Kala

I didn’t fully get into the vibe of this until about half way through it, so I let it repeat a second time and I was completely into it. So many features of 2010s music is here in nascent form, but it also works as a culmination of the 2000s-era digital landscape. Added to liked list: Bamboo Banga, BirdFlu, Mango Pickle Down River, The Turn, XR2, Paper Planes, Come Around

??

The fact that she became a Trumper and started making really bad born-again Christian music is a genuine loss for popular music as a whole, because on her earlier material, like this album, she was genuinely one of the most forward-thinking artists out there. NOBODY else had a radio hit like Paper Planes in 2007, or even today, really. This album is filthy, out-there, and guaranteed to get your booty bumpin' in the club - what on Earth isn't to love? 8/10 easily, with serious potential to go higher.

I’m sorry… I just don’t get it :(

This has some of the most inventive production I've heard in the hip hop genre. Every song had me confused at what I was hearing yet simultaneously dancing my ass off. And the restraint of keeping Paper Planes until the very end??? I knew of the song and always found it pretty good, but hearing it in-context genuinely enhanced even further for me! I think the gun clicks and bangs just make a lot more sense once you hear all the insane production choices found elsewhere in the record - BirdFlu has you bumping ass to chicken noises, and it freaking rocks. Absolute banga! 🙌 Standouts: Bamboo Banga • BirdFlu • Boyz • Jimmy • Mango Pickle Down River • Paper Planes • Come Around

Have I listened to this album before No How familiar am I with this album I know one or two songs How do I feel about this artist? Not really a fan, she kind of bugs me Pre-Listen Thoughts: I don’t think this is gonna be awful but it’s not gonna be my thing Favorite track(s): Paper planes I guess but I wish it was just Straight to Hell instead Post-Listen Thoughts: This girl loves a sample. This is one of those albums where I feel like me listening to it at work isn’t the right environment, maybe people like dancing to it. Very much not for me.

Inte min grej

Not bad music for dancing, or clubbing, or working out, I guess. The production has some novelty and is kind of impressive for 2007, but her mostly atonal style of composition gets tiring quickly. (It's no coincidence that paper planes is the best song, and even that wasn't really as good as I remembered.) Not to say that there isn't any good music that is purely or primarily rhythmic, but rather, I just personally dislike this kind of vibe most of the time. Most of her vocals are in the category of talking or rapping, and once you finally hear her sing, you quickly realize that she's not all that talented, so the main point of appeal to look for would be the lyrics. I did appreciate some of those, like some questioning modern society's fixation on the grind (i.e. overworking yourself without slowing down). There were a few other ideas that I appreciated but that's about all of the good things I have to say about this album. I'm feeling a strong 2, maaybe a low 3

Another critics' darling, this is her 2nd album, from 2007. Possibly, I used to own the CD (not sure) - currently, though, I only own her 1st CD, from 2005. Her music is . . . singular. Equal parts interesting and annoying. No, that's not fair, or accurate -- more like 2 parts interesting and 1 part annoying? (Currently listening to "World Town," track 8, which might make me tend to exaggerate the 'annoying' part - but aren't all of the tracks sort of like this?) This one is now nearly 20 years old, and it's another one where I wonder whether what once sounded cutting edge now sounds, I don't know, just strange and intriguing, like a road not taken? Or am I off on this? Did her music (does her music) influence a lot of artists who've come after her? Anyway, to rate this: it's either a 3 or a 4. Based solely on how much I like the music, it's no more than a 3. The 4 argument would be for producing something fresh and new, provocative and singular, a welcome voice in the world musical conversation. Eh, it's a toss-up (both arguments are strong); guess I'll go with a very low 4. But, if I'm honest, I won't frequently think: know what I wanna listen to? Some M.I.A. P.S. The core groove of "Paper Planes," which appears to have been her biggest hit, was a sample of the core groove of "Straight to Hell," by The Clash, from 1982.

