Arular

I guess I didn't think M.I.A. was influential enough to be on here more than once.

An album where every song is a seizure.

For fucks sake... this is like one terrible song on repeat.

stop sayin crazy shit bout vaccines, lady

A true fusion album; I can't classify it as one specific genre. It is cool to see explicit political messaging outside of its usual mediums like rap and punk. A few of the songs are really catchy, and I like the overall 2000s liminal vibes.

Really didn't like this. Repetitive, amateurish. I struggled to listen all the way through. The vocals - which only seem to have one gear - and rhythm are not interesting at all. Very disappointing.

S.I.K

I'm not sure what I expected but I sure didn't expect to end up totally digging this album. It's weird, wild, compelling, and completely different from anything else I've heard. I don't know, it's just really great. Gonna need to give this one several more listens.

Great debut album.

This is obnoxious. I couldn't make it more than two songs in. From a one-hit-wonder to two albums on this list is a tragedy.

After talking to many folks about this album? From here and abroad? It's a very different story. When Galang dropped in 04 in Sydney Australia? We went nuts. Not just a lil rowdy? Nuts. So when Arular came out in 05? It became the banger of the year. A month and a half later Trent Reznor drops With Teeth and then goes on record saying that he wishes his album was as dynamic Arular by M.I.A. Immediately sending the flag out to work with her. Everyone who was everyone wanted this girl to work with them. So I can understand why this album is in the list of things you need to listen to? Cause if you think about the scene back then with everyone complaining about "real instruments"? And the flood of faux garage and rock groups? Jet, The Hives, The Strokes, White Stripes and all of that? Out of nowhere comes a refugee banger that took on all the war sentiments feeling at the time and made folks dance through it. It's a real important album if you know why it came to fruition and how that product shifted aforementioned Trent Reznor's mind set for the next incarnation of NIN when he broke free from all the record labels. The Slip Hesitation Marks The rise and fall of Niggy Tardust - Saul William's album he produced? Yo... this record hit the right people and changed how music was heard. Kudos MIA

I was initially unsure of what to make of MIA. Is she an inauthentic poseur of limited talent provoking controversy for the sake of attention (as some of her critics have implied) or an exciting artist voicing important and complex messages about globalisation (as her supporters say)? I'm not 100% comfortable with her use of lyrics and imagery that refer to terrorism and armed conflict, justified by personal connection via her father's alleged involvement with the Tamil Tigers. I understand her point that there are not clear moral boundaries in a complex world (one person's terrorist is another one's freedom fighter), but it is sometimes hard to tell whether what she says is authentic and where she is courting attention through controversy. And she is certainly not the first pop star to adopt the aesthetics of the freedom fighter and occasionally tone-deaf rhetoric to go with it (hello Joe Strummer, Bono, RATM, and a bunch of other male artists who got away with it). There is something highly performative in MIA; which is not an unforgivable sin in a professional performer. On reflection, I think she is the real deal, in a very post-modern way that conflates notions of 'authentic' and 'inauthentic'. I find her work exciting and energising, with a fascinating mélange of sounds from around the world, especially South Asia. I like the cheap-as-chips production (an aesthetic she picked up from Peaches). I really like this record, but (like I said), I'm not sure if it is genius or trash. It could be both! She obviously rubs a lot of people the wrong way and cops a lot of criticism because she doesn't play by the accepted rules. Maybe she's too female, too non-Western, too confident, not deferential enough for those critics' taste. The album plays to her strengths, which are simplicity, directness, confidence, colour, pride and openness. That said, I can see that Arular has been removed from the latest editions of 1001 Albums, rightly superseded by Kala. Kala is her masterpiece album. Not as many bangers here.

Move over Peter Gabriel, we have a new champion for Most Annoying Album I Awarded Five Stars

Weird and wonderful, with a head-spinning array of genres and styles. Very english, very sri Lankan and Indian too. Feels like walking through London or one of the other great cultural melting pots of our time. I loved it

M.I.A. swaggers in. Boombox booming in one hand, the other hand texts acronyms to friends flung far away. It's hard to pin her down, with her Caribbean lilts, her Bristolian beats, her Arabic patois, her Mr. Oizo synths, her Acton shout-outs. Arular's fantastic. Music from the most bombastic sources distilled through a cocky self-assured artist with a real knack for hooks. It's quite the cocktail.

