic song.
Experimental and repetitive. Quite annoying. Carried by single standout, paper planes. 2/10
Catchy and different. What's not to like?
Это, конечно, не типичный хип-хоп и даже не РнБ, но слушать я это всё равно не буду
The producer/beat maker is the real hero here. Her lyrics and even singing feel pretty uninspired at times.
..
“Lethal poison for the system.” Because Paper Planes was so popular when I was a kid, to me it over shadowed the entire album. But this music is gold and is still relevant so many years later.
It’s alright
Paper Planes is an all-time banger. The rest of the album was there. Had some interesting parts but nothing that really grabbed me.
Objectively very good, particularly the production. Not my bag though.
There are some interesting world music pulls here, but ultimately the racecar sounds, chicken noises, and things in that vein ruined a lot of the songs for me.
YEAHHHHHHH
I really miss this era & style of music production. Saw her open for LCD Soundsystem at Red Rocks not too long ago & these tracks still slap
Good album! Feels like one that would reward multiple listens, as there’s a lot going on. Favourite track: 20 Dollar
Didn’t really get me going
Liked this - lots of different influences and modern. Paper planes is a gem
Hard work. Paper Planes. More hard work. 2*
Love the music, but the artist holds terrible views
I was really looking forward to giving this a listen since Paper Planes was the only thing I knew. But the rest of the album was a pretty big letdown for me - harder to enjoy listening to, less coherent, a little too chaotic and even repetitive in its chaos.
The good songs were predictably good, but a lot of it felt like filler.
music is love
Could have been my version, but disc 2 was not needed. The rest of the album was a good listen
Well, I guess I can say it's different? I don't really know how to feel about this, because I don't hate it, but I don't know if I like it either. But I think I do. It can be annoying at times but it works somehow. I can't say I would come back to listen to this, but it was pretty interesting. I don't know how to describe it, but it was cool.
I didn't expect to like this so much. But I did.
Is a mango pickle a pickled mango or a pickle that has mango juice in the brine?
Mango Pickle Down River
I just dont like this style of music.
Muito jovem pra mim, não curto muito. Não voltarei a ouvir, e não me agradou.
2007 dance pop Boyz World town Paper planes
Rarísimo, no es para mí supongo Rate 2/5
Hardly high art, but I had fun listening to it.
Kule beats / instrumental. Ikke så fan av dub-vokal. Rap fungerer.
The first track almost scared me off, but after adjusting expectations (this is NOT the rap album I thought it would be) it was interesting. It was somehow both catchy and annoying at times. I'll probably never come back to it, but it was definitely one of those "I'm glad to have heard it once" albums. 3.3
All the songs kind of drag It’s very experimental What is happening This does not need to be an hour long
Repetitive and tiring.
Bizarre listen, eclectic to say the least. It's not afraid to make some bizarre noises and sometimes grating songs. It swings and misses a number of times, but the good songs here are really damn enjoyable. It's a bizarre concussion of noise that works surprisingly well as a beat. Enjoyable, if not something I'd listen to again.
✸ Highlights: Boyz, Jimmy, Paper Planes, Come Around ✸ This is no fault of M.I.A, but listening to this album is giving me flashbacks to shopping at American Apparel (cursed experience). ✸ Okay, read the Wikipedia page and I can't help but imagine what this album would have been like if she'd been able to work with Timbaland for the whole record?!
Wow. Conceptually and aesthetically this album decolonises rock n roll. Interpreting and remixing the alternative rock canon (Modern Lovers, Pixies, Clash) thrumming with punk energy and DIY ethos, and inviting 3rd world and First Nation's cultures to kick and dance all over it, this is defiant, essential, future music. The fact that it pisses off the squares is a nice bonus.
Paper airplanes is good but the rest of the album isn't that noteworthy.
I’m not sure what to do with this album. I’ve been familiar with “paper planes” for over 15 years but listening to this album makes that song stick out like a sore thumb, like the albums in the 90’s with one hit and a bunch of “filler”. This filler is better than most however.
I didnt like the music, but the concept of electronic pop for the struggling developing world was interesting
Having seen her in an interview I don't know if I can confidently say that the lyrics or anything she says actually make sense. But she is so cool and the album is so fun. Love that the album ends with "Timbaland ain't dead" repeated 4x. I think M.I.A. went home early and Timbaland just took over.
