Kala

I only knew the massive hit single from this album, so had no idea how great the beats and vibe were in the rest of the record. Really catchy and made commuting a little less terrible.

Different, but not great outside of a few

This is a Bamboo Banga. What a glow up from M.I.A.'s first album, which I enjoyed but didn't love. This one is loud, confident, full of crazy beats and sounds, and is just a kickass album through and through. Of course Paper Planes and Boyz are well known, but I liked the opener a lot, as well as 20 Dollar. This album is fully imbued with her Sri Lankan sound, which is cool for me.

Chaotic explosion of different sounds and genres from across the world, for someone less talented then M.I.A. this would have been a trainwreck, however the result of this album is something which is as equally accessible as it is experimental. 2000s hip-hop was starting to get stale midway through the decade, this helped revitalise it. It is definitely ahead of it's time, a lot of the hip-hop from the 10s and even hyperpop from this decade can trace it's roots back to M.I.A.'s 2000s output.

Not really my thing

I suppose they do what they do well, just not for me. 1

This didn’t help my hangover. Too much going on. Maybe I need to go and have a lie down in a dark room and give it another listen later.

There's a lot going on on this record. Maybe too much for just one listen, lots of world beats, rap and dance. So it will have to be based on first impressions, it wasn't dreadful, offensive or abrasive. Maybe if I have more time I'll give it another go just for curiosity's sake, as there was potential. So I'll give it 2 stars first starters.

Грустно, что из-за ее политики, постепенно эта очень влиятельная дама выпадает из дискуссии и вообще творчества. Этот альбом видится мне большим прорывом, благодаря которому существует миллион любимых артистов. Лучшая песня - Paper Planes.

3.5☆/5 10.22.2024

I was familiar with this one at a high level. "Paper Planes" was and is still on regular rotation on the radio. I dig her voice and you can feel her attitude, strength and message in her delivery. I can't say I enjoyed the opening handful of tracks, "Bamboo Banga", "BirdFlu", "Boyz", the repetition & incessant percussion were grating. "Jimmy" offers a view of what she's capable of doing, mixing sounds from her homeland and making a catchy song. "Hussel" and "Mango..." are a mess and sound like they were created in a rush. I was excited to revisit this one after 10+ years but I didn't enjoy the vast majority of it. Her limited talent is evident and on full display. This doesn't deserve a Top 1001 spot at all, it's annoyingly repetitive, doesn't stand the test of time, has insignificant influence on music that followed it, has only one song that anyone knows and sounds like an indie release that got lucky in 2007. One star maybe!

Drivel..like her last album

Paper Planes is undoubtedly a banger. But there's also a lot of incoherent screeching here. I imagine it's "not for me" in any case, and I have no beef with it being on the list as I remember it being super popular and talked about, but won't be returning to it.

Favorite Track: Paper Planes

Unique and highly bouncy in a highly disposable, fast-fashion sort of way, even if this meant to be the last word in DIY grittiness. One digs the artiness and free-flowing spirit here better than say the pretentious St. Vincent or silly Lady Gaga. Still, not exactly one's cup of chai, musically, but hard not to admire the energy and orginality, and one is just sympathetic go get why kids would like, especially a song like "Jimmy" which woulda been a hit in any era. But "20 Dolllar" is not only not twice as good as "10 Dollar" from Arular (the better record, reallly), it may not be half as good. Still, as fully globalized pop, it's hard to see this as much more than ephemera or as fully worthy of a spot on this list.

Probably the best Sri Lankan Artist ever… Paper planes blew up deservedly and a couple other cool tracks but overall not enough for me for an album.

This is my 100th album. Thank you for the headache and also recommending me 99 albums before I had to suffer through this one.

Great album, lots of world music styles! Really excellent

I dont even enjoy the good M.I.A. songs. I really struggled to find something good here but found next to nothing. World Town is a prime example, loud and annoying in all the wrong places and painfully monotone. However I'll give them this, its a pretty varied album in terms of sound, it just fell flat and annoying to me.

Inventive, original, irritating. When this album dropped there was nothing that sounded like it. And maybe for good reason. The sounds she chooses for this album are often grating and annoying. But Paper Planes, Come Around and the song with the rapping kids are all pretty great tracks. Also obligatory “MIA is a nut case now so good for her”

Another one I’m not quite sure about and can’t decide if I liked it or not. The initial attack on the senses calmed down a bit and I found myself enjoying it more the longer it went on. Still not sure if it’s good or not though so going for a middle of the road rating.

shit!

Really good alternative music but it is still experimental so a little hard to get into

Kala is great but the previous album, Arular is a superior album in my opinion. I wore both of these albums out when they were released yet they still hold up after old these years. The beat production was like nothing I had heard, sure there’s elements of music from around the world but the creative exploration displayed was unique to M.I.A. This was a period when artists like M.I.A., Major Lazer and Santigold were pushing the bounds of independent music production, a very inspirational time indeed.

A bit of nostalgia with the song Paper Planes, which is the best song on this album. The rest of the album is ok, but seems somewhat immature. She's a grinder, though, and she has had well deserved success. I'll throw a 3.5 at this one.

Sometime in the hazy days of my twenties, I was somehow at a house party in the Old Fourth Ward where I didn't know anybody. Maybe I knew someone, but they left early?? I don't quite remember, but that's how things were in my twenties. Anyways, they had a DJ who was infatuated with M.I.A. and mostly just played her first album in its entirety and throwing in a song inbetween in an effort to be a "real" DJ and have an excuse to bring two turntables. After his set, I spoke with him and all he wanted to talk about was M.I.A. Years later, I heard "Paper Planes" on Album 88/WRAS 88.5 and loved it, but didn't know who it was until I heard it again while watching Slumdog Millionaire. I didn't waste time in picking up Kala. My wife (girlfriend at the time) saw the cover and thought it was some cheap basement BS and even laughed when "Bamboo Banga" first started, but we have since fallen in love with this album. The rhythmic yells and tongue rolls of children on "Birdflu" and the hanina-na-ninna-ninna, ha-na-ninna-na-ninna chanting on "Boyz" is so refreshingly unexpected in it's sophisticated synchopation, not to mention the complex rhythms and layers of drums in the hand drum ensemble (which came at a time when I was active in and studying West African hand-drumming from Guinea). Once the Bollywood samples on "Jimmy" and the Australian aboriginal children off-time rapping on "Mango Pickle Down River" kick in, we see Kala as a hip-hop interpretation of world music. It's a celebration of and collaboration with the variety of sounds that make up the global human experience. "Represent the World Town" indeed. For her part, M.I.A. plays with phrasing that wouldn't work in traditional rap, adding an extra bar or a couple beats, or singing a free-form version of the Pixies' "Where Is My Mind?" on "20 Dollar" which ignores the trappings of needing to stay on the beat. It still works; she knows what she's doing. It's a party, and everyone is invited.

I enjoyed this. I'd heard most of this album before, but not in a long while. I feel like this sonically captures the essence of modern youth culture of London, where South Asians, West Indians, Africans and more all grow up together. It's a well-produced, creative blend of kaleidoscopic global influences, but the rapping delivery reminds me of a yobbish teenager writing lyrics in a notebook and performing it for her mates after school, which helps keeps it feeling more immediate and not overly slick.

This one made me a bit nostalgic. Being from Trinidad and with Trinidad's population being about 40 percent of people of Indian descent (dot not feather) I grew up watching shows called Mastana Bahar and Indian Talent on Review. We also got a decent amount of Bollywood movies on TV and certain radio stations would play music in Hindi. As a child I took an interest in listening to Indian music even though I could not understand Hindi, and I always liked the sounds and rhythms. The sampling of Sri Lankan music on this album reminds me of those days. She presents a unique sound with combining what I am going to guess are Bangra and Chutney rhythms mixed with hip hop and electronic dance music. I think she is innovative and original. If M.I.A has not already done it, I think there is probably a collaboration with Santigold that should probably happen.

A bit messy, not really my thing tbh but can appreciate it, Paper Planes is obviously a massive tune and didn’t realise til a good while after that it sampled The Clash

Fun pomo stuff: an original blend of big boomy beats, hipster interpolations, slacker rapping, sewn together sound collage production and revolutionary posturing. Paper planes is A+ the rest more of a B/B+...

This was one I somehow missed when I was younger. I had heard "Paper Planes" but that might actually be one of the ones I enjoyed less on the album. I guess that explains why I never sought out more of her music. I thought this was a very fun album. Would be a great album to have on in the background at the right party. There are some songs I REALLY enjoy on here but overall feels a bit more like a strong like than a love.

gods have forsaken us

Very much not my normal taste and I was only aware of Paper Planes before, but I thought this was fantastic Maybe it was the smattering of rock samples littered throughout but this was great from beginning to end

Versión rara de Where is my mind ... Y Paper planes me sonaba ....

Banger

Pretty tight. M.I.A. And daft punk should make an album

Well, that was unique. I now understand M.I.A.s appeal is her production, not her lyrics. She's actually quite talented.