it is with great satisfaction that I rate this higher than the last Elton John album. The opening track of Kala seems to laugh at the boomers whom laud EJ as the pinnacle of pop and have benefited so much from colonialism and it's aftermath. It is laughing at those who think EJ is superior and this isn't music. This is just as musically interesting and fun. What's more, M.I.A. is (unsurprisingly) better at incorporating diverse musical styles and samplings. The biggest weakness of the album is the beat production, which probably would have benefited from collaboration with Timbaland (the description says it fell through) although his lyrical contribution on the last track is the worst of the album. That being said, "Paper Planes" is easily one of the best songs of the century. I hear influences on Little Simz, Jockstrap, and Charli xcx to name a few

Sounded like a shit Charlie XCX and I don’t like Charlie XCX

Aside from lines taken from the very first record I ever bought, at the outset of playing this album, I was quite sure whether I'd like it. As the album played I *think* I kind of like it, but I really prefer the music to the vocals.

Some highlights, M.I.A.'s sound is very cool. Paper Planes of course is fantastic. She should only have one album on this list though, and I prefer her first. Listened to around the 🗽 in Paris.

This was great, weird, not typical hip hop, but that made it so much fun

1001 albums you must hear before you die. Two albums by M.I.A. https://youtu.be/ti9bzNWWTDY?is=GVXio2Nu4CxNfotS

Do I hate it or is it so bad I start to like it?

Even the undeniably catchy "paper planes" can't save this album.

laatste twee songs zijn te pruimen... rest is om direct te klasseren in de vuilbak, tesamen met haar politieke ideeën

Very interesting project. Once more, surprised this is my first time listening to it. I really enjoyed the percussive elements of it and, of course, "Paper Planes" still stands as one of the best pop songs of all time. Some cool tracks here for sure. Nothing too crazy but fun overall.

there’s some bangers in here

all i wanna do is *BANG BANG BANG BANG* *body drops to the floor, dead*

This was fun, enjoyed it and appreciated the eclectic sounds.

M.I.A., Britin mit tamilischen Wurzeln, wollte „Kala" eigentlich mit Timbaland in den USA aufnehmen. Das Visum kam nicht, also zog sie los: AM Studios in Chennai, dazu Sessions auf Trinidad, in Jamaika, Liberia, Japan und London. Timbaland tauchte am Ende doch noch auf, mit „Come Around", gemischt in den Chalice Recording Studios in Los Angeles. Herausgekommen ist 2007 auf XL Recordings (in den USA bei Interscope) ein Album zwischen Alternative Hip-Hop, Electro und Weltmusik, das nach keiner dieser Schubladen wirklich klingt. Die Singles kennt man: „Paper Planes" mit dem Clash-Sample, später durch „Slumdog Millionaire" ein Welthit, dazu „Boyz", „Jimmy" und „Bird Flu", aufgenommen mit Trommlern aus Tempeln in Chennai. Switch, Diplo und Blaqstarr haben mitproduziert, den Zusammenhalt stiftet aber sie selbst. Stärker als die Hits sind teils die Stücke, die weniger Aufmerksamkeit bekamen: „World Town" klingt wie ein Alarm, den man trotzdem mitsingen will, und „20 Dollar" greift die Pixies auf, ohne dass es nach Zitat riecht. Anstrengend ist „Kala" trotzdem. Fast jedes Stück drängt nach vorn, Luft zum Atmen gibt es kaum, und beim ersten Durchlauf kann das erschlagen. Hinter dem Lärm steckt ein Thema, nämlich Migration, Krieg und Geld, gesehen aus der Perspektive ihrer Mutter, nach der das Album benannt ist. „Paper Planes" ist der Hit, „World Town" der Beweis, dass dieses Album mehr kann.

Heard before?:❌️ Will listen again?:❓️

1.2/5 Paper planes was the only saving grace on this album.

I was fully prepared to treat this album poorly based on my dislike of Arular. I actually kind of liked this one, the fusion between world and dance just felt like it worked.

Wasn't in the mood when I put this on, but I was after about 2 minutes. This was an album I got from a vinyl subscription service and was shocked how much I liked it when it came. That hasn't faded. Every listen it just brings joy.

When I saw the recommendation I though: oh I love this album, 5 stars for sure. Then I listened to it years after the first time and is just not as good as I remembered. Hussle, Bamboo Banga and Paper planes are the best moments. The rest makes it for a very interesting album with a yes, refreshing sound but songs that sound different aren't necessarily good songs.