When this popped up I thought oh, the first album is better. But I'm not sure it is. This is just so good I love it all
Mostly very irritating, although the diversity of instruments and ideas is to be praised (didgereedoo anyone?) Paper Planes gets it the extra star. 4/10
I don't know what MIA is up to these days, but she was producing bangers back on the day
I loved Arular. It felt like M.I.A. inviting us into her world. Kala doesn’t bother with the invitation. It grabs you by the wrist, pulls you into the middle of a busy street and says, “Keep up.” That street became my recurring image while listening. Critics often describe Kala as “global”, but that word is so broad it almost loses meaning. This doesn’t sound like the globe. It sounds like a junction. A place where Tamil film music, dancehall, pirate radio, market traders, rave culture, London slang, Aboriginal Australian children and hip-hop all collide because, in the cities M.I.A. inhabits, they already do. The production is astonishing. Switch somehow constructs an entire world from beatboxes, weedy little synths, laptop edits and extraordinary percussion. It isn’t polished cosmopolitanism. It’s DIY globalism. At times it feels as though someone has built a city from whatever happened to be lying around. “Bamboo Banga” is one of those opening tracks that immediately tells you the rules have changed. It’s gloriously insolent. Then “Bird Flu” arrives and refuses to simplify anything. It’s noisy, busy and uncompromising, not because M.I.A. wants to impress you with complexity, but because she’s stopped translating. Arular often explained her perspective. Kala simply immerses you in it. Then comes “Boyz”, which I adored. I’d never really paid attention to the repeated “How many… not many…” before. It’s such an elegant little construction. The song acknowledges that wars are started by boys, but immediately undercuts the temptation to make boys themselves the problem. “How many? Not many.” It leaves room for the rest of us, who generally don’t get to decide whether wars begin but often end up living with the consequences. All that, wrapped inside one of the most danceable tracks on the album. And then “Jimmy”. What an extraordinary thing to include. It opens like some spectral Shangri-Las record before exploding into a Bollywood glitterball-spangled dancefest. It’s mad, beautiful and deeply affectionate. Plenty of artists borrow from other cultures. M.I.A. simply shares one of the songs she loves. It doesn’t feel like appropriation or cleverness. It feels like she’s quietly admitting, “I’m not that cool. I just love this.” That affection turns out to be one of the album’s defining qualities. Even when Kala is talking about migration, money or identity, it never loses sight of ordinary life. “Mango Pickle Down River” was the moment the whole record breathed. The compressed global city suddenly focused in. Children sing. People hang around. Life goes on. It’s remarkable how political that feels without making a political speech. By the time “20 Dollar” arrived, I realised the album wasn’t just about movement between countries. It’s about money, and what money does to people. “Money make me numb.” “When the money turns the world, your loving turns to less.” Those ideas keep resurfacing until “The Turn”, where M.I.A. suddenly sounds tired, almost strung out, while the beat simply lopes on without her. It’s a beautiful production decision. The world keeps turning whether the individual has the energy to keep pace or not. I also loved the way “20 Dollar” turns the Pixies’ “Where Is My Mind?” into something completely different. In the original it’s a question of psychological dislocation. Here it becomes an anthem of the displaced. The harmonic roots even kept summoning the ghost of “Blue Monday” in my head. Not because of the rhythm, but because of the way the bass inhabits similar territory. It’s one of those moments where a sample stops being a quotation and becomes a haunting. “XR2” made me laugh with recognition. After all the internationalism, suddenly we’re in London. Not tourist London, but pirate-radio, ICQ, SL2, XR2 London. It’s memory through acronyms. You don’t analyse those references; you either remember them or you don’t. I hadn’t thought about ICQ in years. Then there’s “Paper Planes”. Like most people, I’d always admired it. This time I finally understood it. It’s less a song than a glorious confession. She hits you with music and takes your money. Literally. Bang-bang ker-ching! The song isn’t standing outside commerce mocking it. It’s participating in it with complete self-awareness. The cash register isn’t just a joke. It’s the sound of the transaction you’re participating in by listening. What really transformed my understanding of Kala, though, was discovering how much its shape owes to circumstance. Had M.I.A. secured her US work visa, this might have become a Timbaland-centred American crossover album. Instead, the Department of Homeland Security effectively said, “You can’t come here and work.” Her response? “Fine. I’ll have the rest of the world.” That’s why the closing “Come Around” is so fascinating. It doesn’t feel like the climax. It feels like that moment on Bullseye when Jim Bowen reveals the speedboat and says, “This is what you could’ve won.” It’s the ghost of another Kalathat never existed. And I’m glad it didn’t. Because Kala isn’t global because somebody sat down and decided to make a global album. It’s global because it was made under pressure. The obstacle became the engine. America stopped being the destination and became just another country among many. In retrospect, that’s probably why the album still feels so fresh. Long before streaming normalised the idea that pop could come from everywhere at once, M.I.A. had already arrived at a simple proposition: America isn’t the world. Kala sounds like someone proving it.
Better than average. 3.75/5.
Not missing any of the action! Dug.
GOD PAPER PLANES IS SO GOOD. Unfortunately, that track eclipses everything else for me. Still a lot of cool tracks here that are very influential to pop, hip-hop, and club music today. M.I.A. would be killing it right now if she didn't go crazy like Kanye...
When album hit there was nothing else like it. MIA followed it up with the tracks on the Slumsof Millionaire soundtrack and there was nothing else-one bigger! …and then she disappeared from the American market. Relistening now the album is still revolutionary, blending Indian Bollywood with hip-hop, electronica and gangster rap. I have to admit some of the songs felt longer than it should have this time ‘round. Obviously, Paper Planes is the best song, and still dominates playlists today. It was bad-ass rap and dancehall with a gangster spin. I remember seeing MIA perform it live on an awards show seven months pregnant and it kind of made it more bad ass. Come Around with Timbaland was also a classic banger, and Bird Flu, I think, would have been a better opener. Though, for me, the album lost some of its power over time, it is still deserving of being on this list!
Random thoughts: * Did we really need 2 MIA albums on 1001? Probably not. But I also understand how it was probably hard to choose between the two. * this one is probably a bit better because it has Paper Planes and Boyz. It also just seemed like a more upbeat and danceable album. * I’m surprised there is no other South Asian crossover to the western pop world. Is the Sri Lanka via the UK so unique that no one else can copy? Are there MIA copycats but they just can’t break through to USA/UK? * This was fun to dig up an older-ish album I haven’t listened to in a decade. Maybe this is my reminder to play MIA every once in a while.
Alternative hip hop, global pop, and electronic music built from fractured beats, international samples, abrasive electronics, and assertive vocals feels like wandering through a lively street market where every corner offers something new to discover—vibrant, inventive, and mostly enjoyable, even if the constant sensory overload occasionally becomes overwhelming. The album's fearless curiosity makes it an engaging listen, though its restless energy can sometimes work against its strongest ideas.
damn it, girl🔥
Catchy often, samey occasionally. Good beats, tho. One I'll chew on for awhile.
If I chose to ignore her bipolar politics, and alarming accusations against vaccines and 5G, I'm actually able to enjoy this bombastic collection of tracks. She clearly draws from her heritage, and the wider world, and it does seriously pay off, creating some very interesting and complex textures. Obviously, "Paper Planes" is a modern classic. This is more of a 3.5/5, but I'll be nice and round up.
This album was pretty cool. I had heard Paper Planes but nothing else. It all rocks. Very cool album!
Assez différent de ce qu'on a d'habitude elle a son univers et se régale c'est sympa
Terrible vocals, bad production, unimaginative songs
I did not like this at all.
Bamboo Banga 1 Bird Flu 0.8 Boyz 1.2 Jimmy 1.4 Hussel 1 Mango Pickle Down River 0.7 20 Dollar 1 World Town 0.5 The Turn 0.6 XR2 0.3 Paper Planes 2 Come Around 1.3 Score: 0.983333333
Such an interesting mash of sounds. 4/5
Wrong album to put on first thing in the morning. My head hurts. Paper planes still BANGS.