Artistically, this album was densely packed with vibrant and interesting sounds that really makes it stand out. The Indian samples were also a cool touch that added flavor and depth to the tracks. With it being diverse it definitely requires an acquired taste since I can see how many people would put this off since it sounds so different. With that being said I personally don't see myself listening to this album religiously but a few of these songs are definitely going in the playlist. Top 3 Fav: Come Around, Paper Planes, and Boyz Top 3 Worst: no bad songs 3.25/5

The only low point on this album is Paper Airplanes and that's only because it was overplayed to death and back when it came out. Overall Killer album

So I recognized Paper Planes, but even the recollection of the song as a popular single wasn’t enough to connect with. A lot of the experimental soundscapes seemed like different instruments that couldn’t improve upon a boring composition. The lyrics were forgettable and the delivery wasn’t great. 2/5.

I thought I was going to vibe with this a lot more than I did. It was just okay. 3/5

I didn't have a particularly positive feeling for this album across the first few tracks, I thought it was overly percussive in an irritating way, but I was surprised to hear distinctive indigenous Australian singing voices on Mango Pickle Down River - none other than The Wilcannia Mob, who I'm familiar with. This led me to read a bit more about M.I.A. and how Kala came together, earning an additional review star out of respect.

Irrésistible et irrévérencieux, transpire de confiance et d'effronterie tout en étant super dansant

Paper Planes is an all time lighting in the bottle hit.

Paper Planes was the only song from this album coming in, and it still slaps. I found the rest of the album to be enjoyable as well, maybe not always at the same standard and a few songs dropped the ball. Overall though, I enjoyed this album and was bopping along most of the time.

Not every track is great, but I'd say it still holds up well.

Awful.

It's like listening to the world's most aggressively British marching band, but the musicians are all on ecstacy and playing Casio keyboards for children.

2007... let that sink in. Ver voordat experimental hip hop merchants als Danny Brown, JPEG, Death Grips of BROCKHAMPTON zich op de markt gingen begeven, kwam M.I.A. met deze cocktail van rap, dancehall, techno, industrial, en allerlei exotische stijlen. En het alle mafste; het komt uit het brein van een Britse vrouw met Sri Lankese roots. Die demografische en geografische isolatie laat de stamboom der hip hop op haar grondvesten schudden. Uit puur evolutionair oogpunt kun je haar ontwikkeling zien als een vorm van 'spontaneous generation', ofwel 'the hypothetical process by which living organisms develop from nonliving matter'. Zo voelt het een beetje. Er valt moeilijk een vader of moeder van haar stijl aan te wijzen. En eerlijk, ik heb sinds haar ook weinig muziek gehoord wat te bestempelen valt als haar nakomeling. Een zonderling, in de positieve zin van het woord. Wat een gewaagd album, gezien de tijd en plaats van release. Er gebeurt zoveel dat het moeilijk is om dit laag voor laag te analyseren. Het begint direct met een explosie genaamd 'Bamboo Banga', een excentrieke dance rap song die toewerkt naar een climax waar je niet stil bij kan blijven zitten. Haar gevoel voor timing is waanzinnig. Ze liegt niet, het is een absolute 'banga'. Maar zoals bij meerdere nummers op deze plaat moet je jezelf ook vaak afvragen of het niet de meest schunnige/platte muziek is die je ooit hebt gehoord, of dat het briljant is in al zijn eigenaardigheid. Het gaat vaak bijna over de top, en balanceert constant heel knap op dat randje. Bij het tweede nummer 'BirdFlu' gaat ze er duidelijk overheen, alsof je je als luisteraar bevindt in een volière in Artis. Maar dat houdt het zonder meer interessant. Het zal de Nederlandse luisteraar dan ook niet heel erg verbazen dat een later album van haar is geproduceerd door The Partysquad, want dat 'foute' dance tintje hoor je hier ook al wel terug. Neem ook zo'n nummer als 'Jimmy'. Ik heb nog nooit iets gehoord wat ook maar een beetje die stijl benaderd. De quirky Boney M.-achtige break, de schele coupletjes, en de Italian disco piepjes en ploepjes.. Je weet eigenlijk niet goed wat je er mee aan moet. Maar aan het einde van de rit heb ik - zoals met het merendeel van de songs - zonder meer behoefte om ze nog eens te beluisteren. Ik hou van muziek die je brein kietelt, en dat doet ze fantastisch. En de songs hebben altijd nog net genoeg structuur om je bij een eerste luisterbeurt aan vast te klampen. '20 Dollar' is zo'n ander voorbeeld van haar lef en durf, en is zo progressief dat veel pop artiesten van vandaag zich er niet aan durven te wagen. En gewoon even 'Where Is My Mind?' interpoleren in het refrein, props. 17 jaar oud dit album, ongekend. Maar natuurlijk is 'Paper Planes' dé eyecatcher van deze plaat. Het nummer dat M.I.A. ondanks haar extravagante aanpak - waardoor ze zich allerminst in de mainstream bevindt - in één klap wereldfaam zag pakken. Ook hier liet ze weer zien dat je je als hip hop artiest niet hoeft te limiteren aan soul, jazz en funk samples, maar dat ook alternatieve rock een uitstekende bron kan zijn. Dit nummer zou ook altijd 'ahead of the curve' zijn, een curve waarvan je je af kan vragen of hij überhaupt ooit nog komt. En ik wil guns absoluut niet romantiseren, maar wat klinken die schoten in het refrein altijd lekker. Wat een trip is ''Kala'', een bumpy ride. Hier en daar is het me iets te hobbelig, en wordt het bijna ongemakkelijk, maar zeker driekwart van de songs ga ik vaker bij terugkomen. De aantrekkingskracht is enorm. Haar latere albums (vooral de eerstopvolgende) begeven zich vaak in nog wat gewaagder territorium, waardoor ze altijd een 'lastige' artiest is. Maar haar ethos vind ik fascinerend; dat ze na het scoren van een wereldhit in 'Paper Planes' doodleuk een avant-garde en industrieel monster van een plaat (Maya) maakt. Een 'pop' artiest naar m'n hart, en precies het tegenovergestelde van een Taylor Swift, wat dat betreft. 8,5/10 Highlights: Bamboo Banga Jimmy 20 Dollar Paper Planes

Super vet. Plaat als geheel nog nooit eerder zo gehoord. Nummers zitten boordevol gekke geluiden, crazy beats, stemmen en vreemde momenten. Mango Pickle Down River is heerlijk rustig nummertje met mellow beat, maar ook met een spacende didgeridoo en een soort groepje kinderen wat half kletsend, half rappend het nummer bij elkaar raapt. Het pistoolschot en de rinkelende kassa in Paper Planes zijn net zulke geniale vondsten om een beat mee samen te stellen. Daarnaast zitten de nummer vol met wereldse invloeden. Bollywood samples, Afrikaanse folk muziek en funk carioca (braziliaanse funk, moest ik opzoeken). Zo maakt M.I.A. een plaat die met zeer weinig te vergelijken is. En my god, hoe lekker is het gebruik van een stuk uit Where Is My Mind in '20 Dollar'? Altijd al fan geweest van Paper Planes, en weleens meer geluisterd van M.I.A., maar mezelf nog nooit eerder gewaagd een heel album. Dat is jammer... want ik ben fan. 8/10 Highlights Mango Pickle Down River 20 dollar Paper Planes

Big hit single when it came out, great for its time, but now sounds boring almost a decade later. Others do Asian influenced pop better (Talvin Singh, Asian Dub Foundation etc). This is mid.

I was shocked this was on the list. It's ok, I didn't mind it in the background, but wouldn't go back and listen more. There were some high spots - I liked the little kids rapping that was cool to see, and some of the themes were interesting just because they are so foreign to me here in the US.

