Arular

Boah, Dreck

I know that M.I.A. is kind of weird and conspiracy theory-y now, but man I love her music. I remember listening to Galang on my iPod in middle school. I love this album

So Wikipedia says the album genres are World, hip hop, dancehall and dance. The world part was the only thing keeping me from giving it a 1 star.

I wasn't expecting much, but this listen changed my mind—very enjoyable! ★★★★

Number: 238 Familiarity: None (1) Rating: 2 Before: ======= No clue, maybe some kind of politically charged rap/hip. After : ======= There were plenty of 2's and 3's but also a couple of 4's. Overall it's a high 2 or low 3. I guess I'll go with 2 as I skim through it again Sunday morning.

All a bit bland and there it is. Just seemed to float about in the background

Gross.

6/10

Random bullshit Look I gotta respect M.I.A for breaking into the R&B scene but this debut album is not it. It's basically the same beat on every track Fave track: Sunshowers

Heard plenty about this album over the years – imagine my surprise when this turned out to be nothing more than a bizarre mess of wack beats and annoying, repetitive vocal nonsense. Why is this considered a classic? 1.5/5

Catchy and sassy

One album in this list was enough.

Ok, so I’m kind of high and have had a couple of scotches while listening to this album. Standard listening conditions I guess. There are a couple of times that I really liked what I was hearing here. Unfortunately most of the album just didn’t sync for me. Gotta to go with a 3 here.

Very cool album! Liked it a lot

I was expecting to dislike this even though I’ve enjoyed the songs by M.I.A. that I’ve heard in the past. She’s an anti-vax nutjob. She’s a “revolutionary” that played the Super Bowl. She’s repeatedly worked with Travis Scott. But more than those and similar issues, I have a zero tolerance policy in relation to rapping in an English accent. I’m pro-science and authenticity, and anti-negligently allowing people to be trampled, but I’m nowhere near as passionate about those beliefs as the bone-deep ick I experience when hearing British people pretending to rap. Priorities. I was prepared to quote the viral tweet and say we all love her little cash register gun song, but that we didn’t need two of her albums on the 1001 albums you must hear before you die list. But damn if I didn’t tap my feet and bob my head to this from start to finish. This has an original sound. While that sound doesn’t vary much from song to song, it does so enough to hold my attention for the length of the album. The songs are also catchy, and fun and clever. And honestly, if I find myself tapping my foot to something then it’s pretty much 90% of the way to me feeling positively towards an album even without those other factors. I suppose I’ll have to add a British/Sri Lankan exception to my no-British-rappers rule.

I like the fusion of styles but there is nothing as strong as Paper Planes or Borders so I was leaning towards a 3, however the last couple of tracks Galang and the hidden track aM.I.A. were quality so an going to upgrade to a 4.

This one bounces you around back and forth in a very interesting pop/ hip hop/ electro blend. The drum backing creates a driving force for a lot of the songs and her distinct vocals come in and give the songs a lot of personality. Kind of jungly sounding if you dragged a garage studio out with you in some areas. Its easy for me to bop my head along for most of the songs as it never really loses momentum

La niña tiene energía y entusiasmo para dar y tomar, pero es muy cansina si no entiendes las letras..

Shame she went mad as this is great

Day956 - gotta be one of the worst albums i’ve heard so far

A disgrace

Awesome album too bad she’s a terrible person

Fun but one tone really. Hombre and Galang a bit special.

No le puse mucha atención :(

I wasn’t sure what to expect from M.I.A.’s Arular, especially given how divisive some of the reviews are here, but I thought it was pretty solid. It’s experimental in places but still really enjoyable - I can understand why it’s on the list and why her work made such an impact in the mid-2000s and was happy to dig deeper into her content. It’s hard to describe, but the sound sticks with you. A song or two can feel repetitive, but the energy and eclectic mix of sounds keeps things interesting and refreshing and upbeat . Definitely not for everyone, but I appreciated what she was doing here.

Escucha

Female vocal rap with interesting sound

It was interesting to hear something completely out of my area of listening, however, it did not like this album, for it's quite chaotic and inconsistent way of development along the way. I believe I did not even finished listening the full album.