I wish Paper Planes was on this album. It’s my favourite M.I.A. song. Notwithstanding that, this had me bouncing in my seat and I love her global, kleptomaniac approach to mixing styles with a political stance to boot. I haven’t felt so physically inclined to dance along for a while - so - bonus!! Going to listen to Bad Girls now. This has actually made me happy.

Basically just annoying through the first few songs so in a radical act of self care, I am not forcing myself to listen to this entire album

Already listened to it 4 times. Love it!

This one is a winner! Such a cool and unique sound.

Totally catchy yet completely unpredictable. I so appreciate M.I.A.'s unique sound!

I love M.I.A. But that rework of the Sanford and Son theme on U.R.A.Q.T. took my love to the next level. Is there nothing M.I.A. Can’t do?

Genial, eindringlich, anders, stark aber nicht aggro

Perfection

WOW. Where has she been all my life? I absolutely loved this album. Beats set my day up to be a good one. So inventive and different, especially at that time.

Politically charged lyrics over some insane beats. Perfection

In your face, a difficult and wonderfully fun listen.

I love this album. More than Kala. I don't know why but it just bumps so hard from start to finish. Sunshowers, Bucky Done Gun, Galang... all classics.

Late review: Christian asked to put on an album over breakfast, he wanted to know what I thought of it. I immediately begin grooving to the beats... niceeee He said that I should look at what Sam and Caitlin thought of it... "Why? Did Caitlin say she wants to vomit?" --- M.I.A. , I'm sorry I haven't checked out more of your stuff, other than those classic paper planes... I'll fly away with you on any type of plane, rootless to any land together, and we can listen to this album on the way. I like the hooks, the beat, the sass, the delivery, the grit, the strength, the venture, the lack of boundaries... the rhythms, rhythms, rhythms. I'm confused, thrilled, and I like it.

M.I.A. is a trailblazing female rapper

9/10 godDAMN I love M.I.A.! she’s got such an interesting, one-of-a-kind style that deserves to be commended

Truly one of the pioneers of the experimental crossover sounds that exist in today's music. A very fun listen, with interludes that flow as well.

Enjoyed it quiet a lot. Very interesting snappy beats on this one. There wasn't really any song that I didn't enjoy. Maybe the skit/intermissions could've been left out. Thankfully there are just 3 of them and they're not that annoying to pull me out of the experience.

J'ai trouvé ca trop nice. M.I.A a un style vraimenta elle pour ces années. En plus c'est son premier album. vraiment nice. C'est pas pour toutes les occasions mais, comme on dit, ''it grows on you'' et quand tu arrives a la derniere chanson tu es hook. 5

I loved this. Fired me up. I've enjoyed every song I've ever heard by MIA, so I'm kicking myself for not checking out this banger before.

This album is a complete mess from start to finish. It's very hard to find any redeeming qualities here-just muddles and forgettable album that fails to deliver anything of value.

Apparently she likes bananas.

This is fucking insufferable. Get this shit far away from me. How could anyone deliberately listen to this absolute fucking garbage?

Fucking nonsense.

I can't stand M.I.A.'s music the second time around here either (and no, I did not consider M.I.A.'s music worthy of a second entry here to begin with).

Oh this is a total banger. Wow. A breath of fresh air in the rap world, M.I.A. is definitely one of the most inspirational artists of the 2000s. This album has great catchy hooks and fun verses with serious lyrics. The beats are phenomenal. I love M.I.A.