Okay now THIS is a bop man, some of Kalas songs really just get you to move, very reggae recession funk, maybe even with some 80s Russian funk thrown in there. Im sitting here just jamming, rocking my head, only about half way through. Not surprised this album is so funky with the likes of Diplo and Timbaland producing the album. Some of the songs use some very unique instruments as well, I believe i here a didgeridoo in Mango Pickle Down River. After finishing the album, yeah, this is a good one, not every song is amazing, but the ones that are slap, i mean Paper Planes alone has almost 1 billion streams on spotify, that song was HUGE in the late 2000s. Fav Song: Jimmy (honorable mention is Paper Planes of course) 3.5

Welcome back, Alex. We're in a tough stretch of albums right now, this one included. Some times I wish I knew the criteria to be on this list or is it just a random pull? Whatever. This album really didn't do much for me as the dance/electronica genre is mostly annoying to this listener. But man, I loved the song Paper Planes. Immediately added to my list of favorites songs from this site. Great tune. Jimmy and Come Around were decent enough, but the rest was, well, not very good. Going with a 2.5 for Paper Planes. Not rounding up. Looking for the next big "surprise" album. Hopefully something this week. 2.5

2.5 I’m writing this review with intense COVID brain, so apologies for any incoherency. Anyway, everyone knows Paper Planes is a certified classic, but I didn’t realize that M.I.A. had more to her credit than that. I guess this was a pretty critically acclaimed release though, with professional music critic/asshole Robert Christgau - a dude whose opinions seem to be on the Wikipedia page of quite possibly every album we’ve seen so far - even calling it the best album of the 21st century. Yeah, not hearing that. I’ll certainly give the album credit for its unique beats, a lot which seem to have taken influence from the local music of various Eastern countries (African and South Asian especially), but the end result for me basically teeters back and forth between “decent” and “the most annoying thing I’ve ever heard in my life”. There’s definitely a certain charm to the music, especially as things kick off with Bamboo Banga, but it’s run pretty thin by somewhere around the time M.I.A. starts asking where you were in ‘92 (I was -5). Her take on Pixies with 20 Dollar is somewhat novel and something I have to touch upon as a fan, but it’s totally easy to miss - I didn’t even pick up on it until three or four listens in. Fortunately, this thing is largely saved by Paper Planes. It’s an absolutely great pop track by all accounts, and while The Clash certainly deserve credit for it’s foundation, I can’t deny how great of a job M.I.A. did of building upon it (though Straight to Hell is also a certifiable banger). On paper, the gunshots and cash register sound effects feel like they should come off as corny, but the whole thing is so damn catchy that you can’t help but want to send your finger to the air in time with the bullets. Needless to say, far and away the highlight of the album, and its end placement almost feels genius in the sense that it gives you something to look forward to. With one great song, a handful of decent ones, and quite a few stinkers, I think I’m going to land in the middle with my album rating here. I don’t know if she ever went on to do much after this, but I do know she torpedoed her career a bit with anti-vax rhetoric and a Donald Trump endorsement, so I’m not overly eager to check it out.

I immensely dislike Hip Hop. I don't know if this is good or bad but I just can't get through it as much as I try.

I didn’t drink the M.I.A. Kool Aid in 2007 and I ain’t drinking it now.

not as bad as I expected. electronica + hip hop + Hiphopnica

Ningún interés. Mezcla de??

A little too experimental for my tastes, trying to sound unpleasant for a lot of it. Paper Planes is the only one that’s listenable, but it’s more suited for background on commercials or TikToks than actual listening

This album already gets points for me for paper planes. This came out and got really big when I was around 18, and was a huge club anthem at the time. Then there are all the little nods to other songs and artists I love -- Iron Maiden on the cover, Modern Lovers, the Pixies, the Clash... probably more that that I didn't pick up on the first listen. Then it's just kind of a cool album, very experimental, the samples are cool, I like her vocals. This one won me over.

Es entretenido! Aunque un poco largo y tuve que esperar mucho para escuchar Paper Planes.

m.i.a. is insane now just like everybody else but this still holds up

Extremely unique album. A mix of so many different styles. Something a bit electronic vibes, but oldsh style, some part almost a bit folkish , a lot of influence from pop, a lot of rap.

Truly a masterpiece

Album 1 Star Paper planes 1 Stars

I’ve heard of M.I.A. before as a rapper/singer/producer, born under the name Mathangi "Maya" Arulpragasam. In fact, Maya’s big song “Paper Planes” is off of this album Kala. This is her second studio album, named and themed after her mother and the struggles she went through. I will say this album is very experimental, for better and worse. She plays through a variety of world music styles with a heavy amount of sampling, and the result varies for every song. Some songs are good - the aforementioned “Paper Planes” with the samples of gunshots, cash registers and The Clash’s “Straight to Hell”, “Come Around” with its sole Timbaland production credit, “Jimmy” with its electronic disco melody, and “XR2” with its rave music groove. Other songs are terrible - the first three tracks of this album spring to mind, especially “Bird Flu” with its egregious bird noise samples. Then there are songs that fall somewhere in the middle for me - “Hussel” and “Mango Pickle Down River” have solid melodies, though nowhere near as engaging as the preceding “Jimmy”. Also, I couldn’t ignore how “20 Dollar” sounded like an electronically-filtered hodgepodge between New Order’s “Blue Monday” and the Pixies’ “Where is My Mind?”. There is one unifying element throughout this album - Maya’s vocals. I’ll admit, I do not like her vocals and delivery - it’s not for me as it doesn’t come off as raw or emotionally drawn as it should. Not helping matters is that she has a very minimalist lyrical style, which combined with the experimentation can distract from whatever messaging she may have been trying to convey. At the end of the day, it’s certainly not a boring album. You will be engaged through the whole listen, regardless of track-by-track quality. But I don’t see myself returning to this anytime soon.

Did this thing just open with a Modern Lovers reference. This thing rules so much. It’s sonically varied and interesting and catchy and chaotic in all the best ways. I don’t know if I would have had the song with Australian kids rapping, but, hey I dunno. Jimmy is one of the craziest songs ever. When those 70s disco strings came in a fucking cheered.

This really was not for me

Interesting album. Very ambitious in style, but some of the songs are a little too scattered. When it works, it really works. 3/5 Probably will listen again

This is a sonically dense and textured albums. So many new and interesting sounds, samples, references, and interpolations of other songs and styles just come out of nowhere but it's all united by M.I.A.'s creativity and politics. Also, THAT FUCKIN Groove.

I prefer AIM, but this album is still very good

4/5. A shock of sound threw me off at first but each song stands alone as a testament to mixing pop and electronic to multiple different cultural styles while still sounding fresh and new just as if it came out today, not that it's very old. I enjoyed this album more than I thought I would on the first song but it really grew on me, once I got the energy it was giving. This is going to be a repeat listen for sure and probably bump up to a 5 from what I'm feeling but right now it is a 4 cause some songs didn't land fully. Still great though! Best Song: Paper Planes, Bird Flu, Boyz

A lot of interesting sounds and samples but the songs take so much time to develop they end up being too long.

Hrm. OK, see, here's the thing: ARULAR was obnoxious. Incredibly so. That's what my review on this website of the album was about, and thinking back, it's really the only thing I can remember (besides "g'lang-a-lang-alang"). Despite that, however, I never found myself crossing over into annoyance at it. For sure, I got close a few times, but at the end of the day, I kind of just recognized that this was thing and I hadda accept it. KALA ended up being a different story. On the whole, I actually found it a whole lot less obnoxious than ARULAR. Although, as a result... I was kind of bored by the whole experience? Perhaps it's because M.I.A.'s whole "world music dance hall," "nasal monotone voice" thing isn't as shocking as it was the first time? Honestly, as much as I know I should, I can't muster up enough of a hoot to actually check. Hell, I don't even care enough to interrogate the thought I kept having throughout that it felt like big critics go gaga over this kind of music specifically because it's obnoxious on purpose (I **really** can't see what Robert Christgeau saw in this). Frankly, the only song I really paid any attention to was the big single, "Paper Planes", and that's just because, instrumentally, it remindedme of Post Malone's "Sunflower". And maybe I recognized a vocal performance from a mashup? But otherwise... Like, y'know, some part of me wants to be generous and give this thing the same 3 I gave ARULAR. M.I.A. doesn't **deserve** that kind of generosity, but that's besides the point. I could slap it with a "maybe it'd go off better in the club" and use that as the justification, 'cuz I really don't hear how it's any better or worse than ARULAR. But let's not underesimate how damn uninterested I was in this album. I hear this kind of beat work on the last album, I heard these nasally monotone vocals on the last album... For sure, there's something about this album that I'm missing. Something in its conception, or just some "media literacy" intepretation that'd make me like it a lot more. I just really don't care, though. Lemme jus' cross this shit off with a 2 and never hafta think about this damn anti-vaxxer ever again.

Despite more recent controversial comments, this album is still pretty damn good, and a definite step up for Arular. 4.5 down to 4.

I’m only at a 3, which is kinda disappointing. I don’t think it’s a bad album; I’d recommend it, honestly. It just never really clicked for me as a fully cohesive one from front to back. I think there’s a lot of repetition here, but it’s really supplemented by an energetic vocal performance and a lot of great production tricks. However, sometimes those production tricks either didn’t hit as well on a few tracks, or became an outright hindrance with some awkward mixing between the percussion and the vocals or the synths that felt just out of balance enough to be distracting. I think I liked this album better when it was more focused on being a sort of pseudo-dance record; the heavier beats, the deeper percussion mixed closer to the ears, and the vocals that had just enough processing to blend in without feeling too overdone, and that’s about half of the album. In other words, I liked the songs that feel distinctly modern and about 7 years ahead of schedule for 2007 – super experimental stuff for the time that feels very common now. The other half ranges from “just not really doing it for me” to outright bad on “Hussel” (just REALLY flat for me) and “20 Dollar” (extremely overdone production, and I really did not like the “Where Is My Mind?” interpolation, even though I’m normally a sucker for that sort of thing). When the album hits, it hits really well – Bamboo Banga is a good (if slightly long) opener, Boyz feels like a great sports hype up track, Paper Planes is an all-timer, and XR2 is a perfect 90s club throwback. For me, it just only hits about half the time, and that’s why I’m at a 3. For someone else, I can hear how it might be a 4 or even a 5, but for my tastes, it just never got up there. Very solid 3 though.