Not for me

Good

In 2004 I was bumping around the Internet finding new music. Don't ask me how, but somehow I followed a rabbit hole down into a few mp3's of M.I.A. before Arular was released. What a breath of fresh air that was. Was immediately drawn into what was going on there and I'm not sure it's really ever left. Debate on her all you want, but this chaos still sounds fresh today.

Combines Hip-Hop and Electronic music to get this sound that was popular at the time of its release. It wasn't bad. It had some good tracks on there. Not my favorite.

It's acceptable as club/EDM adjacent, but a lot of the hooks were just not good

Tin foil hat be damned, this woman knew how to make an album

Had no idea what to expect based on the cover. Maybe another world music album back to back? Definitely major political messaging. Regardless of the messaging, the sound is way ahead of its time. Feels like I'm listening to something from 2010 or later. It's quite funny to see the hate on this album for its repetitiveness. Yes it's repetitive, but for some odd reason it does quite well to scratch that itch for me. O fuck, just realized im only 4 songs in.

Har väl typ bara lyssnat på Paper Planes innan av MIA. Helt okej, ganska repetitivt, lite konstigt men stundvis bra. Inte riktigt min typ av musik, iallafall inte för att lyssna på ett helt album. Blir 2/5.

Tästä ei jäänyt oikein mitään mieleen

Levy oli vähän all over the place, siistejä juttuja paljon, retroja biittejä ja mitä kaikkee. Ihan mielellään kuunteli, mutta ei varmaan nouse suuremmin omille listoille.

Ever since Throbbing Gristle set a new standard, I haven’t been able to award 1 * but I’ve found a deserving album here. This is truly awful from beginning to end.

what the heck, i love whatever is wrong with this album, its my typ of music, the production s so funky and its so wow and wow. this is such a BOP, "is your dad a dealer, cause youre dope to me" BARSSSSS

I couldn't. I didn't.

A hard one to rate for me. This was relentless and hard and loud for me. But I really appreciate the mix of styles. This sounds like nothing I've heard before and doesn't sound like the other music from this era. I totally see the creativity and admire this album, but wouldn't really listen to it again.

Very repetitive.

Wow kpop girl groups today sound just like this.

Yeah . . . Given the generous reviews by others, I really tried to give this a chance. But I do not like it.

I love this fucking album. The beats, lyrics, samples, wordplay, and just overall sense of chaos that dominates the album make this a really fun, kind of exhilarating, listen. Even the three tracks labelled as skits are totally listenable. I can listen to this all day long.

I know there is a commentary level to listen to this album, but at its core, it's party music. Sure it's raucous, and occassionally ugly, but it's meant to shake your butt.

5/5 - This never stops moving. Absolutely love it front to back. Messy and engaging.

Данный альбом - пример отражения моего видения современной живой красивой музыки. Этот альбом предоставил мне все: восхищение звуком, баланс инструментов, энергию, настроение, эмоции. Было пару песен которые не дотягивали до такой лестной оценки, что совершенно не означает что они не такие. Весь альбом для меня шедевр во всем. Это опять же не 10/10 а только 9/10, но это очень плотная девятка с перекосом в сторону десяти.

This is fucking awful

Rätt kul ändå, eget sound

Rätt coolt, men inga direkta höjdpunkter för mig.

Lite muppigt på ett ganska härligt sätt.

Absolutely appalling. Easy to review at least.

Gah. This was so close to being something I could like but I was just executed so poorly. I think MIA made like 1/2 absolute bangers but nowhere to be seen here.

Great beats

Yeah this is not what I was hoping for today. M.I.A. gets two albums on the list? Why? This is not an improvement over the first one I had and shows all the same problems - poorly recorded, boring electronic beats, irritating vocals. I was ready to move on after about ten minutes. It took a lot of willpower to finish the whole album, even short as it is. Not for me. 1/5

MIA: I appreciate how much is going in this album, it’s definitely varied and the tracks aren’t lazy. Everything in the album seems like a conscious choice rather than just establishing a beat and sticking with it. Unfortunately, none of the songs are good or memorable to me! Just a bunch of consciously organized noise. Bonus points for uniqueness gets us to a 4/10 today.