Some very frenetic backing music on here that I did enjoy, but the vocals are just a bit over the top for me in a way that I don't really want to listen to too often. Favorite track: Paper Planes, I think this song is good even when outside the context of the rest of the album, which I didn't like quite as much. Overplayed on the radio but that isn't the song's fault. Obnoxious and fun.
Her gimmick is pretty decent, if you see through it quite quick. "Paper Planes" is an absolute classic though. 6/10
Infectious. I kept replaying it the next day. Always a good sign. Art not artist, unfortunately.
M.I.A. may have gone off the deep end in recent years - hopefully she finds peace and is okay - but she sure had a masterpiece in Paper Planes from this record. I don’t know a song quite like it, and when I was in college that song was huge and awesome. The rest of the record is solid too, but Paper Planes steals the show here by a mile.
The beats on this were amazing. The singing was pretty boring, though. Favorite Track: Paper Planes - I wouldn't say this song carries the album, but it sure as hell makes it a lot better.
A lot of the songs on this album are pretty annoying, but I appreciated the Bollywood influence on her sound. 20 Dollar was ok and obviously Paper Planes, but other than that this was not my favorite. (2)
I’d want to hear this music in a club
Totally the inspo for Little Simz. I thought it was fun!
I really like paper planes. Why does it sound like a post malone song tho. The rest is meh. But paper planes +2 stars.
I think so far through this project, and with artists that have multiple albums, M.I.A. has been my favorite. This album is just soooo fun. I think the only reason I don’t give it a five is because it’s not terribly cohesive. That said, there are so many bops. It’s just pure fun and I can’t wait to listen through again.
The only song worth listening to on this album is Paper Planes. Talk about a diamond in the rough.
What happened between M.I.A.'s first album and her second album? The first did a really good job of blending different genres and styles from around the world. This one just feels like a mess. Maybe I'm in a different headspace this time around, but it just doesn't work for me. Paper Planes still slaps though.
2.21 for this album. while there are some interesting tunes, most of them got super annoying past the 2 minute mark. Paper Planes seems to be only decent track on this. The rest is random African beats and just general annoying lyrics and electronic noise. At this point, I'm starting to realize that not everything from England needs to be put on this list. Unfortunately, I'm almost 500 albums in, can't stop now.
Every track on this album is way too long. It's just grating.
I'm overstimulated
remembered liking this more 3.5
Paper Planes is an all-timer. The album started to grow on me with the second listen.
90% infuriatingly annoying music, mixed in with one of the greatest songs ever made. A weird listen. Best Song: Paper Planes Rating: 4/10 Stars: 2
Kala was an album that i was hoping i would enjoy but after seeing all it's flaws, i just don't think i did enjoy it. I've heard snippets of these songs before but never actually heard the full songs. So many parts of this album just have at least some kind of issue that really drags it down. The production, while interesting at points, has points where they try too much and it ends up bringing the songs down. The lyrics are also insane and nonsensical for a good majority of the album. But the biggest problem is the vocals as M.I.A. herself just sounded so bored throughout the songs. It still has that strong grime vibe that i enjoy which is why this album is spared from getting a 1 but it is still not very good. Best Song: Paper Planes Worst Song: World Town
Best electronic album so far, still not my cup of tea 2.5/5
This wasn’t good. Shows that you can’t just take other cultures and make good music, you have to understand it and use it well. If you ever wanted to hear children rap poorly over didgeridoos … wait, why are you still reading. The best music is taken directly from other people like the clash
Paper Planes is a masterpiece and she duped everyone into thinking she was good at music
Regardless of whether you like the sound of this album, it's hard to think of anything that sounds quite like it. M.I.A. and her collaborators take grooves and patterns from around the world, particularly South Asia, and combine them with contemporary EDM and hip-hop sounds for something that splits the difference between danceable and abrasive. Rather than try to mush these styles together, they embrace how much they clash, a strategy that is sometimes annoying but frequently brilliant. While songs like 20 Dollar and the turn don't quite click for me, songs like BirdFlu, XR2, and the legendary Paper Planes brim with so much color and vigor that it's hard not to be impressed. As a rapper, M.I.A. focuses less on technical ability and more on complimenting the instrumentals. Her raw energy and stunning command of hooks more than make up for somewhat limited rapping skills. This is an incredibly unique and audacious album that always goes for big swings, even if they don't end up connecting.
Damnnnn…beats go crazy. M.I.A. Has such an original, specific sound. I love it. I wish she hadn’t gone full right-wing in recent years via the anti-vax wormhole, but I’m leaving that aside in considering her artistry. This hits my like buttons - badass beats, woman-led, specific and unusual (to the West) viewpoint, tracks that force you to dance. There are a number of standouts,especially the three-track run at the end which includes the hit “Paper Planes” and a collab with Timbaland. Loses a point for weaknesses in the actual songcraft vs production. Still hot tho
Outside of the cash register song nothing on Kala really stuck with me. I can see why it's considered influential, but M.I.A.'s views and public behavior make it difficult for me to separate the artist from the music, so I can't rate it higher than two stars.
Would've been a 3 but extra point for Paper Planes Still a banger
Paper Planes der einzig gute Song, der Rest zum Vergessen
Paper Planes ist geil, ansonsten ganz ok
40 Minuten foltern lassen, damit man sich Paper Planes verdient hat. Nächstes mal lieber meine Eier durch Glasscherben ziehen lassen
M.I.A. is an artist who never really piqued my interest enough to actually make me want to check out a full album from her. I kinda knew Paper Planes but not enough to comfortably hum it, and beyond that I knew practically nothing about her. And man this one just did not do for me. Wanted to like it more than I did, but the inconsistent and cluttered production combined with M.I.A.'s rapping being above average at best holds it back. Not counting her out just yet, and will definitely check out more of her work in the future, this one just didn't cut it
When kitsch meets a good production, sometimes good things happen, but most of the times the result is horrible. And this album is, actually, pretty interesting, although not much impressive nor enjoyable. Further, I would say it's not enjoyable at all. But there is something that really works. There are some nice tracks, and it's disgustingly enchanting. In a sense, it is as repulsive as strangely fascinating. Some songs are very annoying, but the thing is, others are so bad that are actually good? I guess it makes no sense, but this album does not make sense at all, and is very tacky, but M.I.A. finds at times a bright side in all of this. So, at the end of the day, even though I'm horrified, I couldn't say it's bad.