It’s hard to fathom that M.I.A.'s Arular is closing in on its 20th anniversary. When it dropped in 2005, I was living in London, and the buzz around it was undeniable. You’d hear tracks like “Galang” and “Bucky Done Gun” everywhere—from the most uptight clubs to the scuzziest dive bars. Arular stood out, with its heady blend of hip-hop, dancehall, electro, and world music creating a sound that felt far more alive and unpredictable than anything mainstream at the time. Truth be told, I’ve never been sold on M.I.A.’s lyrics. Even back then, it felt like she was a teenager cosplaying Noam Chomsky, throwing out broad political statements without any real knowledge to back it up. Nearly 20 years on, that impression has only solidified, especially with her recent dabblings in conspiracy theories and newfound religious leanings. At her best, her lyrics skim the surface of complex issues—civil war, terrorism, oppression—but rarely dive deep enough to say anything meaningful. However, unlike many reviewers, I do enjoy her vocal delivery. It’s one of the things that hooked me back then and still stands out now. There’s a swagger and rawness to her voice that matches the experimental production perfectly. Where her lyrics might stumble, her voice hits hard, and the beats—while sparse and jarring at times—still feel ahead of their time. Listening to Arular today is like catching a glimpse of a parallel 2025, where the music is sharp and anarchic, even if the message is occasionally muddled. In the end, Arular endures not because of its political depth but because of its fearless, genre-defying sound. It captured a moment and remains a vital, if flawed, musical rebellion. Did/Do I own this release? On mp3 Does this release belong on the list? Kala feels like a more essential album. I’ll get back to you after I listen to that one again. Would this release make my personal list? Probably not. I do like it, but some of the topics are poorly fleshed out. This is an album that’s fun once in a while. Will I be listening to it again? It’s an album I’ll return to occasionally, but probably not one I’ll reach for often.

This was something unique. Rap/Hip-hop mixed with electronica is not that unusual, but her lyrics and the fusion with the music of her origin really does the trick. The tracks are often a bit too long as more often than not the hook lines are repeated nearly endlessly. But other than that, this was fun.

I absolutely loved this album when it was released in 2005. Before "paper planes", MIA was a tour guide to UK - Sri Lankan expat culture through electroclash beats and Karen-O type yelps. She's capable of more contemporary tracks ("Sunshowers") while adding her unique angular style. As an older man, I have a harder time listening to many of these metallic, grinding tracks. But this is a fascinating debut and worth listening to at least once.

I really enjoy her originality and passion.

Catchy beats from a British hip hop artist AND the title helped her reconnect with her activist father? I’ll round up.

Liked this more than I expected I would. Lots of good grooves and I like her singing/rapping style. Very creative and unique, with challenging lyrics. Favorite tracks: Bucky Done Gun, Fire Fire, Amazon, Bingo, 10 Dollar (difficult lyrics about prostitution though). Definitely interested in hearing more of her stuff.

Liked this way more this time around than when I first heard it. Unique sound - like metal and plastic hot glued together. Light 4.

Really good!!

MIA is great, fun

Huh. Didn't see that coming. I liked this a lot. It was multidimensional, something I often find lacking in post 90s rap. Also, significantly more melodic.

Its been a while since I've listened to this one. Jeremy introduced me to it and Diolo around the same time. It's better than the sum of its tracks. Drums and lyrics and highlights throughout

How did she sample the candy that pops in your mouth on "Banana - Skit". I thought my headphones were breaking. This is awesome. I'm going to steal the top negative review, because I agree with it, but not in the intended way: An album where every song is a seizure. Hell yeah it is, and it SLAPS. I want my brain to be turned into mush with experimentation and crazy sounds.

I enjoyed Kala when it was recommended and I equally enjoyed this. Great fun, good beats, innovative noises. Quite different to conventional hip hop.

Very very interesting and eclectic blend of styles, and it's rare to find something that is so mixed up like this to be so BOPPIN. This would be a 5 if the vocals didn't get a bit grating at times.