Good

Crazy for this to not be paper plans

god theres no other way to put it than she really fucking *had something*. completely fearless music, its hard to not be inspired. every time i hear an m.i.a. song from the first three records i feel like ive been exposed to some Type of sound ive never heard before, and she rode that experimentalism + political blast radius all the way to the unsuspecting club. she commits to every weird ass beat and hook and vocal delivery with the force of someone who knows they're demonstrating so much underlying musical Genius that the superficially Annoying qualities are just a flex on top of a track you wont be able to resist for very long. and the sound Still manages to feel lived-in and handcrafted in a way that points not to pop music superhumanity but real struggle and triumph on a personal and political scale. we were honestly so privileged and lucky that at this specific moment m.i.a. showed us how she saw the world.

Okay.

Pre Listen: Never heard of them, but the album cover looks interesting. Hoping for a break from grungy, punky rock, so as long as it's not that I think I'll enjoy it? Notable Tracks: Banana - Oh god, it's going to be one of these albums, isn't it. Amazon - My favorite track on here. One of the few I didn't dislike, and even liked just a little bit. I think she pulls her style off the best here. U.R.A.Q.T. - Least favorite track on here, but not by much, as I didn't like most songs. This one in particular is just so repetitive, and has such a droning sound to it. Bleh. Galang - Is she speaking Vortigaunt? Galunga Gang. Post Listen: This sounded like if Death Grips was girl pop and also a bit Latina to me. And also if Death Grips was less focused and on somehow more drugs. I actually enjoy some of Death Grips' stuff, but I didn't really enjoy this all that much. While it was a very unique listen, it was also a bit too chaotic for my tastes. For me the best part of it was the beats, but to say it was the best compared to everything else isn't a high bar; they were passable. The lyrics and vocals were messy, one of those cases where the vocalist just sort of talks for most of the songs, and shows she *can* sing well if she wants to in others, but chooses not to most of the time. The sampling was complete garbo 90% of the time. Any song under 1 minute long was a miserable experience. I can see girls with one or more mental illnesses out there really digging this album. No hate to them, I reckon they're lovely people, but this just ain't for me. 2/5

M.I.A is talented. I still hear Paper Planes in my head about a decade later and I was hoping it was on this album. Her voice is great but the instrumentals need to be toned down. Way too much synth & electronica noise for me. Such an addictive voice though. No lower than a 2.

It’s never a good sign when an album opens with a skit. Repetitive and annoying drum machine paired with bad vocals. Couldn’t focus on the lyrics at all so I was just skipping songs until I stopped listening altogether. 1/5

couldnt finish. crap

Eh

Recognizably 00s scratchy electronic sound

Sure, it’s fine. Much better than M.I.7., which was released earlier this year.

Something different than most hip hop on this list. Its unique, but also within the album it gets a bit repetitive.

Very clubby, which makes it a very interesting listen while working. I’m with it though.

on menoa ja meininkiä MIA:lla vielä tässä vaiheessa. Tämä ei ole se Paper Planes -levy, mutta tunnistettavia biisejä shorts ja tiktokeista.

Shane Warne famously said that Monty Panesar hadn't played 33 tests, but had played the same test 33 times. An insight into how the Sikh of Tweek was an effective but unvarying spinner. In a sense M.I.A is the Monty Panesar of music. The song is good fun, but it is just one song. Everything on this album is totally interchangeable. There's no variation or range and there's no reason why I'd want to listen to any particular song over another. Even the tracks that are labeled skits sound exactly like the songs.

zooi

I enjoyed the beats and energy from this.

Really didn't do too much for me. Some of the beats were okish I guess but nothing stood out. Happy to let that one pass by. When I don't like an album that is not in my wheelhouse style wise I worry that the album will be popular with the crew and I just don't get it. Thankfully this one is not. I could not identify the singles from listening to the album as it all blends together without anything standing out. Two albums from MIA in this list? One seems excessive. The other is currently rated 2.9 against this at 2.8 so maybe it's better?