Very enjoyable album that has a few sections reminiscent of 1982ish Kate Bush and of Eno/Byrne's My Life in the Bush of Ghosts.

Der Sound ist fett, cool und anders. Rhythmisch und kompositorisch mal was anderes, obwohl klar Pop. Die Lieder sind aber zueinander recht ähnlich. 2,8

One of the very few things this list does is expose you to music you're not familiar with (extra emphasis on 80s and 90s Britpop). Some things you hear and check it off your list knowing you'll never hear it again. I've been familiar with M.I.A. since she exploded with Kala. I haven't listened to her until now and wow. A sonic, multi-layered eargasm that is not something I would voluntarily listen to, but mission accomplished with this entry - I'm glad I listened to it and will add it to my que's. 4.5/5

I didn't make it very far into this one. I remember Paper Planes being a big single at the time and the rest sounds like what I would expect the rest of the album to sounds like. Not really my thing. Also not really anything special.

It's a banger. I first listened to this album back in like 8th grade a ton, still sounds cool and fresh today, and you can see a bunch of influences play out.

Toni Basil's granddaughter does D&D

This album came out of nowhere! There is a real global journey feeling going on. It's raw, energetic, and full of surprises. The beats hit hard but remain playful, almost like a soundtrack for a chaotic, vibrant city. There’s a mix of rebellion and joy in every track. The soundscape is wild yet grounded. It really started to grow on me.

Fun, “Paper Planes” +1, shallow

2.5/5⭐️ Paper Planes is a banger, Pixies cover is shit, rest is super mediocre/forgettable. And why are all these songs so long?

Wow that was irritating as hell..

One really good tune (Paper Planes). The rest seemed to have some small degree of undeveloped promise and are well, just annoying after 30 seconds. One star.

That was a lot of work to get to the Paper Planes song. Everything else on this album blurs together into noise soup. Paper Planes is still great.

My two least favorite genres are world and hip hop. And this is hip-hop that samples more world music than anything else. Paper Planes has some parts of it that are sort of listenable (I can see why it's a popular single at least) but this is not for me and I hated most of it.

Yeah that was pretty good. I should have assumed it was decent because the rest of the comments were so negative. 3.16

Hip hop with an African feel. I didn’t like her previous album and I didn’t like this one either. I think it’s just not my style of music. I don’t think it’s bad, I just don’t like it.

Each song is repetitive and unlistenable. I guess you'd have to be in a dance club and on a lot of drugs to like this music. One positive is that each song is unique...but I can't handle this. Paper Planes is ok, but if you like this, listen to the original, Straight To Hell by The Clash. It's so much better.

i just love MIA and wish she would come back with stuff like this - such a creative and unique album that oftentimes has little to no melody outside of her voice yet still hits with meaningful and intentional lyricism calling out international affairs.

I really wanted to like this more than I did, this was incredibly innovative at the time it came in regard to the sound and particularly the attitude, and the plethora of other things that were fresh and new about MIA and the music she was making. Some of these songs are really great like the opening track there are definitely some bangers here but overall I don't think she truly understood the ways in which she was pushing the envelope. That opinion is largely influenced by how her career has gone since this time as well. Ultimately I think she sort of accidentally stumbled onto a massive and innovative sound that informed a decade or more of pop music to follow, and I think I love the music that she influenced a lot more than her music itself. That being said though the miserable old fucks on here that only wanna hear the same 50 blues-based white guy artists can get fucked she's getting a perfect score

Mango Pickle Down River! I liked that a lot.

I mean I'm not sure you can get much cooler, in terms of the image she's developed here. For whatever that's worth. Not sure how many of her collaborators have actually "never seen a map" haha. But yeah super catchy. Super different. At least among mainstream options here in the United States. She also just has fun musicality and I like her melodies. mOnD0 ExTra bonUs points for the Pixies and Clash references 😍

Never heard anything from her, except Paper Planes, and i wish i never had

Was pleasantly surprised. The album was much more than just their hit Paper Planes. The album has such a distinct and fun sound. In some ways it is very reminiscent of the early 2000’s and in others it feels quite fresh.

I did not enjoy this at all. Even back when this released, I never understood the appeal nor the praise it garnered.

M.I.A. used to go hard af. cool album but a bit too dense. Additional star for paper planes.

fan vad det här är tråkigt. paperplanes är ju bra men inte tillräckligt bra för att rädda upp den här skiten.

All I wanna do is *bang bang bang* and *cash register sound* and a tell people that their covid vaccine has a 5g chip. Paper planes slaps everything else involved does not

Horrible!!

Oh Jesus. My first association... PAPER PLANES. Turned from a dancefloor favourite to an annoyance. Also, hasn't she turned into a bit of a conspiracy nutjob lately? Anyway, on to the music. Phew. I appreciate the layers expertly laid on top of each other and all sort of making some sense. Nothing here is a coincidence. You can also hear loads of influences. First two that come to my mind have a connection, even - Tom Tom Club and My Life In the Bush of Ghosts. The thing is: So many of the choices made are just so annoying to my ears. High-pitched repetitive samples. Give me a claustrophic feeling of being on some sort of trip without an off button, when I've only had a glass of beer. Which of course means there IS an off button to what I'm experiencing. Jimmy is weirdly annoyingly catchy in a way that might make me want to come back to it in the same way I sometimes need a dose of Gwen Stefani's Watcha Waiting for. But by and large, I never want to listen to this album again.

Can admire the ambition here, wide range of influences. Ultimately though I just didn't enjoy it.

There are certainly better albums from the 2000s, but this one FEELS so much like the era in terms of living in a neoliberal, post-globalization world. The speed in which the exchange of currency occurs, which has led to a rapid exchange of culture, language, and perspectives, is so well-captured on 'Kala,' the second album from Sri Lankan rapper M.I.A. from 2007. A real murderers' row of producers, including Diplo and Timbaland, who would help usher in sounds from every stretch of the planet to create a real sonic constellation. The first side alone is almost unrelenting in its intensity. By the end of track two, you already have enough information to determine if you'd vibe with M.I.A.'s artistic vision. I know tons of people who take issue with her bratty vocal delivery. In my view, this tends to wonderfully match the nonsense words and sounds she offers ("na na na" on "Boyz," "a-nee-nee-nee" on "World Town"), which is a cross between school-girl taunting and pidgin English, the combination of such over layers of beats presents a totally interesting and important musical innovation. What does "bamboo banga" even mean? Does it even matter since it sounds so deliciously cool, especially since it takes over two minutes to get to the chorus? Other times, it's just plain nonsense ("live in trees, chew on feet, watch Lost on cable"). The first side of the record - really, the first four tracks - are really where the flavour is. "Bird Flu" is absolutely relentless in its intensity with its propulsive rhythms, acoustic percussions, trills and yelps from all sorts of voices from all sorts of ages. "Boyz" is like the world opening itself up to you after spending hours on an airplane and now you're confronted with a crush of people, cacophony of noise, and rush of colour. "Jimmy" would have to be one of my favourite tracks off the record with its Indo-neo-Disco hook and quivering yearning. The strings that come in at around 2:40 both mount tension but echo the kind of gasp-y shallow breathing M.I.A. would do at the final moment of the song in between sobs. Not to say the album is front-loaded, but there is a greater cohesion of sound after "Jimmy" and a slight dip in energy. But this brings us to "Paper Planes." I recall we all agreed that this was the Song of the Decade. A brilliant use of a Clash sample and another instance in which the words don't offer any particularly deep insight into the Immigrant Hustle, but that doesn't matter since the high levels of swagger and attitude mean any misstep is instantly cast aside. The pairing of gun shots and a cash register in order to make a link between violence and profit - not just in terms of individuals, but whole systems at play - is amazing. I saw a review on here that stated that everyone, immigrant or not, could relate to this song. We've all moments in our lives in which we're "sittin' on trains/every stop I get to, I'm clocking that game." We're lamenting the long commute that we have to embark to even START our work day and we're imagining a better life for ourselves where "everyone's a winner." "Come Around" may be the album's one skip, if only because it sounds the most convention and features a Timbaland verse that really didn't need to be there. M.I.A., on the other hand, is the sharpest she's sound on the record. Her ability to enunciate and add in those bratty flourishes at exactly the right moment as she imbues youth vernacular is one-of-a-kind ("Sidekick rings, 'what's up, holla!'/text the address, 'I'll see ya later!'). I liked 'MAYA' and 'Matangi' just fine, but 'Kala' is absolutely thrilling; it's all over the album art. You simply had to be there. A

Pretty fire

We let her get away with too much because of an accent and good production.