Not my thing
Solely a 3 because of Paper Planes.
Second MIA album and I like this one less than arular despite it having paper planes on it. 4.5/10 Top song Paper planes
2.75
Love this record. Sounds like 2008.
Trash
Lil simz without charisma Or good lyrics Or good beats Or fun Just urgh
Using Iron Maiden letters is a crime. Her "music" is an other one.
Ok but not brilliant dance style covers of songs. Not a burner
Wow so fun. Lots of African/ tribal beats, machine guns, and marching band rhythms
Wow didn't think I'd get it this soon after the '05 album but cool! M.I.A. broke ground with this album and Paper Planes. Still holds up, still iconic. Love how well done this album is produced for '08. Wildly influential and always a fun listen. Not a 5 star album but a strong contender for the most progressive and innovative albums on this list.
To put it lightly, I absolutely hated this.
This album was huge when I was in colleges. It has a lot of fun songs and Paper Planes is a banger for sure, but it definitely relies more on vibes and attitude than actual musical skill. Still- fun to throw on and jam to. Overall- decent album
One of the best albums released thus far in the 21st century - up there with Kanye West's Yeezus, Taylor Swift's 1989 and Yankee Hotel Foxtrot by Wilco. Nothing short of absolutely essential.
It's unfortunate that M.I.A. has now rallied against the main message of this album(as the saying goes, you either die a hero, or live long enough to become the villain). Anyway, the music is okay. Of course, most of you are here for one of the best songs of the 21st Century. Favorite Track: "Paper Planes".
Summary: Paper Planes good, rest of the album shit. The first few tracks are so jarring and they really do set the tone for 90% of the record. Extremely basic beats and ambiguous ramblings in the guise of “edgy”, atmospheric tracks. Ultimately the songs are just boring and don't feel hugely thought through, leaving me feel hugely underwhelmed by this whole album.
Tough one. I'm reading NW by Zadie Smith right now and in some ways, this album is bringing that book to life. The polyvocality is doing an especially good job of that; my favorite moment was the Afrikan Boy feature. But mostly I was just waiting for this record to be over. Paper Planes still rules, but it was striking how different it felt from the rest of the record. A full work of art, but not one that I plan to return to ever again.
hell yeah
I’ll be honest fam, i didn’t do this one as Ms. Arulpragasam’s antics are still very fresh and still happening, i’d JUST gotten a Kanye and an Arcade Fire album (which i also didn’t listen to when they came up but i know both those records backwards and front) and when this one generated for me i had a visceral reaction of disgust. I only knew a couple tracks off of this one but i can’t see myself being able to not think about anything other than how this is all coming from a whacked-out moron who this person would have despised if i were to try and play the whole thing. I have to admit i’m kinda coming at this one differently than those other two but again, the wound is still pretty new. You really let us down, Mathangi.
M.I.A.'s mother.
We're giving this a 4, because it is ahead of its time and yet still quite successful in its time. Paper Planes was a fun song when I was a kid, but when I revisited it a few years, I realized it is a certified banger and the lyrics are a lot deeper than what I thought when I was a kid. Regardless, there's a lot of strong tracks and a lot of interesting and cool production on this album. It's a lower 4 for me, where I don't like the music as much as most 4s but I dig the vibe enough. A lot of BRATness in this album. See XR2 and others.
Arular was better. This one is just... frantic. Beats had some interesting things going on, but weren't varied enough to be good. Her delivery is boring and lacks variation. Relies HEAVILY on repetition of lyrics. Overall, I'm not impressed.
Say about M.I.A. and her oddball political stances what you will, but this album is a great mix of music. You need to be in the mood for it, for sure, but she really bought South Asian music together with rap stuff. "Paper Planes", the song everybody knows, is quite conservative compared to what else the album has to offer.
Too Electronic not enough Hip Hop
Inascoltabile
Pretty good album, but signed off with two worldies for the genre
Mostly, I just wanted it to be over. I can't handle the repetitive nature of this music.
Yeah nah
I really enjoyed this one full of energy, a clash quote, and got it entirely confused with SIA over the look.
This was such a fun album to listen to! There was so many unconventional sounds that really caught my ear. I would give this a 4.5 if possible (I don't feel like it is a 5).
Pretty irritating, Paper Planes is great tho
J'avais quelque réticences à écouter ses albums. Pas parce que je me considère ennemi à sa cause, mais plutôt parce que son oeuvre est tellement chargée de sa cause qu'il me semblait que l'apprécier du seul point de vue de mélomane desservait sa cause. Cet album... a les bonnes bases pour me plaire: des sonorités alternatives, des sonorités indiennes (et qui en plus sont communes au sega), du hip hop made in Timbaland (les sonorités hip hop sombres que j'aime). Tant pis pour l'intégrité d'activiste de M.I.A. Coup de coeur pour Bamboo Banger, Bird Flu, Hussel, 20 Dollar (un remix vraiment cool), XR2 et Come Around.
Fucking amazing. Paper Planes turns out to be one of the lesser tracks on this ethnic mélange of deep base brilliance.
3/5
Sounds like something small drunk children make up during a birthday party.
♤◇°○
Mashup hypebeast with not a lot to offer by way of music 2.7
fierce, organic, banging, with loads of different sounds and beats - wonderful dance music/ hip hop from the neglected margins, the beaches and the fields and mountains
Nah. Just not my sound, at all. It's stripper music. Not meant as an insult; there's some certified bangers that would also be stripper music, but not this for me. Nah.