Number two from MIA, with no hits in sight. Still, another testament to how talented and creative she is (was?) as an artist. Such pronounced style, it's obvious why this list-maker would include multiple from MIA - she makes music that white people have never heard before. Jokes aside (am I joking?), I really dug this one. Not as captivating or consistent as Mala, but still a strong project. Prior to doing this project, I think I had only heard a couple of her newer albums, which are nowhere near as interesting as these early ones. Not sure what she's been up to. Favorite tracks: Banana, Pull Up the People, Sunshowers, Fire Fire, Hombre, 10 Dollar. Album art: Another banger. Better than Mala to me, this one is really cool. A great collage of colorful elements and styles, perfectly reflective of the kind of music she's putting out there. Plus you get a picture of her in the center, which is a nice bonus. 4/5

I don't know much about Sri Lanka except for its location and the fact they had a civil war that lasted 25 years. AND I learned these two facts because when I first heard M.I.A. she was singing 9 months pregnant (on her due date no less!) at the Grammys. She performed Paper Planes. That swagger alone made me fall in love and want to learn more about this dynamite artist. I was not familiar with this one but really enjoyed the album. The mix of genres combined with her own cultural mix just delights me and makes me realize this world is so damn big and it's immigrants like M.I.A. who shine a lens back on our own culture so we can learn more. (Fun fact: two of the Beastie Boys are in her Paper Planes video at the very end)

What a wild ride! This is a unique sound that everyone deserves to hear before they die. Hate it or love it, it’s worth hearing. I for one, am struck. The somewhat-industrial, electronic music is captivating. I find the artist’s story to be part of the appeal. A visual artist that happened to play around with a 505 drum machine. She tried to find others to supply the vocals with no luck so she did it herself. Inspiring stuff. And a sonically stimulating experience.

M.I.A.'s debut Arular is much stronger than her more popular follow-up. Arular features all of the forward-thinking hip hop production and memorable international influence without any of the low points. While I don't care for the skits, they're short enough that you don't have to worry about them ruining the experience. M.I.A. is a good rapper who brings excellent energy to match the production on each of the tracks. Some songs are better demonstrations of her MCing than others, but the album is still an outstanding look at the kinds of new directions that hip hop was exploring in the early 2000's.

I've gotten to learn a bit about M.I.A. through the "Paper Planes" episode of The Ringer's "60 Songs That Explain the '90s: The 2000s" podcast, so I sort of knew what to expect here. Obviously this album was pre-Paper Planes, so the overall sound is probably going to shock many upon their first listen. Despite the dancehall & hip-hop-like sound, this album is very politically charged. Themes of conflict and revolution, references to the PLO, etc. Heck, the album title is literally the political code name used by M.I.A.'s father. This...probably won't reach everyone in an influential way and that's fine. The production and mixing teeters more towards a "grime" sound at points which I don't really care for. But, using this sort of platform and genre-mixing to share these messages was certainly unique for the time and still somewhat effective 20ish years later. I can give this album some flowers as a result. Side note: Any other NBA Live 06 players recognize "Bucky Done Gun"?

Ok I must say I nearly shut this off early but let it rip. If anything, it's different and I've never heard anything like it. Sadly, to struggle through it again would be a chore. Going with a 3 for the sole reason it seemed innovative to me. But in a good direction? Questionable ....would have been better with Rod Serling at the beginning warning that you're entering the Twilight Zone.... ✨

Is that.... Sanford and Son?

I will say this: the "skits" were really just short experiments of some sort. So they were something I am not just going to "skip" if I decide to come back to this. For the most part, I dug this. I thought M.I.A. did a good job producing beats throughout. I liked some of the ideas used for sampling, like in "U.R.A.Q.T." It was better than I was expecting, because I was expecting something along the lines of 40 minutes of "Paper Planes," and this definitely a lot more than that. Not sure if I would come back to it, but it is better than I expected. Top tracks: "U.R.A.Q.T.," "Galang," "10 Dollar," "Bingo"

Sounds like FIFA music

I tried. Really did. Kept waiting for a catch... then resorted to clicking on each song, to no avail... The Sampling was obnoxious and lame...

What the fuck was this? And why?

Bad bad noise. Hated it.

Good lord this album sucked.

I want my money back!

The music is MIA.

Bongos, Bambus und Mandoline im Zusammenspiel mit einer nervigen Frauenstimme die über Mobiltelefone und Bananen singt mit einer wuseligen Combo. Aber schlimmer geht immer - die Gute Rapt auch noch. Die Platte führte einen in die Illusion einer Fahrt mit einem verrotteten stinkenden Taxi in Mexico City und man nur einen Wunsch - Lebend raus !