Ahead of its time. Packed with catchy alternative pop music in a time where most pop music had trouble standing out. (at least for me) *Heard before

Genuinely awful

- a star because she endorsed Trump

Paper planes is the only thing really worth it. Waste of time outside of that

I listened to this and forgot to rate. It’s cool to hear the fusion of hip hop and eastern sounds but overall not something I return to outside the 2-3 times of year I hear paper planes in public or on the radio. 2.5 rounded down because weirdo

Paper Planes was probably the only MIA song I knew before this album and though I enjoy that song and that vibe, the rest of the album just sounded like a lot of the same and just not as good.

Paper Planes, XR2, Boyz, and some of her older songs off Arular give the je ne sais quoi of late 2000s high school (Dansex) & early college (pimp plaza). However, I imagine if I weren't in this prime demographic when it was released, I'd find this album very abrasive.

Aside from Paper Planes and maybe 2 other songs, this entire album is garbage. truly annoying noises put over nonsensical lyrics. sounds like "thirteen year old's first time using fruity loops program" and feels even worse.

There is definitely a step up here from Arular to Kala. But at the same time, not all the songs are "Bangers". I mean, "Boyz" is one of the more insipid songs I have heard. Random thoughts: "20 Dollar"... I am still torn on this track. I like the vocalizations, but then I grew tired of them. I felt like I needed more off of it. "World Town" seemed like the anti-"Hollaback Girl". It took the vibe of that song and made it much more. "Come Around" was a pretty good ending for the album. It's interesting in that the randomizer had the two M.I.A. albums selected sequentially to listen to. I might have been more annoyed if they were separated far apart. But listening to them one right after the other you really hear her growth as an artist, and why this album is the one that stayed on the list. Top tracks: "Bamboo Banga," "Jimmy", "20 Dollar," "Paper Planes," "Come Around"

Well it finally happened. The list randomly chose two albums back to back from the same artist. Bad random generator! Easier to compare though. I didn't get drawn into this album as much as MIA's debut. The opener Bamboo Banga was so-so; felt like she was trying too hard to be catchy instead of being fiery in her lyrics and letting the music flow from it. As the album progressed I changed my tune slightly - lyrics still very clever, but the beats still didn't mesh as well as on her first album. Maybe she was trying to integrate too many different styles? Sampled too much? Definitely collaborated too much - I don't want to hear Afrikan Boy and Timbaland, I want to hear MIA. Probably too many people wanted a piece of her or wanted to be involved in this album after the success of her first album. Still a good album and this woman is still incredibly talented, I just didn't dig it as much as her first one. Paper Planes though, what a tune! I've always loved it. Other really pumping songs were World Town and Xr2.

Once again, the 1001 Editors removed an album by a modern artist in lieu of a more recent album. In this case, they removed her debut, Arular, and replaced it with this second album, Kala. I liked Arular more - it resonated with me more than this album and had a much harder edge, which I suppose is consistent with M.I.A.'s view that Arular was a more masculine album and Kala was more feminine (Arular named after her father and Kala named after her mother). On the plus side, I preferred the more organic drums on this album. And of course Paper Planes is super catchy (when I heard Arular I had no idea this was her song even though I'd heard it before). I'd probably give this album a 3.5. Since I went with a 4 for Arular, I feel like I should go with a 3 for this one (particularly for having auto-tune in 20 Dollar - auto-tune is almost always an automatic one point reduction for me - but the lyrics are powerful and MAYBE including lyrics from Where Is My Mind gets the point back?). I'll go with the 4 because I continue to dig her style. Favorite Tracks - Bird Flu (love the drums), Boyz, Mango Pickle Down River (fun song with a cool groove), Come Around (I could do without the Timbaland spot, but the rest is very cool).

Not as good as the first album but a banger.

Das Album versucht, eine einzigartige Mischung aus Techno, afrikanischen Klängen, ABBA-Beats und Hip-Hop zu präsentieren. Leider wirkt das Album insgesamt unrund und kann nicht wirklich überzeugen. Der einzige Lichtblick ist der Track “Jimmy”, der stark an ABBAs “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!” erinnert und zumindest etwas Begeisterung weckt. Die restlichen Songs, wie “Mango Pickle Down River” und “World Town”, sind jedoch enttäuschend und erreichen nicht das gewünschte Niveau. Musikalisch bietet “Kala” eine interessante Vielfalt an Einflüssen, die jedoch oft nicht harmonisch zusammenfinden. Die Techno-Elemente wirken manchmal fehl am Platz, während die afrikanischen Rhythmen und Hip-Hop-Beats nicht immer gut integriert sind. Der Versuch, verschiedene Genres zu kombinieren, führt leider zu einem unausgewogenen Hörerlebnis.

This is so incredibly maximalist at points that I want to turn it off, but it's not exactly unenjoyable. There's some great biting cynicism and satire baked into the lyrics throughout the album, and I don't know of much else that sounded so punk in that way since Rage. All that said, I don't know that I would have listened to this again on purpose if I weren't participating in this project...

nothing horribly wrong, i'm just not very interested in that kinda music...

Not my favorite MIA album, but there are a few songs on here I really love.

Of it's time, although feels strangely contemporary in some ways due to it's easy international flavour which is the fashion now. Despite MIAs descent into lunacy, this is still largely a thrilling listen and Paper Planes is an all-timer

Just interesting enough for 2 stars or D+.

It feels like recently I got her other album. Did she need two albums on this list? I dunno... completely forgettable.

it’s cool just some of the songs aren’t fully there

Wasn’t as into this as I thought I would be. Paper Planes is great though

Wow, what an album. I don't think I've heard anything else remotely like that. The mix of so many genres and it not feeling laboured or forced is incredible. I always think the sign of a good album is when you feel like you've only been listening a few minutes but you've actually listened to the whole album. Added to my playlist and will be a regular listener.

I couldn't seem to vibe with this, apart from Jimmy and Paper Planes. Otherwise, I found the rhythms and vocal off-putting.

I knew I liked Paper Planes but hadn’t bothered to explore her music any further. What an idiot. Whilst there’s a clear debt to The Clash (and Adam and The Ants on Bird Flu) it was a joy to discover The Wilcannia Mob (and realise Die Antwoord had clearly had a dip in that river). Loved it all, immediately played it again and am pretty sure it’ll be on heavy rotation this summer.

Fresh and consistent. I enjoyed it. “Paper Planes” is of course fire.🔥

I liked it, it was a fun album.

I didn't have any preconceived notions about this record other than remembering the artist appearing with Madonna live on some telecast. (Looked it up, Super Bowl halftime, apparently kind of notorious because M.I.A. flipped the bird at one point.) I generally like dance music if it's inspired and interesting. This was definitely interesting! Her delivery can be a bit droll or mechanical at times, which reminded me of Grace Jones, actually. Interesting record. Glad to have ended up listening to it.

Like the various world rhythms & some of the samples. But somebody sing something.

Sweaty dance party Of bangers produced crisply With fun sounds and styles

Not MIAs best album but its the one with Paper Planes…

Way better than expected. I enjoyed her sound.

Once a culture darling/favourite. She rubs people up the wrong way but her musuc is different and interesting.

I liked the spaceman version of the pixies

This is amazing. M.I.A herself is good enough but what really shines on this album is the great production. These beats are so good, excellent stuff!

7/10. After two songs I was leaning a 3/10. Which emphasizes how unbalanced I thought the album was. Had some really good stuff (Hussell, Boyz, World Town, Paper Planes) and some horrible stuff (Bamboo Banga, 20 Dollar, XR2) for me. I think because I’m not big on the electronic pieces. What took it from 6 to 7 was that Jimmy and Mango Pickle Down River were fun and kept me engaged.

Started off hating this. Then I quite liked the Mango Pickle Down River. Then I continued hating this. The didgeridoo saved this from being a 1.

Bold to put your only banger as the last song on the album. Simpsons: No

Not sure an album could be much more unlistenable than this. At times the songs would give a hint of being something decent, but then just turn into absolute shit. Paper Planes is OK, the only coherent track on an album of random sounds.

I honestly thought I wad having some sort of fit listening to this. Not good at all I'm not even a fan of paper planes, which is the only one I knew

This is why I started doing this! I would have never thought to listen to M.I.A. if it wasn’t for this list and I’m absolutely vibing it. Such a different sound for me and I’m loving it. I knew Paper Planes and I think Boyz too but it’s all such a good sound and beat.

This is relentless shrill fucking noise. HARD PASS.

She's back. That gobby girl who you want to talk to, but you know she's smarter and tougher than you. The mix of hip-hop beats, electronic blasts, random sound effects, samples from around the world and bratty rapping are all present and correct as they always are on her albums. She's not doing anything different on this album as she does to other albums and I'm glad. Best Tracks: Bird Flu; World Town; Paper Planes

3.75

Nicht meine Richtung

è già il secondo suo che ascolto, comunque viene molto apprezzata dalla critica. Oh comunque bello. Con 'Paper planes' perla finale, 4.

3.5

Hey, this one has Paper Planes the song that's kinda good because it borrows from Straight To Hell. Otherwise this album is just as meh as the other M.I.A. album on this list. Please let there only be 2.