Alright, this was certainly an interesting album, and honestly, I was not that big a fan of it. Although I do think that it is good that it represents the music and lifestyles of other cultures, as an album I was not too keen on it. I thought that the album had too many tracks that were high energy and had a lot of stuff going on in them, such as Hussel and Mango Pickle Down River, and that meant there was no room for the listener to breathe as they were being bombarded with all of these sounds, with Paper Planes being a standout track and possibly the only more chill moment in the album. I also thought that Mia’s voice could get kind of annoying through a whole listen, and overall I just didn’t catch anything that really stuck with me. I’m glad that other people enjoy it, but I don’t think I’ll be spinning it again.
There are some fun beats and interesting ideas on here, but for the most part it feels like a collection of good concepts that never quite come together. A lot of the album sounds like it's reaching for something unique but doesn't fully execute it. “Paper Planes” is the obvious exception, it takes all of those elements and puts them together perfectly. That track shows what the rest of the album could have been.
I listened.
listen to the clash
Dancing in the kitchen to this one. Great groove
Paper Planes is a banger and I was quite hopeful for what a whole album may bring. As it happens, this is a very noisy, almost carnival like affair, mixing in different styles and even songs; 20 Dollar is like a bad Where Is My Mind? cover. It’s definitely vibrant and interesting but too often I just find it jarring, lacking any real harmony - except for Paper Planes which is precisely why it works so well, but maybe we have The Clash to thank for that.
Oh MIA where to start. In a much more mild vein than other controversial artists like Ye, MIA immediately leaves a sour taste in my mouth due to her proliferation of conspiracy theories and pro RFK MAGA bs in the wake of whatever recent christian reawakening she's in the midst of. However taking a step back and reviewing this work in a vacuum it's a mixed bag: The album begins very strong with numerous interesting and well produced bops, including Bamboo Banga, BirdFlu, Boyz, Jimmy and Mango Pickle Down River (though what I love about this song was initially made by the Wilcannia Mob, MIAs additions were relatively negligible. In the middle of the album is really where the quality dips imo. Hussel (overly repetitive though the Afrikan Boy portion was cool), World Town and the The Turn were both uninteresting, and XR2 had great proto charli xcx vibes but unfortunately was bloated and overly simplistic. The worst song on here was 20 Dollar with that horrendous Pixies interpellation with poorly utilized auto tune. The end of the album is fine though Paper Planes feels out of place in the vibes and Come Around would have been better without Timbaland. All around I liked most of the album, but the soggy middle of the album drags it down. 3.3/5 -> 3/5
20 Dollars was an interesting rendition of Pixies Where is My Mind.
Not my favorite genre. Only listened to one song. Very unique though
I’ve only known MIA for Paper Planes and Bad Girls. But damn I’m glad I finally listened to all of Kala. It’s such a cool and experimental hip hop album. I totally understand it’s not for everybody but I really enjoyed some of the weird stuff she put together for this record.
Not bad.
good
Jag förstår att det är bra trots att jag faktiskt inte förstår sån här musik. Den går liksom inte in. För lite fokus på text, röst och story, för lite dramaturgi, det bara pågår. Eller så är jag bara dum i huvudet ... En trea för att det iaf är vackert.
Paper planes is iconic and there are a couple of other good singles here. All in all it’s a lot like Arular.
The one with Paper Planes. 20 Dollar sounded like it sampled from Blue Monday which was neat. Its interesting starting off and thinking wow none of this sounds like Paper Planes and yet by the time it comes up it falls a bit more in line with everything else, making it all the more interesting that it blew up.
I wanted to like this. It's interesting, but not in a way that I was able to appreciate
I have this record, but haven't listened to it in quite a while. Now I remember why I liked it so much at the time; I had recently come back from traveling in India and was obsessed with various kinds of South Asian music. And this record has all those great beats, except all interpreted through the lens of hip-hop. Great stuff.
well paper planes is one of the best songs ever made obviously. there were a couple other ones on the album i liked but that was by far the standout
As a Tamil person, there just weren't that many of us getting famous in the west at the time this album came out. Enter MIA. great musician, most embarrassing public figure. Still, I salt and pepper my mango. Fast forward to 2026. MIA has new music out it looks like, and is somehow EVEN MORE EMBARASSING. I want to write her off I really do. But Paper Planes is still a banger, and if I'm really being honest so is the rest of this album. There are zero songs on here that I would not dance to. The Timberland track — which I had completely forgotten about — is also such a bop. What can I say? Maya is our Kanye?
I actually quite enjoyed this. Certainly not what I was expecting.
This album is so catchy.
This album came out when I was 30. This is the first time listening to it almost 20 years later. I definitely feel like an old person listening to a younger generation’s music. What is this hot mess… I do know “Paper Planes” from party montages in movies.
That early tribal sound was kinda neat at first, but got overdone. I liked the 20 Dollar song with the Pixies / Orgy mashup. The album also has Paper Planes on it, so overall it's not too terrible.
Meh.
Fine enough Jai Paul did it better, Paper Planes carries
It was funky , an okayish tribute to indian music too.
Came for Paper Planes and Paper Planes only. 1.5
Forgive me all, but I was obsessed with Paper Planes in elementary school so there is some nostalgia in giving this a 3 instead of a 2. I can also hear moments that remind me of modern artists,which is pretty cool.
not even paper planes can save this album
OMG some songs from the album I'm obsessed. The hip hop ones and noisier ones. I loved Mango Pickle Down river, World Town and 20 dollar. Also from another album of her's called Mating, Bring the Noize is great!! P.S.: some songs are quite annoying like PAPER PLANES
lo único rescatable el beat de timbaland en el último track
Why is this even on here? In what world did I have to hear this? The decision making on this list sometimes just baffles me
This album is united by a crisp, energetic beat that propels it into being something very unique. I enjoyed it with the exception of only a few moments (Unfortunately I think that some of the guest artists drag this album down a bit). I also thought that the references to other famous music was really well-done and clever. Favorite track: "20 Dollar"
Bamboo Banga - 3/5 Bird Flu - 3/5 Boyz - 3/5 Jimmy - 3.5/5 Hussel - 3/5 Mango Pickle Down River - 2.5/5 20 Dollar - 3.5/5 World Town - 3.5/5 The Turn - 3/5 XR2 - 3/5 Paper Planes - 5/5 Come Around - 3/5 This may be a bit too experimental for its own good. Don't get me wrong Paper Planes may be one of the best songs of the 2000's, but outside of the highs there really isn't anything else here. The production is alright, but there are a few tracks that are a bit too experimental. They're not awful per se, but just interesting enough to remain interesting. Overall: 3/5 Favorites: Paper Planes
Reminds me of Doechii! Very repetitive, but perfect for dancing in the club.