I've listened to M.I.A before, according to my streaming history it was 2012! I had thought it was when I was discovering Björk, which was a few years later, but it was not. I had faint memories of listening to a bit of her discography quite a bit and enjoying it, to the point that she was no stranger to me as an artist - including her recent, uh... change in beliefs and business pursuits that has played out on instagram (for me, at least). Turns out it was her 2007 album Kala and her 2010 album /\/\ /\ Y /\ which I seem to have listened to enough to put it in my top songs of that year. I use stats.fm to analyse my Spotify data, and it was here I discovered that it seems to have not captured that year - I assume Spotify didn't keep good enough data back then, rather than it being stats.fm, but I also have last.fm data from that year. I was still in high school then, and I was transitioning to streaming rather than iTunes CD rips (couldn't afford to actually purchase much in those days, and I preferred physical if I was - still do!). I'm not sure why I listened to her, but she wasn't exactly unfamiliar with her success of Paper Planes (which is really the only M.I.A song that Spotify has fed me consistently in the years since) and I guess my penchant for more alternative pop and strong interest in Die Antwoord at the time led me to trying her out. I listened to Kala 4 times and /\/\ /\ Y /\ 5 times, going by the streams, between December 14-17, and a brief revisit to Kala on December 21. Of course, the streams weren't perfectly divided and some tracks have more listens - but you get the point, numbers are fun! It was nice to revisit that old memory of a very different time in my life, and I look forward to revisiting those albums too... as I had a great time with this one! Every song, minus the skits, made it into my likes during my roadtrip home. I had it loud, and immediately knew I was in for a bundle of music that i'd love. Super interesting with a wide variety of sounds and themes, hard to not dance along even while driving, with a few hooks still ringing around my head the day after. A real pleasure to listen to.

'I've got the bombs to make you blow / I got the beats to make it bang.' Far ahead of the rest of us, Maya felt the need to regress morally and politically in recent years, but that's besides the point. This record, like the one that followed, not only gave a voice to unheard millions, but was an artistic and political statement that we hadn't heard since...who? Buffy Sainte-Marie? Peter Tosh? NWA? But this shit's globalized: 'Somewhere in the Amazon, they're holding me ransom.' It's also educational music, not protest music: 'Get yourself an education' is its flavorful dictum. It hits not b/c she has all the answers, or even wants to. It's that she's a one-off, so recognizable and thoroughly universal. Postcolonial, but mostly slamming and palpable.

Broh i cant even with this. It is too good for words. Everything about it is paradigm shifting life changing artistry. Ultimate creative genius. All my love to this artist forever and ever.

M.I.A. is one of those artists I love but tend to forget they exist for long stretches of time, so being reminded of this album and having a reason to listen to it was very welcome. This album is a BLAST and I'm not sure it's possible to listen to it and NOT dance. It's a strange and unique mix of so many styles and it's impossible to predict what is going to happen next, but you know it will be fun. This whole album is such a fun ride, but the lyrics are also substantive. Literally every song is a banger, I have no notes.

Kind of strange and different, I love it, interesting mix of genres

Extremely creative, and very enticing. I love listening to it!

Ja ti ne mogu opisat koliko sam volio ovaj album kad je izašao. P. S i dalje je super iako je ona prolupala

I was today years old when I realized M.I.A. is Missing in Action and her persona is antiwar protest? She's not just an incredible beat maker and producer, she's also an incredible activist and political dissident. Amazing.

Mia is a game changer. This album is very underrated commercially but you can tell how many artists she influenced when this came out. From Taylor Swift, Kate Perry, Rihanna, Minaj, Cardi B and other recent superstars. This album is a melting pop of music and culture from Sri Lanka, England, American, European it has freestyle with hip hop, old school rap and a bit of dancehall. She made sure to cover all the bases and fussion the generes like rice and beans at a puerto rican chinchorro. Really impressive and unexpected makes this a 5 star album. Pure talentand energy

bangers.