Bold and fully realised

Do people actually pay money to listen to this?

Extra star for how big of a hit Paper Planes was, but not a great record overall.

Best Song: Come Around. I'm just a sucker for that Timbaland influence. Worst Song: Mango Pickle Down River. Good for these kids getting featured on an album like this, but I'm really not interested in listening to this kids bop stuff. Overall: A fun and banging album that, thankfully, knows exactly what it is. No mid-album slow down breaks, no random ballads. Just upbeat, bombastic pop hop. Unfortunately, some of the chosen beats and samples miss the market, registering more as annoying than enjoyable.

Great album, been listening to it for years.

🚮 jimmy xr2

Ok

Paper Planes // Come Around 2.5/5

This album had the energy of a hyperactive toddler. At one point, bridge is rhymed with didge (as in didgeridoo) and I fucking love that. This was a lot of fun. 4 stars

Was just okay. Some beats are pretty good, but there's nothing here I must listen to again. 2/5

I've listened to this album some years back and I thought I liked it, but this time I found it kind of annoying. I'll be generous and give 3 cos at least it's not boring.

This is probably my favourite hip hop album so far... but still not something I'd want to listen to again.

M.I.A. walks a VERY fine line between annoying and intriguing. It sounds like something I should hate but her music just fascinates me.

I kept waiting for something to happen. Anything. A hint of melody. A variation in the beat. She travelled the world and this is what she came back with? She obviously didn’t hear any singers in hear journey.

Well that was a fun record, carried by a fresh voice in this sea of mostly anglo-saxon white men making music. An important record, would come back here again.

Really interesting stuff throughout, 20 dollar was cool , where is my mind reference

I want to like this, as a more abrasive Gorillaz, and there's a lot to admire. But it's hard work. Her voice is not that expressive, in a presumably deliberately monotone, and her DIY beats and samples don't often result in memorable moments. Having said all that, I may be too old to get it.

Obviously very cool and probably super innovative for its time, felt a tiny bit repetitive at times but I think I just need to listen to it in the right setting

Not for me

Second album of hers I've had. I had heard Paper Planes before. It's interesting. She's Sri Lankan and mixes world music with hip hop and electronica. So it's like a world trip hop fusion. Its not bad at all. Favourite songs: Paper Planes, Mango Pickle Down River, 20 Dollar, World Town, Come Around, Bamboo Banga, BirdFlu, Hussel Least favourite songs: The Turn 4/5

Great stuff

first song sucks ass. second song sucks too. the trend is continuing. i could not finish this album. Even their popular song Paper Planes could not save this.

BOM DEMAIS!!!!!

a 2000's charli that raps as well. also paper planes is one of the best songs of the 00's

Evidence that Robert Christgau lost his dang mind in the mid-2000s. Best album of the decade? Performative poseur nonsense.

this album is so insanely hype that it got a bit old. I never knew I could quite have my fill of bangers like this. but I like the sound, it's like a forbidden concentrate of 2007 juice that I only got watered down versions of back then. and hella bri'ish🤘

Not the most inventive songwriting, but what saves it are the well designed sonic layers behind each track that reward you for being attentive

Sannerligen unikt men det behöver inte vara bra för det. Väldigt jobbig musik. Fult cover, dryga låtar, tråkiga texter…

Cash register gunshot song good, the rest of the album forgettable. 2.6 stars

Not bad

“Paper Planes” is the clear star of the album. The rest was pretty good.

Very unique and full of bops

I'm pleasantly surprised. I know M.IA. through her radio releases, primarily Paper Planes (which, ironically, is one of the weakest songs on the album in my opinion). They're catchy, but they've never really grabbed me enough for me to seek out a full album. I can now say that was a mistake. This album is really, really good. Taking a cornucopia of interesting sounds, cultures, experiences, and ideas, she's able to weave this really catchy tapestry of sound that has kept me bobbing my head and tapping my toes. I think the first two songs got a little repetitive within themselves, but that is a small niggle, and one that does not portend further repetitiousness throughout the album. Each song sounds different, but still work really well as part of a coherent album. This is a great album. 4.5 stars.

Rap meets rave? Genesis of drill? Quite liked it, initially felt innovative but then got a bit repetitive and formulaic.

Never heard of this before at all. Very novel Pixies half cover on 20 Dollar kind of summed this all up really. It’s so abrasive challenging it kinda feels like a pixies/pj Harvey/albini vibe in the hip hop genre. There’s something about it I like but I’m not sure exactly what, however, there’s not one song that really nails it, or at least not on Day 1 listen. Suspect I may listen again, perhaps a grower, but not a high score for now.

Thought she was taking the piss for most of it... Almost unlistenable. Quite like paper planes, probably been on an advert. Overall, quite annoying.

I love Paper Planes-who doesn’t?

deep bass beats and cool rhymes. Don't love her voice, but yes Paper Planes is dope (even tho the beat is ripped from The Clash)

This was better than the MIA we had before, possibly weather having an effect on how I'm reviewing it. Felt the back half picked up a bit. Not sold on M.I.A generally

So, I had this album and completely forgot (hence my confusion over paper planes). I remember not really liking it at the time but on this relisten I thought it was great. There is something about modern musics played on lesser heard instruments that I really enjoy.

Had some moments.. But just a few.

Such a wonderful collection of joyous noise by a world music master. I’d rate it 5 stars even without Paper Planes, but that just shoves it into the stratosphere.

Pretty enjoyable if you don't make too much of it.

Strange and all over the place..

1. bamboo - 1 2. birdflu - 1.5 3. boyz - 1 4. huzzel - 1.5 5. mango - 1 6. dollar- 1 7. uuorld - 1 8. turn - 0 9. zr 2 - 1.5 10. paper planez - 2 11. come around - 1

Paper Planes was the only good song. 1/5

5/8/24. Familiar with M.I.A. and admittedly have never listened to this album, only the radio track Paper Planes. After an initial listen, it was just okay. Perhaps I should listen again in the future, but didn't vibe with it. Thought a lot of the songs were a bit boring.

Butt-Head: Check it out, Beavis, this dumb album generator thingy just gave us our 666th album. Beavis [mimicking Bruce Dickinson]: 6! 6! 6!…The number of the beeeast!!!! [they both head bang] Beavis: heh-heh…Satan is cool. Butt-Head: uh, Beavis…did I ever tell you that I, like, walk the path of the left hand? Beavis: uh…I don’t think so, Butt-Head. What’s that? Butt-Head: uh-huh-huh, let me show you. [Butt-Head slaps Beavis across the face with his left hand] Beavis: Ow! What the hell, Butt-Head! Why’d you do that? Butt-Head: I told you, I walk the left handed path, butt-munch. Beavis: I still don’t get- [Butt-Head slaps Beavis again] Beavis: Cut it out, Butt-Head! This sucks. Butt-Head: uh-huh-huh…you’re a dumbass. Beavis [sheepishly]: so..uh…Butt-Head, what album are we supposed to listen to? Butt-Head: uhhh…it says “Kala” by M.I.A Beavis [unenthusiastically]: …huh. [they sit in silence momentarily] Butt-Head: uhh…don’t just sit there, fartknocker… put on the record. Beavis [mumbling under his breath, annoyedly]: Why don’t you put it on, dill-weed? [They argue for a while over who is going to put on the album, with Beavis eventually acquiescing, and then listen to the record] Beavis: Hey, uh, Butt-Head…like, don’t get me wrong…it would have been cool if we got some Slayer for our 666th album…but this album is kind of awesome. Butt-Head: huh-huh…yeah, it definitely *slaps* [He slaps Beavis once again] Beavis: Dammit, Butt-Head…You know what? You can, like, slap me all you want, but it’s not going to stop me from getting down to these beats, butt-wipe. [Beavis starts twerking as “World Town” plays in the background] Butt-Head: …dumbass.

this album is wild, the production has to have been an inspiration for Yeezus. the songwriting is lacking at times but boyz, jimmy, 20 dollar, world town, xr2, and of course paper planes are all strong moments. aggressive synths, unique percussive sounds, a sample from the pixies and the clash, and afro/indian world influence make this a fascinating listen, with its main detractions stemming from repetitive songwriting and some songs cooking up a clogged mix. the absolute highlight of Kala (and the song probably competing with Hey Ya (ironically from an album i got 2 weeks ago) for best pop song of the entire 2000s) is paper planes. sampling the clash (!!), Mia created one of histories most triumphant tracks. tell me you arent tapping your foot from the start with those sampled opening notes. tell me "i fly like paper get high like planes" isnt one of the most stylish opening lines you've ever heard. tell me these lyrics haven't gotten more relevant every single year since 2008. tell me that the whining guitar, the childrens choir chorus, the finger-snap percussion, the spoken word bit "i got more records than the KGB" don't create a densely layered and intriguing atmosphere. you cant tell me any of that because this song compels you to believe it all just like the bang bang bang kachink hook compels you to bust out the finger guns and mime along gunshot-reload-cash register open. bombastic, iconic, singular, eccentric, and catchy. there is no other song that sounds like paper planes.