Good album. Too bad MIA went off the deep end

Interesting beats but she seems like such a terrible person it was a tough listen.

funky

Two stars because her voice is grating but some of the beats are interesting

I've enjoyed a couple of M.I.A.'s biggest hits, but have not listened to a full album by her. I'm usually not a fan of Hip Hop albums, but this one was great. M.I.A. has a great flow and her incorporation of Sri Lankan instruments adds a unique flair that makes it sound totally unique from any other Hip Hop. I look forward to getting the second M.I.A. album on this list eventually. Favorite Track - Pull Up the People Least Favorite Track - Sunshowers ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

L'histoire derrière cet album est pas inintéressante. M.I.A. est née au Sri Lanka, mais ses parents ont dû fuir les conflits et se sont installés au Royaume-Uni. Ce passif, si j'ai bien compris, influence toute la musique de M.I.A., qui est hautement politique, même si je dois admettre que j'ai pas tout bien suivi. Donc l'histoire de cette artiste est très intéressante, mais à titre personnel, je n'en dirais pas forcément autant de la musique. Bon, ça a de la personnalité, c'est clair et elle a beaucoup de choses à dire, ce qui sauve l'album. Parce que sinon, perso, j'ai pas franchement accroché. C'était un peu trop minimaliste pour moi, je saurais pas comment le dire autrement. Ce n'était pas mauvais du tout, mais ça ne m'a pas franchement parlé.

Didn’t really have any expectations, but it exceeded them all!

Exótico. Batidas bem satisfatórias e esquisitas, som experimental e bem progressivo. É interessante sentir o leque imenso de influências que M.I.A. utiliza nesse disco. Os instrumentais certamente se posicionam bem na frente e demandam toda sua atenção, mas há algo a se dizer pelo dote melódico dos vocais dela também. O que mais impressiona nesse disco certamente é seu ano de lançamento. Um som assim em 2005 chama muitíssima atenção, e fica exposto o quão influente esse tipo de som acabou se tornando nos anos seguintes. Às vezes penso que sou muito caridoso com minhas 5 estrelas. De fato, dou elas à muito discos, e reconsiderar dar elas à este… Mas na moral? Não consigo pensar em algo que não gosto desse álbum. Preciso me permitir mais. Toma logo suas estrelas vai. 5/5

1001 Albums Generator has officially jumped the shark... then jumped it again just to make sure. Apparently, I need to hear every album on this list before I die. I'm going to take my chances. The deeper I get, the more it feels like a list assembled by committee. Plenty of great albums are on there, but a lot of it feels completely disposable. Here's the thing: listen to what you enjoy. Music isn't homework, and nobody gets a medal for finishing a list some critic declared "essential." Your taste is yours, it's subjective, and the only person who has to like your playlist is you. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to listen to the same five albums for the 700th time. Rant over.

Not understanding why this is on here

Would give 3.5 if I could

C'était marrant 3 minutes

Very fun much better than the other one on this list

Maya Arulpragasam and Steve Loveridge, having met at St Martins, created the artwork in photoshop with very little understanding of the program, which gives the sleeve its charm. source Under the covers- Eye on design 2020 I missed this when it came out and both artwork and music are excellent and well paired to each other. M.I.A seems to have pissed off quite a few people and currently has been sacked from the Kid Cudi tour. his words ‘I Won’t Have Someone on Tour Making Offensive Remarks’ Am I still allowed to like this album?

I really wanted to like this one because M.I.A. is so cool but unfortunately some of the production is DJ Toenail material. Like there are some good tracks late on the list but also a couple that are genuinely unlistenable.