I think Paper Planes carries this album.
Weird
WTF was that? I've seen her on some music shows, and she can actually sing. This - was not that!
Eh
Paper Planes is a banger and will always be a banger, but M.I.A. is a full on anti-vaxx MAGA conspiracy theorist and it’s seriously affected my ability to enjoy her music. I haven’t listened to her in many years, but I found myself not enjoying this album because she’s politically abhorrent. Sorry, can’t separate the art from the artist when you actively support MAGA.
From the Vault #14 (February 28, 2026) Ten albums. Ten albums left and I will never have to listen to another one of these hip-hop thingamajigs in my life. The road has been long, arduous and dispiriting, but the end is finally in sight. I listened to M.I.A.'s previous album a good while ago. I rolled it on the list around the time I started writing these pre-written reviews. She seems to have been dealt a favourable hand by the listmakers. "Arular" was removed by the curators in the same revision of the book where they added this album. I'm not sure whether they regretted the inclusion of Arular and wanted to replace it with a better incarnation of this music, if they thought M.I.A. was only deserving of one list album and wanted to make sure it was the best nomination possible or if this whole book thing is a tax write-off and they're lazily shifting albums around to justify getting another one out the door. In any case, this appears to be her definitive and enduring release, so I'm curious to know what it sounds like. More of the same. Who would have thunky-wunky? The aesthetics of the third world are nauseating and horrifying to me. Thirdies just don't understand the value of silence and personal space, like the cities in India where the drivers are honking the everloving shit out of their horns for no reason other than to announce their presence, or the times when you're walking through an ethnic neighbourhood and the local storefronts are plastered to the fucking brim with signage and typography. Silence and the ability to be comfortably left alone with your thoughts appears to be something which disproportionately upsets people of low intelligence and I mean, uh, if we take a look at the global IQ distribution. To tie my racist tirade in the Wendy's parking lot back into my review of this album, it's the object of this very disdain I've discussed. These songs are just so fucking busy and obnoxious. The instrumentals buzz, hiss and spit constantly. There isn't a single second of this album where I'm not being aurally assaulted by the worst electronic loops known to man. There's no space to catch my breath and no depth to any of these tracks as a result. The vocals are shit, which I recall from my time spent with Arular. I probably mentioned it somewhere in my previous review, but the British inflection that native-born browns have is the most aggravating thing in the world to me. It just sounds so aggressively air-headed and vacuous. Overall, this was a bleak listen. I've heard "Paper Planes" before. It's a regular on the Strayan airwaves to this day. It's a decent song, but man if I wasn't put through the fucking wringer in reaching this track. The buzzing, blown out electronic tones and whatever the fuck else take a seat and respectfully linger in the background. The vocals are still irritating, but what really helps this track along is the fact that it features purposeful songwriting. There's a good bit of kick in the vocals as a result, and the gunshot samples add a unique bit of percussion to this track. The song lost me as it went along, but it's decent for what it is. Book time. The vocal samples are a product of M.I.A. traveling around the world and recording them herself. Among the other samples are Pixies, The Clash and Tamil/Bollywood movies. A darker album than its predecessor. Not a commercial success, but was met with widespread critical acclaim. Wikipedia says this album was the best-performing electronic album of 2007 in the US. It charted all across Europe and the West and was on the year-end electronic charts for three years in America. "Paper Planes" was a pretty big deal and also charted all across Europe and the West as a single. I don't know what the book's talking about when it mentions a lack of commercial success - this seems to be a home run relative to where other artists in this genre have placed. The album was also warmly received by critics and has received enduring acclaim. I mean, I hated this album, but these are more-than-solid qualifiers for the list. I cosign this inclusion.
This is the paper planes album! I know that song slaps, will see about the rest. It really is above the rest. Catchy album, very diverse influences, which is refreshing in a hip hop album. Highlights: paper planes, boyz (pretty catchy)
482/1089 - This seems more "world" than a lot of the world music albums on the list. Really great and eclectic production on a lot of the tracks. Some were misses for me and her voice is suuuuuper British.
Why is a 2 hit wonder on this list? I really liked the beats on a lot of songs. The rapping (?) was terrible though. Also very weird in general Paper planes is a great tune. Not sure how to rate this so I'll go down the middle. Its probably a 2.5 rounded up 3 ⭐️
One good song does not make a great album. I’m sure if she’s reading this she’ll just say I’m judging her for her politics. If I was I’d give it a 1 star.
Never listened to MIA, even though I’m aware of her existence. Maybe I’ve heard a song or two or her on another track, but wouldn’t be aware of it. Don’t like the first song. Repetitive dance pop. My guess is this is not going to be for me. I was expecting something more musically interesting. It’s a lot of hard beats and her weird rap singing. It gets a little better after the first few songs, but it’s still not for me. So many songs sounds like the one before it. Really not a fan. Music is a funny thing. This is a critical acclaimed album and she’s a well known global artist. Some people love this. I very much dislike it. Although. I did recognize Paper Planes and do think that’s a good song. Just not for me. Going 1. Paper Planes is fun. Wish it all sounded closer to that.
Hard to emphasise how fresh amd original this sounded when it dropped. Still is. And not even a wack ass Timberland verse can prevent a 5 star review
Never have I wished more that an album from this challenge was purely instrumental. Some of the dirty, nihilistic dance beats are genuinely excellent, and it's an incredibly sonically dense affair which should, in theory, appeal massively to me. But I just cannot abide by the vocals.