Loved this back in the 2000s, and coincidentally I revisited it within the last couple of months. Hell of an album. To really enjoy it, I have to take a deep breath and put aside that A) M.I.A.'s more recent music was all very disappointing; B) she seems to have become a crazy conspiracy theorist who sells anti-5G tinfoil hats or something. Once those things are out the way, man this still sounds as good as it did in 2005. The production is infectiously fun, but still heavy-hitting; it's hard to think of anything else that gets this mix of dancehall, pop, garage, hip-hop, and other electronic styles sounding so effortlessly good. Song-writing are delivery are both fire: cool, vibrant, fun, but with a hint that M.I.A. wanted to be a spokesperson for the globally poor and disenfranchised. Amazingly balanced debut album which will always sound great. 5*

A breath of fresh air after the last album. There is certainly something I enjoy about MIA's music and style. I didn't get quite into this one as much as Kala but it's strong for a debut. Faves: Pull Up the People, Bucky Done Gun

9.5/10. What did I just listen to? Whatever it was, I loved it!!! The production of this album sounds so ahead of its time, possibly even ahead of today's time! It appears that M.I.A. had a clear artistic vision, and it was executed very well. If Björk were a rapper, I'd imagine that her music would sound similar to this (she would probably do it better, since Björk is un-matched). There is so much epic energy in this album!!! Also, I heard that Trent Reznor praised this album, and I love Nine Inch Nails. TL;DR, this SLAPS!!!

That was a lot of fun

Очень понравился альбом, много треков добавил в избранное

One of my favorites albums since I was a teenager. It's a shame M.I.A. turned out to be a weirdo.

Wow! So refreshingly not a member of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young for once. Electronic Music? Tick. World Music? Tick. Bit of Hip Hop? Tick. Sense of Humour? Tick. Politics? Tick.

9/10…indietronica / alt.hip hop

Comenzamos el mes de mi natalicio con el debut de M.I.A.. La conocí hace unos años a través de un documental y luego caí en la cuenta que ubicaba uno de sus hits posteriores. Una artista zarpada, adelantadísima a toda la movida actual del trap/hip hop/neo soul (en el caso de mi país, imposible no relacionarla con Nathy Peluso y con el resto de las pibas de su camada). Me vuela la cabeza que lo haya producido con una máquina de ritmos re sencilla y que sean ritmos bailables con letras barderas. Me recuerda también a las raperas de los 90s y, en el caso argento, Actitud María Marta, Miss Bolivia o Sara Hebe. Muy bien 10.

9.5/10

Weird

This was so novel when it was released. Exciting, different, challenging and bold. The videos were intense and dazzling. These days, this feels almost quaint. Still lots of fun. Bold choices.

Arular thrills. 🔥 I do not tire of M.I.A.

Loved it. I only knew Paper Planes (from her next album) but she is way more. MIA is clever as hell and mixes those great lyrics with groovy beats. In her words, its hard to dance to political songs and she wanted to change that. Mission accomplished - to a tee. When Apple played its randomly selected similar songs after the album ended, I also came to realize how influential MIA (and Gwen Stefani) were on a bunch of female artists of the 2000's - think Fergie, Iggy Azalea. MIA is better because she doesn't seem to sink to pop lowest common denominators. It's lyrics first, beats to fit it. To me, she's just as good as Missy Elliott. Not the same, but damn good. And if this album wasn't as influential as Missy's Under Construction, it should be. Special shout out to the most wicked songs on this album - Pull Up the People, Bucky Done Gun, Sunshowers, Hombre, URAQT, and Galang.

It’s rare to get an album that is completely new to me that I listen to twice in a row, but this is one of these. This debut from M.I.A takes glitchy, catchy dance beats and layers on lyrics that range from cheeky to sharply political. Maya Arulpragasam experienced life as a refugee from the violence in Sri Lanka when she was just 11 and this plays out in her music, but it’s done with irrepressible charm and wit. I absolutely love this!

A visionary debut that mixes rap, world music and indie.

*insert lady gaga gif* talented, brilliant, incredible, amazing, etc etc

This is great. Love the beats and there is a lot of wit. It’s just a very engaging listen.

Banana.

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