I found this surprisingly good with its infectious energy and confidence. Who knows what genre this is, but seems kind of innovative.

Beetje vreemd maar wel lekker. Heeft iets van Indiase invloeden, maar ook van drum'n'bass? Helaas wordt het ook vaak een beetje saaie rap-muziek, en dan haak ik af.

I used to own this album. I don’t anymore. There are some good tracks on here, such as Paper Planes and MR2, but there are some intensely chaotic tracks on here too.

Одной песней сыт не будешь

algumas músicas ok (que devem ter sido impactantes pra época) e outras irritantes que não sei nem o que achar. na verdade, ouvir já sabendo que ela foi de uma artista refugiada inovadora pra uma antivax-trumpista-chapéu-de-alumínio-escrota não me trouxe nenhuma boa vontade, mas ainda assim o álbum não redimiu muito também. R.I.P. M.I.A.

o melhor momento do álbum foi um som de carro de F1 na primeira música, depois disso foi ladeira abaixo. (perdão pra quem gosta mas música eletrônica não faz sentido pra mim)

Fuck it, was fire -1 for her current bs

𝘒𝘢𝘭𝘢 leaves me with much the same impression as 𝘈𝘳𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘳. The restless beats, insistent vocals, and constant activity are all familiar, and I struggle to hear what gives this album a character of its own. That doesn’t make it a bad record. There are moments I enjoy, and M.I.A. certainly isn’t short of energy. But whatever the differences between the two albums, they haven’t changed my reaction very much. I’m still interested in parts rather than won over by the whole thing. 𝘿𝙞𝙨𝙘𝙡𝙖𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙧: While I respect M.I.A.’s influence as an artist, I don’t share or endorse her later political views, including her statements about COVID-19 and support for Donald Trump. My assessment here is focused purely on the musical and cultural aspects of the album.

I was disappointed by this album. Most of the tracks weren't even close to being as good as "Paper Planes". "Kala" felt a bit too weird for my tastes. Speaking of weird, M.I.A went loopy recently. That, however, is another story. 2 stars for "Kala".

Want great at the start but got better. Paper planes was legit bot overall not driven to listen to it again. Fine.

Honestly, not a fan, and yet... everybody knows Paper Planes, and it's a fun jam, but I really found myself getting into XR2. Maybe it was sheer nostalgia, since I graduated college in '91 and instantly identified with most of the references. The power beats of the last few songs, even with Timbaland and Tamil (I assume?) thrown in, made me show some grace to the annoyingly repetitive earlier tracks.

pretty hard to listen to, idk if i like british music

Real mix, some great songs, some I found not so good. Paper Planes is still a classic for a reason. Very interesting album in general. 3.5/5

An unpleasant, chaotic mess of a record that's little more than an unstructured pile of samples and synthesizer doodling. Oh, and it's "political" too, which additionally ramps up the unlistenability quotient.

phenomenal wish she wasnt a trump lover

I didn’t know what to expect but it wasn’t this. Interesting sounds and weird production (in a good way.) as a whole I didn’t love it but I respect it.

If you’ve heard the album’s lead single in Far Cry 3 or Slumdog Millionaire, you already have a rough idea of ​​what to expect from the record. M.I.A. originally planned to record it under Timbaland’s direction. In the end, only the final track remained from that collaboration — and a good thing, too: the song isn't bad, but it sounds just like any other track of his. The album’s core sound is perfectly captured by its cover art — explosive, pixelated, slightly psychedelic, and resembling a patchwork quilt. The artist blends Indian, Sri Lankan, and Western sounds here: the former two are represented by wildlife sounds, traditional drums, and Bollywood music, while the latter comes through in grime, samples from The Clash and New Order, and nods to the Pixies. With Diplo and Switch on production duties, it comes as no surprise that they would go on to create Major Lazer, a project equally rooted in eclecticism. An excellent piece of work — noisy, vibrant, and arguably unique.

I recall MIA appearing on some Madonna albums around the time of this one. She has a distinctive style and incorporates some styles from round the world like Bhangra and uses producers like Timbaland to give a unique production and rhythmic sound on the last track. Unfortunately I can't stand the sound of her rapping and most of this album would be music I skip automatically due it being an example of music not sounding at its best.......to my ears of course. There's a market, naturally!