Good frenetic energy throughout
Outside of the singles , this hasn’t aged brilliantly
MIA gets into some highly unlikely grooves with hyperactive hooks throughout Kala. The best moments of this record are the big anthems where she is using her full force of personality to completely overwhelm the senses. There are six or seven of these songs with opener Bamboo Banga standing out with some particularly peculiar, arresting hooks which make this a “must listen.” She has a great ear for pairing melodies with tones - I love the audaciousness of the horns on XR2. She's also great at manipulating sounds, as showcased by the iconic way a The Clash sample is repurposed on Paper Planes. Some of the more drawn out, patient songs are hits but others are misses - most notably the double interpolation of New Order and Pixies on 20 Dollar is a strong flavour which almost but doesn’t quite work for me.
MIA getting a solid 3 from me, its a fun record with loads of cool ideas, just not my type of fun
HipHop, electr. Dance, World, 2007 -> 2
It was all right. It grew on me as it went along. Didn’t like the gun sounds.
lots of noise while waiting for paper planes
3.4 3x love paper planes. the where is my mind cover is interesting but not my thing
The British gave us the Beatles, the Stones, Radiohead, and Oasis. We don’t need you to contribute to hip hop. Because you don’t have good tastes, my limey friends. No, this is not good hip hop. Adding in a drum line ain’t enough.
mango pickle down river
Paper Planes es la única canción que se salva de ser "mediocre" pero aún así se siente que fue una canción diseñada para tener reproducciones y no ser una canción generada por la artista. Todas las otras canciones son extremadamente olvidables y el primer pensamiento que me vino a la cabeza al terminar el album fue que esta lista no tiene criterio alguno, pusieron los álbumes que quisieron sin fundamento alguno.
Paper planes temón, casi no llego a escucharlo porq el disco medio x. Raro de tener de fondo y no lo suficientemente interesante para prestarle atención. Igualmente me pareció bien.
2/5
Not my jam but I admit some of these songs would be bangers at a rave. I like the diversity of sound too
Paper Planes copying from Straight to Hell by The Clash is pretty neat I like the ascending synth sound in Jimmy that sounds like starting a new lap in Mario Kart. And some sorta interesting electronic stuff on the later tracks before Paper Planes
Frenetic collage of music. Some if it hits too hard for me, but Mango Pickle, The Turn, XR2, Come Around.. and of course Paper Planes are enough to push to 4
Whatever man. I know some people really like this, but it's just annoying to me.
OK is it a problem that I kinda liked it Like "Paper Planes" is a banger yo
Always liked /\/\ /\ Y /\ more than this one but it's still peak. Probably my new favorite so far from the generator
I was so close to giving this album a 2 but the last few songs were pretty good and I also read about how this album is named after her mom which I think is sweet....
Some truthfully amazing tracks especially at the end. Awesome production for 2000s. It warrants a 4 (-1 star for some annoying tracks in the mid and MIA being insane lmao)
lol. lmao even. pretty unique sound as a whole but majority of individual tracks are unmemorable
Some incredibly good songs. Really good album. But after a while a lot of the music started to sound the same. Not in a good way.
Some of the music is fun, I like that it has elements from a lot of different places she visited while working on the album. It's just not my thing at all. It was really repetitive and even if I was enjoying the music I really didn't like the vocals. Not something I would listen to again. Fav song: Paper Planes Least fav: Bamboo Banga
See this is an album where I can clearly see the vision and what the experiments were trying to do. Even though they don’t always turn out (20 dollar is painful), there are some successes and one absolute all timer. Also Timbaland has the Midas touch. Specific rating - 4.1 Fav song - paper planes Least fav - 20 Dollar
I really wanted to like it- so many interesting musical choices and genre bending decisions, and I love that her first two albums are named after her parents (and then her next two are named after herself). But musically I found a lot of the choices she made put me off. And I thought I'd get more of a sense of her mum from the album named after her- but I can't imagine that songs like XR2 are at all about her mum, unless they went out raving in the 90s together. Favourite song: Paper Planes Least: World Town
it started really well but got worse in the end, kinda sad tho since i had so many expectations
#932. Paper Planes is alright, but the rest is just as good as every other British rap music album. Which is to say- not very. 2/5: nah
Satisfying
Fun, though I only knew of airplanes
Probably on this list due to her influence on hip-hop production and culture (your favourite rapper's favourite rapper type thing), but she's a born-again christian anti-vaxer now and the music isn't that groundbreaking anymore. Not maximalist enough to be Death Grips experimental and too under-produced to be SOPHIE/Charli XCX club bangers
I can almost piece together what I think she was going for with this album... And there were a few surprising moments where it almost worked... But I think she failed miserably with this one. 20 Dollar stood out more than the infamous Paper Planes (which also doesn't fly quite right), but only enough for a 2.
she’s psychotic and a prodigy
A fun hip-hop/pop album. The vocal performances were weak, but the production was very creative. M.I.A's most popular track "Paper Planes" is the worst track on the album. I don't have a favorite track, but "Mango Pickle Down River" left the biggest impression on me.
The fact that Robert Christgau said this was his favorite album of the 21st century is insane to me because he was 65 when this came out. I guess it just goes to show that despite how experimental, strange, and modern Kala was it somehow managed to get really popular which is pretty cool.
While I like some M.I.A., outside of Paper Planes there are disproportionately more misses than hits here. Again, though, Paper Planes ups it an entire star by itself.
Unfortunate that M.I.A. ended up how she did, but this album was great. I can hear this album's influence in some of my favorite artists' work (e.g. Charli xcx). This record has such a cool vibe and it was almost addictive for me; I love the more experimental moments as much as the more accessible tracks. Love the influences she pulls from too. Favorites: BirdFlu, Mango Pickle Down River, 20 Dollar, The Turn, Paper Planes
It's too bad M.I.A. met a Bronfman and then went insane. Those first two records were really special. And I see Arular is on this list too so excited to get there. Ignoring the unfortunate baggage (which, to be fair, is nothing new when listening to a lot of artists on this list), this still sounds as exciting as it did when it first came out. I can not emphasize the impact that first Pineapple Express trailer that used "Paper Planes" had on my college dorm. Not all the tracks are winners, but damn, the ideas are bursting at the seams. I miss when music like this wasn't chasing streams and feeding the algorithm.
Could’ve been much worse I suppose.