Arular was the debut album from M.I.A. and one of the more modern releases on this challenge. I remember it coming out at the time and, if I'm honest, I didn't enjoy it then either. Still, it felt worth revisiting to see whether time and context might change my opinion. Unfortunately, it didn't. For me, much of the album felt like variations of the same song repeated over and over again. The production style, with its looping beats and chaotic energy, quickly became repetitive, and I struggled to find enough variety from track to track to keep me engaged. The vocals and lyrics also didn't really connect with me. Often the lyrics felt buried in the mix, making them difficult to make out, and when they did come through they didn't leave much of an impression. I can appreciate that the album was trying to sound different and push boundaries, and I know many people view it as an influential record, but personally I found it more irritating than exciting. By the end of the album, my opinion hadn't really changed from when I first heard it twenty years ago. It's simply not a style of music that works for me, and I can't see myself returning to it. Favourite tracks: “Bucky Done Gun” was probably the closest thing to a standout. It's reasonably catchy and felt less abrasive than much of the rest of the album. Least favourite tracks: The album got off to a poor start for me. “Banana Skit” felt completely pointless, while “Pull Up the People” was a difficult listen and unfortunately the album never really recovered from that opening stretch. Album artwork: Nothing particularly memorable or striking about the cover for me.

Alright... decent background music. I do like the music she uses, and her singing isn't bad by any means; it just doesn't really catch my attention.

fuh

well well well someone got a fancy new drum machine for christmas.

Decent

The Good: NOTHING The Bad: Me having to listen to this shit The Ugly: That it seems MIA is good enough to get 2 fucking albums on this list… FUCK YOU DIMERY!!!! this is shit, pretty much all sounds the same… … Hated her other album just as much. Waste of my time 1*

This was way better than I anticipated. A fun listen. Should have known. Paper Planes has always been a banger.

Ooh eee ooh aah aah ting tang walla walla bing bang "type beat." This is nonsense. The cover tells me we're going to get an interesting release with elements of protest, but no, we get yet another British lass sounding like a horny Dr. Seuss and mentioning politics maybe twice? I can only remember the one time despite spending the last 41 minutes of my life missing in action. I really liked when she said "The sweltering heat is streaming into my eyes. The trees blot out the sun, yet the loam of the fertile jungle heaves a satanic mist up from it's fissures. The chattering of the forest engulfing me acts as a white noise; as perceptible as silence. Each snap of my neck towards disturbances in the hum further degrades my failing body. Every miserable thought I endure assures me that I will die here. I am bloodshot eyes floating on the propulsion of a shattered psyche. I have seen the horrors of war, I have perpetrated those very same horrors on the orders of those who take orders from those who take orders from monsters perched comfortably, worlds away. I am an invader. You can kill me now, but I've died a thousand times since our wheels left ground. I will pay for my crimes. I will be consumed by this angered earth which my foreign boots soil. My body will feed the land I've been commanded to fight for as if it is mine to claim. Suffocating panic rots every synapse as my memories flash before me. Eternal loneliness in the death of the unknown solider. Missing in action." Or was it "Excuse me little hombre, take my number call me, I can get squeaky, so you could come and oil me."? One of the last true poets. 0.5 HIGHIGHTS: Hoooo can I get a pizza carbonara and a slice a pumkin pizzarelli ovah here

not for me

I tried this twice. It's fun, got great beats and sounds but I did feel like it was a bit repetitive as it went on. Like it didn't blend well with my older ears. I didn't really connect with any of the songs enough to save or come back to.

M.I.A. is someone I would follow from a safe distance.

The start of her career stands up to most comers: four great albums with incredibly high highs fueled by pure adrenaline and passionate creativity, and a live show that established her as one of the most important pop artists of her generation. It’s been a mixed bag since then, both musically and her pivot from anti-war, radicalized lyrics to a full-throated embrace of Trump, RFK, and the brand of Christianity in America that turns my stomach. But Arular and Kala will never die. They are embers preserved in amber, and I hope future generations can discover them for what they were. Four stars for Arular and five for Kala.