Terrible

Yet another album where the famous single is vastly different to the rest of the album. paper planes: 4/5, the rest: 2/4. Makes... 2.166666

Had headache, dnf

mucha variedad de estilos, ritmos y sonidos. Me gustan la combinacion de muchos sonidos, pero no hay correlacion ni orden, no se lo que intenta trasmitir con ellos mucho pontecial pero la ejecucion es mala

It's impossible to listen to, hip-hop with too much experimentation and unattractive vocals.

Didn't expect to like this.

BANGER album. Good vibes throughout 7/7

I thought MIA was supposed to be good and interesting...

Straight up banger !

Club dance poppy. I also love her voice. I should give this one another listen, might become a 5?

Look, I get it. It's a Sri Lankan fusion of rap and world music and that was new and unique, but man, this is pretty jarring. I feel like this album could be played by militaries to torture prisoners. It's just so noisy and busy in all the worst ways. For the sole reason that Paper Planes is a banger I'll give it a 3/10 (1.5/5)

There's a weirdness to this album. Jimmy is the highlight besides the huge hit Paper Planes. And the one song where she recites the lyrics to Where is my Mind.

Wasn't a huge fan

Kinda same-y

We wouldn’t have Death Grips without M.I.A

Paper Planes is easily the best song on this album. Other than that it’s kinda just okay. Not bad. Not good. Some interesting beats. Some silly lyrics

Not my thing.

A good album, I liked Boyz and Jimmy.

Y’know, after checking out two albums I think M.I.A. is starting to click for me in a real way. Paper Planes takes me right back to my uni indie club days of course but I’m digging a lot of the other tunes too. Those I might’ve found a bit shrill and annoying before suddenly seem refreshing, inventive and fun now. Also, why is the track with the Aussie kids so great? It makes me smile every time. Let’s say 3.5 / 4 stars

I'd not come across this before but really glad I have now. Loved how distinctive and different it sounds. Really tribal rhythms and her voice is brilliant.

This album is crazy in the best way possible. There is so much going on sonically and almost every song is makes you bob your head. A very unique style that pulls from M.I.A.’s Sri Lankan roots as well.

I played & danced to this album a ton when it dropped. It's an in your face, high energy commentary about politcs, war, immigration, government, drugs, and violence. Loved the beats & multicultural representation. I'm usually not a big fan of sampling, but it's done cleverly here. 4 solid stars.

This gets real annoying real fast. Only saved by Paper Planes.

2- Stars (4/15)

That's not my taste in musik. Musik?

Perennial example of an album included because of one massive track. plenty of these from the 80s and 90s too - this is just unlistenable nonsense, but an extra star for that massive song

For some reason this just hit different than Arular. Was is the Pixies reference? Or the greatness of Paper Planes? I can’t say right now, but it was a whole vibe.

Not sure what the big deal is with this record apart from having Paper Planes on it. Interesting use of sound effects as beats, but that's nothing new. Maybe I'm biased against MIA since it's hard to separate the art from the artist for me here.

Most unique album generated so far. Was not really in the mood for it, but it had me pumped by the end regardless.

Álbum con sonido interesante, música para poner de fondo, 6/10

Such a cool and different hip hop album from what commonly goes main stream. MIA's culture and place are a huge part of what makes her so unique. I can understand why someone wouldn't jive with it, but her lyrics and flow with the non traditional beats and samples make it so interesting to listen to. Love this album.

Big fan of a blend of musical styles, and this did it very well. I do wish that the lyrics didn't lean on hooks so much, quite a lot of the songs started to feel quite repetitive. 3/5. My name is MIA and Young Fathers was my idea.

Sometimes pretty interesting, sometimes pretty bad. Paper Planes is so good though. The sound of the summer in the common room.

Not great but 1 good song

Not sure

Really enjoyed this one. Very different

not for me

This is trash

I’m about to be MIA from this site. I know I’m not going to like everything but this has been some run…ouch.

I tried

I remember being so disappointed with this when it came out. Paper Planes was such a massive bop, nothing else on here could come close. But with a bit of distance, I can enjoy the rest of the tunes without those sky high expectations. Still nothing great, but a decent album after all.

Probably more deserving than many to be on this list because of the nature of the album and the artist but still not something that I would willingly put on again

I loved this album; reminded me of the frenetic band Die Antwoord! Paper Planes is a clear favorite, but honestly, I loved all the tracks! That's why I joined this challenge!

I loved this album! I’ve loved a few of M.I.A.’s songs in the past (Bad Girls is a stand out) but I’d never listened to a full album of hers for some reason?! This album had some incredible tracks! The were a few bits I didn’t love, and a few of the samples were a little hit and miss, but I listened to it over and over and particularly loved … Come Around as a new to me track. I think it’ll go on high rotation! There’s something about the beats and repeated vocal and instrumental elements that really tickles my brain, clashing sounds and international vibes that just really do it for me! Yes! I came back to edit this, I've thought about doing it multiple times because she's just such a twat and I just don't want this album this high on my list anymore. DEMOTED.

You know the saying, “you can go your whole life without drinking water”, because you’ll just die at the end? I sometimes feel that when listening to 1001 albums before I die, cause if I keep getting these dogshit albums I’m not going to make it to the end.

She sucks but it's p good

Really enjoying that M.I.A album. Such a cool, dynamic combination of elements. The songs are a but rhythmically repetitive though, which I get is a stylistic choice but it does get a bit tedious at times.

HL: “Paper Planes” (obviously), “Come Around”, “Hussel”, “BirdFlu”, “Boyz” First full M.I.A album One gets the feeling Beyoncé wouldn’t have made RENAISSANCE, or Yitler made Yeezus 💿 the same way without stuff like this paving the way “Bamboo Banga” is a pretty great indicator of how the whole album goes; abrasive and repeats itself a lot, but it’s ridiculously catchy and inventive. March 16, 2024

OK.

I was surprised to find that I enjoyed this. I hated this when it came out in 2007 and “Paper Planes” was extremely overplayed. However, time and mellowing tastes happen and I don’t hate this. I probably won’t seek this out again, but it was fine for 45 minutes.

This was hard for me to listen to, I made it through 3 songs .. 2 stars

It was difficult to get through it. Paper planes is the most recognizable song and carries the album. The others were ok. Not sure I want to listen to those other songs again.

Not my particular cup of tea, but I can definitely tell why it's included. The soundscape was extremely unique, utilizing sounds effects including, cars, dogs barking, guns, and a cash register. The beats really drove the experience and included a lot of chanting and some bizarre rhythms. There were even a few synth Brit-pop songs sprinkled throughout. Definitely an interesting and pushing the envelope of what music can be.

It has its moments, mostly near the end of the album. But mostly it's an irritatingly repetitive listen.

5.5/10

Every time I start an album that doesn't sound like late 60's guitar masturbation or pop-rock, I rush to the comments on this god-forsaken website to read the salty reviews. It sustains me. So many music "fans" can't listen to anything outside of their little genre circles they've sequestered themselves in. This album is not what I expected at all. Paper Planes was so pervasive in my high school experience. It was everywhere in the late 2000's. It's definitely a stand-out on this album, but if you can't bob your head to the percussion on the rest of these tracks, you're probably dead inside. The thick sound on songs like 20 Dollar are just infectious. The world music influence on this album is incredible. I understand this type of music not being your favorite, but calling it "unlistenable" is childish. Grow up lmao

This album is a representation of what it was like to live in a third world country in the 2000s, and parts of the album are so creative. M.I.A. really knows how to tell a story, and Kala is no exception. Songs like “Jimmy” talk about falling in love with a UN worker (when the song very well could be a cover). The features here are a mixed bag, with Afrikan Boy’s feature being the best out of the three and The Wilcannia Mob (a one-hit wonder group in Australia full of preteens) being the worst. “Mango Pickle Down River” is just decent. Regardless, the album is amazing and a must listen. That’s why I think it deserves an 84.1/100, or a 4.205/5. Fav: “Jimmy” Least Fav: “Mango Pickle Down River”

No thanks. A strong beat and a clever lyric repeated ad nauseum is no substitute for talent.

This was a great album! The beats to each track were absolutely great the lyrics were a bit weird but the instrumentals were on point.

I liked it enough to listen again

Do I even need to listen to this? It is one of my favorite album from that era. Let me re-listen. MIA COMING BACK WITH POWER POWER. yep. Oh yeah BirdFlu.. drums 🥁 kids and SQUAWK! Boyz.. infectious rhythm. check. JIMMY AAJA throwback disco. 20 Dollar... the sequel to last album's 10 Dollar but this time you get AK's with Pixies throwbacks. WHERE IS MY MIND? XR2... Where were in you 92? Whistle whistle blow blow 🤯🤯🤯 Oh yeah that Paper Planes song that blew up a year after this album was released. Got her on the Super Bowl where she properly gave Corporate America the middle finger 🖕 Still a 5 star to me

there's some pretty good stuff in here, some interesting mash ups of different genres, but i find most of it too irritating to really appreciate.