I can make better music with my ass

There's some interesting use of music from multiple cultures here with a modern twist on attitude. It makes sense. It's well done. It hits exactly what it's going for. There's a track that samples a bunch of young kids and there's always such a strange sound of young kids rapping with a ton of attitude. It works and doesn't at the same time.

This had such an interesting sound at the time and I believe was pretty influential. I had this on a heavy rotation when it came out. There is some fun stuff here, but it doesn't all hold up.

It was okay but got overly political and redundant at times.

Really like the percussion and the chopped up sounds. Loads of energy.

Staggeringly cool, ecletic, jarring music, and at times staggeringly annoying lyrics and vocals.

Chiquito Far Cry 3

Forgettable, is the word that comes to mind. It is not bad or annoying, but it just completely isn't my cup of tea. With the exception of the hit 'Paper Planes', there just aren't that many memorable things on here. 2/5

How am I going to explain to my grandchildren how obsessed we all were with paper planes in 2008 it was everywhere and it was marvelous...the rest of this album is....OK. the samples and interpolations fluctuate from oh that's cool to insufferably derivative. The groove on come around is actually super sick too though. But yeah overall the album is kinda mid/annoying even though it has some killer singles and bright moments

Pretty solid. I listened to a podcast about MIA and paper planes since the last MIA album we got so I appreciate it more than the last one which I gave a 1 (and was a pretty dissonant listen)

I had this cd back in the day. I feel the same way about it as I did back then. Paper Planes is an all timer and the rest I really have to be in the mood to listen to.

Enjoyed her debut album quite a bit and then fell off for this one. The amount of seemingly disconnected sampling paired with the flat vocal delivery that comes off as expiremental wasn't doing it very much for me. I think the songs have a good amount of world sound that puts it apart from the kinds of albums that come out in the US on average but the novelty isn't enough to keep me fully engaged. Overall it's something I wouldn't think twice about as a dance song that came on in a playlist but I wouldn't search for most of it on it's own.

Fun

Paper Planes is excellent but the rest of this feels too disjointed, too sampled.

First listen was mainly annoying. Then I turned it up louder, increased the bass, and the songs worked much better. Still sounds different.

3.5 Interesting one, did really enjoy in parts but there were other bits that didn't hit for me. Crazy she's crazy now.

It's a little out of the norm for pop, but it still isn't anything too special.

This is so good - why did she have to go fucking insane? I was obviously very familiar with Paper Planes, but hadn't really heard any of the other stuff - I was going to say "and it's even better than Paper Planes" but that would be ridiculous; let's just say it's great too.

2,5

Listened before? Yes, many years ago Thoughts: - *sigh* A few years ago I would've been excited to get this from the generator. I loved Paper Planes when it came out, and remember liking some more of her stuff. But knowing she went all conspiracy theory nutjob and became a giant hypocrite, I can't really enjoy it at this point. - I do still think several of these songs are great, but I don't see myself actually listening to them again. Favorite track(s): World Town, Paper Planes

Dance party for 1

Ugh I feel like this has aged like shit. Paper Planes is still a banger, not gonna pretend it’s not; it’s one of the best one hit wonders of that era, but MAN…I feel like the rest of this album is a MESS. Being told this was super critically acclaimed and beloved and on lots of best of the year lists literally feels like being gaslit! Some of the beats are okay? The rest is just this overbearing, clunky, tryhard MESS. Come ON, y’all!

The best song on this album is Paper Planes. The song is heavily reliant on a sample of Straight To Hell by the Clash and was a pervasive earworm that is still heard in movies and TikTok reels worldwide (except Sri Lanka). It’s not the only good song though. The album starts strong with a string of solid jams Bamboo Banga, Bird Flu, Boyz & Jimmy but, doesn’t maintain that same level throughout. I’m going to separate the art from artist here only to say M.I.A. has chalked up chaotic collection of controversial opinions, but since I was lecturing people for doing that, I won’t do it either. Everyone is entitled to their opinions and not one of us gets it right 100% of the time. She is a singular and unique talent. 3.4

Tuesday, 8 September, 2026 It’s good. She has a unique sound (the sound of Sri Lankan UK hip hop?). Paper Planes is obviously an amazing track. Nothing else stood out much.