Just paper planes
I hadn't come back to this one in a while - Paper Planes is clearly a juggernaut, but I don't think I liked the rest of the album as much as I maybe did when it came out, and certainly not as much as her debut. Mango Pickle Downriver is one I sort of love in an offbeat sort of way. Come Around is cool too. Some interesting sonic elements, but just doesn't work as well as a whole and I'm also sort of soured on her as an artist now that she's gone off the rails politically.
Very cool
Oh man, so relentlessly annoying. The album really takes off with the song Paper Planes but unfortunately you need to go through 11 songs of non-melodic clap trap to get there. I don’t admit to understand the sound and it does absolutely nothing for me. I think it would work dancing at a rave after a few lines of coke while clutching a bottle of poppers. But as Brian Wilson once wrote , that’s not me.
3.75/5
Interesting and experimental. Most points for her production. Some of the songs have been in my head for days after listening. Wish she wasn’t crazy now. 7.5/10
Interesting and creative thx !
I was only half enjoying this one until I realized I needed to imagine that I was dancing to it out on a sunny beach deck. Instantly gained a star!
this really sounds like one the key origin points of CharliXCX when making her style. though saying that, great use of electronics in this album, and having the hit paper planes is always a good thing
I find this album to be quite annoying, especially with the production. I have nothing against her using world beat elements but I don't think it is done well. Paper Planes isn't even a great single...
++: Bamboo Banga, Bird Flu, Boyz, Jimmy, XR2, Paper Planes, Come Around +: Mango Pickle Down River, World Town, The Turn +-: 20 Dollar -: Hussel 8,1/10
Great album!
Percusión cruda, samples raros. Busca choque y fusión. Paper Planes: pegadiza, pero con crítica social escondida Boyz: pura energía urbana, casi física
Not the worst, but really not good too
Some songs are lowkey unlistenable, some are lowkey amazing. I probably won't listen to it as much as I did with her other album, but it was still enjoyable and cool and interesting and unlistebanana And while we're at it, I want to revise my Arular rating - it's at least a 5
bells and jangles
The oddest rap album I've ever heard, freely blending worldbeat and dance. It's impressively creative but the production and vocal work are just too flat, monotone, and repetitive - so, so repetitive! - to make it enjoyable.
Obviously Paper Planes is an all time banger but this album did not do it for me
Found the first track somewhat grating and didn't have high hopes for the rest. Glad I stuck with it because this is a solid record with some really cool themes and sounds.
What did I just listen to?
Equal parts burbon, amaro nomino, aperol, and lemon juice. Recipe for success. The rest of the album is 2$ Bud selects.
⭐⭐⭐⭐ Så himla kul och oförutsägbart album. Hip hop som låter som inget annat med inspiration och inslag från hela världen. Också ett plus till 20 Dollar med sin homage till Pixies Where is my mind, fast spåret som sådant är nog inte bland de bättre på albumet. På Come around medverkar Timberland och som har ett tydligt färgat sound från början av 2000-talet, det är nog det spår som sticker ut på albumet som mest konventionellt i jämförelse med albumet i övrigt (gillar dock detta spår också). För övriga spår känns väldigt eget med instrument och struktur från världsmusik. Det får bli en 4a för detta album för detta kommer jag nog leta upp igen. Bäst är Bamboo banga, Jimmy, Hussel, Mango pickle Down river, XR2, Paper planes och Come around.
Paper Planes is a 5-star song in an interesting album that doesn't quite rise to the same levels.
Kinda liked it. Not my genre.
Love this
I wanted to like this album but it was too annoying to me. Could be bc I was pissed off at work but the experimental stuff just sounded bad. I did enjoy some of the more natural percussion and drums throughout. Fave songs: Paper Planes, Come Around
Pleasing beats and voice.
This got a little repetitive at times but it was a solid album, overall. Paper Planes is an old favorite so having that towards the end to look forward to made it worth it, imo.
Solid 2.5/5 stars from me. I feel like i shouldn't be sober to enjoy this haha. Could for sure vibe to this at a club with friends. Paper Planes should be its own single, there's some odd arrangements on this album. I do really like Birdflu and Come Around too.
Lmao this album is nothing without paper planes
Paper Planes. Had to listen to Jimmy in YT
Great, banger after banger
Kala by M.I.A. is not the kind of album I would normally choose to listen to, so I went into this with an open mind. There’s a lot going on here. The album is packed with interesting sounds, samples, and cultural references, and it’s actually quite fun trying to pick them out as you listen. It’s creative and energetic, mixing playful, catchy moments with more serious, political themes. That contrast keeps things interesting and gives the album a bit more depth than I expected. It’s an enjoyable listen overall. It’s different from what I’d usually go for, but it never drags and it held my attention the whole way through. Favourite tracks: Paper Planes is a great tune. I also enjoyed Boyz, Jimmy and a few others across the album Least favourite tracks: Nothing I disliked, just outside my usual taste Album artwork: Very cool and colourful cover that fits the energy of the album
The album is kinda like the life of a paper plane, a fun idea but tough to land.
Two M.I.A. albums in a row. She's an interesting talent, standing out in a weird way. Maybe, not as striking as her debut, but this follow up feels more focused. I enjoyed what felt like Gamelan influences.
Paper Planes flashbang, shoutout Mango Pickle
Right wing super fun from the early 2000s before the conspiracies
Her songs started out fun, but then the beat or a sound just became so repetitive that they became annoying. If every song had been 2 minutes I might have been more interested. The ones I enjoyed the most were when she expanded the lyrics and didn't just repeat the same words over and over.
Despite Paper Planes being one of my most favorite songs, I've never listened to this album and was only familiar with the one song. I'm glad I finally have now! This has so much energy and fierceness. It starts with a banga banga and just keeps that momentum going the whole time. Really creative sounds and song compositions, and I love her unique blend of world music with rap and electronica. Just dripping in coolness all around!
Decent hip hop type stuff.
This is almost embarrassingly bad. It sounds like a teenager who's not very good at singing has just discovered music editing software and is throwing every idea that pops into their head into every track. I admire the self-confidence to publish something like this though