A lot of repetitive songs, and many of them sounded a bit the same. However, a fun album that would be good for parties and obvs Paper Planes is a great song

M.I.A. - Kala I love all the different mixes of music from around the world on this album. It's such a breath of fresh air and not your regular cookie cutter music. We all know the song Paper Planes. I had only listened to it and I'm so glad that this popped up so I would actually listen to the entire album. I saw a copy of this on vinyl while in San Diego and passed it up as I didn't want an album for one song. Now I wish I'd picked it up! (Plus the song 20 dollar has a sample/interpretation of the Pixies 'Where is my mind" that is so great) 5/5

She is so cool.

This must have been a really exciting album for people who make commercials. The album demands attention.

Very good

Hell yeah brother. Real good sounds on this one. Mango Pickle Down River is a revelation

Outside paper planes this is an annoying album. The background vocals/sirens/dog barks don’t add for me. The percussion parts are redeeming at times.

No……

Just kinda terrible.

Banger! Never listened to the entire album but it’s great!

Eu achei Mt bom, adorei os elementos de eletrônica, os instrumentos e sons inusitados, sons bem agudos e "ruins de escutar", mas com o rap dela por cima e o ritmo, fica bem gostoso, quase que hipnotizante, e da aquela coçada bem boa no cérebro. O ritmo e os sons sao Mt inspirado na música indiana e, na minha percepção, o ritmo tem um tom bem latino, oq faz com que ele prepare um chão Mt bom para experimentar e explorar todos os sons possíveis, e foi isso que me atraiu pelo álbum, ele eh bem experimental, com toda música trazendo ou um som, ou um feat, ou um ritmo e até msm idiomas diferentes, algo que faz brilhar o quesito artistico que a m.i.a tem, e deixando claro que ela tem interesse em mudar padrões e se diverte fazendo músicas estranhas, além disso, tem uma linha de raciocínio pelo correr de todo o álbum, onde nada que eh adicionado parece não pensado, ou que não combina com o resto das músicas, e eu digo isso pq são coisas bem inusitadas. Ouvindo uma outra música dela, da para notar como, se não apetecendo ao meu gosto, pode se tornar bem chato e repetitivo o estilo dela, dentro desse álbum tudo faz sentido e a repetição não aparece como algo ruim, mas sim como uma decisão artística, que dá a característica do álbum, isso dito, músicas fora de contexto podem ser cansativas, assim, seria interessante ouvir outros álbuns , para dar esse veredito. Tenho que fazer uma parte para elogiar a voz dela, Mt linda e poderosa, importantíssima para o estilo, e o jeito do rap dela eh Mt interessante, trazendo aquela rap britânico, mas que não parece europeu, por ela trazer diversas tonalidades e maneirismos de línguas diferentes e culturas diferentes. Além de tudo, pelo sentido cultural, foi bom conhecer uma cantora indiana, algo que me falta Mt, não conheço nada msm e essa primeira impressão me animou para ir atrás de mais. 7/10

I love the different sounds and influences M.I.A. draws from here and makes it sound fresh without being derivative. Bits of it sound a little repetitive here and there but still a great listen even 15 years later

I was really enjoying this album, then I had a break to do the school run and when I came back it no longer hit the same. Paper Planes is amazing though. And absolute respect to M.I.A., she’s definitely a role model.

I've only known "Paper Planes" before listening to this album. The rest of the album is consistent with the eclectic samples and sounds from that hit, so M.I.A. has delivered a very consistent album. I particularly like the Eastern tones of some of the riffs in each song--it sounds like a 21st Century soundtrack to a Sri Lankan open market. Besides "Paper Planes" I really like "20 Dollar" (and the Pixies' "Where Is My Mind" reference).

Listened to it several times, then checked out her first album. Quite an ambitious artist. Liked her energy and creativity. She definitely spent part of her life in war zones. International influences are obvious in her music. I will try to check out her later albums as well.

Nope

Not my cup of tea.

paper planes and come around are the only songs that are tolerable everything else is just not for me 2.5 little tired of albums very obviously being chosen to get me to listen to a single song, don't think whoever chose this album knew a single song outside of paper planes on here

Sound of an era but kinda ass most of the time

Really liked this. Been a fan of hers for a while and enjoyed the beats.

Wild that MIA is on this list twice (and I've already heard both). Of the two albums, I would prefer this album. Stellar production and shocked by some of the samples ($20 and Blue Monday). Two weakish tracks Mango Pickle Down River (vocals not great) and Come Around (Timbaland really drags the track down). Outside of those two, album is a great listen. Big energy.

Super cool. Not your run of the mill hip hop. Definitely worth a listen if you like stuff that's a bit weird.

I'm guessing M.I.A. would love how marmite the reviews on 1001 are - mostly 5 or a 1. And there is something cool about that. But I'm going to have to side with the guys voting 1. I just don't see it. I only knew Paper Planes, and I wish that were still true. There are so many good ideas in Paper Planes, and then one idea per track after that. Repetitive and annoying. Jimmy was listenable, and that's the best I can do.

Sure, I can try to review the album Kala by M.I.A. for you. Here is my opinion based on the criteria you mentioned: Lyrical themes: The album explores various topics such as immigration, war, poverty, globalization, and cultural identity. M.I.A. uses her personal experiences and political views to create a powerful and provocative message. She also incorporates different languages and slang terms from the places she visited while recording the album, such as India, Jamaica, Liberia, and Australia. Some of the standout tracks in terms of lyrics are “Paper Planes”, “Bamboo Banga”, and “World Town”. Music: The album is a fusion of diverse musical genres and influences, such as hip-hop, dancehall, electro, bhangra, baile funk, and rock. M.I.A. collaborates with various producers and artists, such as Timbaland, Diplo, Switch, and Afrikan Boy, to create a unique and eclectic sound. The album is also very experimental and adventurous, using unconventional samples and instruments, such as gunshots, cash registers, children’s voices, and urumee drums. Some of the standout tracks in terms of music are “Bird Flu”, “Boyz”, and “Jimmy”. Production: The album is well-produced and polished, despite the challenges and limitations that M.I.A. faced while making it. She had to record the album in different countries and studios, due to visa issues and travel restrictions. She also had to deal with censorship and controversy, as some of her songs were deemed too political or violent by the media and the authorities. Despite these obstacles, she managed to create a cohesive and consistent album that showcases her creativity and talent. The production quality is high and the sound is clear and crisp. Influence: The album is widely regarded as one of the best albums of the 2000s and one of the most influential albums of the 21st century. It received critical acclaim and commercial success, earning several awards and nominations, such as a Grammy, a Mercury Prize, and an Oscar. It also influenced many artists and genres, such as pop, rap, indie, and world music. The album is considered a landmark in the history of music and culture, as it represents the voice and the vision of a global citizen. Overall, I think Kala is a brilliant and groundbreaking album that deserves all the praise and recognition it has received. It is a masterpiece of musical and lyrical expression, that challenges and inspires the listener.

Puhh. Ret monotomt i lyden store dele af albummet, men underholdende nok til at fastholde fokus. papir planes skiller sig virkelig voldsomt meget ud fra resten, ikke noget at sige til det det blev hittet.

It’s a BirdFlu.. It’s a Paper Plane… It’s Mango Banga!!! M.I.A. rapper for vildt. Hendes laidback flow og britisk-srilankanske accent er alt for lækkert. Desværre rapper hun for lidt på pladen. Hun har også nogle vilde samples og får inkorporeret flere asiatiske, og afrikanske rytmer i sine tracks. Men de bliver for ofte til mere gimmick og Dance-rytmer end fede samples og rap. Albummet efterlader mig med tanken om, at Hip-Hop genren har det meget svære end andre genrer med at lave hele albums. For ofte er der for meget fyld, for langt mellem de gode sange og på dette album stod det tydeligt frem hvor perfekt Paper Planes er. For resten var sgu for kedeligt i længden.

Rating: 6/10 Mixed bag album. For better or worse, this album is very experimental. The highlights are absolutely fantastic, the production is interesting without being overwhelming and it's very melodic. When the experimentation does not work it's bad but not totally awful, this album is so interesting sonically that even when it does not work it's still interesting, although oftentimes quite annoying to listen to. I don't enjoy a decent bit of this but when it works it's something special and very creative. Favorite songs: Jimmy, 20 Dollar, XR2, Paper Planes, Come Around. Worst songs: Bamboo Banga, BirdFlu, Boyz.

Album Nr. 31 Na ja. Mittelmaß eben.

I understand that there have to be cultural expressions and demands of all kinds, but I don't understand that, as musicals, they have to be on the list... Anyway, snobbery once again... If the suggestions continue like this, I will leave it shortly... I don't want to understand anything, I want to enjoy the music.

I appreciate the different styles and everything going on musically in this album, it’s just not really my personal taste.

Unlistenable

Not a big fan but some of the sounds were interesting.

Nop