Paper planes will always be a classic of the 2010s however the rest of this just wasn't my cup of tea, it wasn't horrible but no other single song really stood out to me

#93 I like the fusion of hip-hop, electronic, and world beats, but some of these songs feel aimless and disjointed. Not bad overall though. Highlights: Jimmy, Paper Planes

Disco bom que vai de brilhante pra irritante e flutua bastante esses dois estados espirituais. É algo bom! Pois ao menos faz o disco ser interessante e imprevisível. Muitos samples fantásticos, e eu consistentemente gosto dos vocais da M.I.A. O Álbum costuma me perder nos momentos mais “música penis”, onde a artista abusa dos efeitos cômicos que me tiram um pouco da experiência. Mas não é sempre, e nem em toda faixa. Uma artista única, não dá pra comparar com mais nada, e sempre aprecio isso. Muitas faixas ótimas. Gosto bastante. 4/5

We all know the one song and it's pretty good.. But the rest of this album really is hot garbage. Not worth ever revisiting.

Nothing of any note here. A complete mystery why anyone would listen to this.

This one I really enjoyed. There's some sick beats on this album and the energy is really high throughout. I'll be coming back to this one.

Such an odd artist. Takes such big swings. Most of the time she fully wiffs, spins around, falls over. But when she connects, that shit is DEEP, upper deck, never a doubt. I learned long ago to not bother poutting on a full album though.

I loved this album when I came out. I think I was in Aus at the time and remember thinking Keith was the coolest kid on the planet. This album is a sonic assault on the best possible way, it sounds like a global collective of conscious creativity. Amazing that M.I.A went full anti-vax Maga. Boggles the mind that someone could do that much of a 180. What a dickhead.

I used to hear paper planes a lot on the alt stations, somehow it was a crossover, which I never really understood, because I don't like stuff like this, so didn't care for the rest of the album either.

Annoying

I didn't love it

Paper planes was the soundtrack to my freshman year of college

Barring paper planes this Mundane In Action

Nice beats (especially XR2). Also contains the classic "Paper Planes" present in the soundtrack of "Slumdog Millionaire" (2008).

Zanimiv

Simple and repetitive but deceptively complicated.

Shame she went off the cliff edge as a flat earther

Interesting sampling of world music. Even I recognise the “Paper Planes” song.

Great!

How MIA has 2 x albums on this list is beyond me. Very dated and whilst sonically diverse it does not hold up lyrically. Saved from a 1 star from Paper Planes

Aunque alcanza buenos ambientes es complicado soportar ese estilo todo el disco, pero no le quita el valor innovador.

Not bad, I enjoyed several tracks. Some things weren’t quite my style, but the beats are good.

Will Smith had better taste than people who like Will Smith.

Bird Flu Boyz Jimmy Paper Planes

Paper planes was an anthem back in the day, riddled with nostalgia, but my god what nonsense is the rest of this album

A highly acclaimed 2000s world/hiphop album that I wasn't really familar with. The sound feels ahead of its time and the vocal work, themes felt like a lot of music that was to come in the 2010s. Paper Planes is by far a very popular song that I also have heard before but not that familiar with. Overall, this was a fun listen and deserves the praise.

That's really awful. 1

I enjoyed this. I only knew Paper Planes, but I love that song. I first heard it in the trailer for Pineapple Express back in the day, and I immediately looked up and the song and bought it. The album had Indian/Bollywood vibes. The songs had good beats.

The production on this thing is cool and unique, blending sounds from africa and india. MIA is good, lyrics sometimes a bit ???. I liked it, it sounds interesting atleast compared to other albums on this list.

25. avgust 2026. 19.26h još jedan srednja škola nostalgija album (i još jedna umjetnica koju mi je pokvarilo njeno ponašanje i lična uvjerenja) unforč album je still boppy also also paper planes koja je postala najpopularnija (i koja je meni u srcu omiljena sa ovog albuma) je tako nimalo slična ostalim pjesmama, it's jarrin best: bamboo banga, jimmy, paper planes