I do not know much about this artist, though I have heard of her. One could say my knowledge on her is...M.I.A. To my dumb ears, every beat on here sounded somewhat similar to the beat on Hollaback Girl by Gwen Stefani. Perhaps Gwen stole some of that sound from what M.I.A. is doing here. I think this is great music to dance to in a club or by hanging out around a pool. It's not abrasive enough to annoy you and does not require a ton of focus to enjoy. I wanted to give this album a "2" but do feel even if it is not my kind of music does not mean it is not worthy of a spot on this list. The beats do grate on me after a while, but thankfully she is smart enough to not make this a 60-minute-long album, as most artists tend to do. Probably not my thing, even if it did make my butt shake.

Such an influential sound. But I never can really get into M.I.A’s music despite the beats being so danceable and fun and abrupt, it sounds too messy, irritating and repetitive. The production is so ahead of its time, can’t believe this came out in 2005. I don’t enjoy listening to it despite it having so many elements of music that I enjoy. Second half of this album is better. Best song: Galang Hearing a little influence on Major Lazer, Die Antwoord, Death Grips from this record

This was actually a lot of fun! Welcome break from a thousand years of the worst rock I've ever heard. Beats get weird with it which I like and I am actively looking forward to listening to her other album on here, which is more than I can say for basically every other artist I've had so far Tentative 3, might edit later to a 2

Annoying as hell

It's fine, but a bit one note. I give props for the various and different back beat styles and sounds, but the songs largely sound similar. It would be a fun album to dance to, as it has quite a different sound than many dance albums. I certainly appreciate her unique style.

1.5 - not for me

Es ist schon ein okayes Album. Irgendwie nur ein Song, der aber auf jeden Fall in die Fresse geht.

This is unfortunately tailor made bait for me. Insane production, such cool risks that pay off, incredible songs, just a whole product. It really tickles the “person playing with every built in setting on the plastic keyboard” type beat part of my brain. I love it, it’s such a shame MIA is a right winger. I’m sorry if her recent (June 2026) comments were misconstrued, but someone who is doing so much to bring such diverse cultures to the American popular music scene in her early days endorsing Trump and RFK is lame as hell.

ok

genieten !!!!!!! ik kende mia wel maar wist er verder niks van, erg interessant

I fw MIA and I never heard her other albums now I’m gonna listen to more.

sprite fifa commercial vibes

I can appreciate that this is a very creative album, but I simply don’t enjoy listening to it. It’s kind of cringey sounding tbh

for someone who was previously only really exposed to paper planes i’m annoyed took me this long to get to MIA’s other stuff? love that she named the album after her absentee father and he reached out to ask her to change it and she didn’t. i love a petty lady, i love a fun danceable song, and imo her vocals and delivery are also very fun. reading about how she did the backing tracks for her demos in her room makes me want to go and go listen to those. would own a physical copy of this. fav: hombre

I love this album so much, it is the anound of summer for a couple years of my 20s and I am forever angry at Maya for becoming a conspiracy theorist anti-vax crackpot. (Insert Tyra Banks “we were all rooting for you!” gif here)

interesting beats and vita. Didn't know much about her, only knew the hits

I think this caused quite the stir when it came out and it does have an energy and aggression that I can imagine has been very influential. Though I appreciate it, it doesn’t really connect with me on any level and lacked any real standouts.

More recent problematic political shifts aside, there are some decent moments on here. It seems to have something of an identity crisis though, there are elements of nostalgia, almost game boy-esque bitcrushed beats and samples, mixed with more modern large, heavily compressed basslines, mixed with what sounded to my ears like more Latino, reggaeton beats. Many of the songs sounded like a separate verse and chorus idea just sort of stitched together though, without neccessarily having a single song in mind.

7/10. Alto discazo. Al principio creí que iba a ser algo muy basero, con ese sonido robótico bastante agresivo, pero me sorprendió de buena manera a la mitad del disco. Los temas "Amazon", "Bingo" y "Pull up the people" son verdaderos hitazos. Con un sonido fresco y muy ameno, pero también con matices picantes que hacen a los temas memorables este disco se pone como el mejor hasta ahora. He escuchado demasiado los temas este último tiempo, una locura para ser un disco debut.

MIA is weird now haha. Still not sick of repeating myself: this list doesn't require both MIA albums. Surely Kala is more essential

Yk at first I thought this was clunky and didn’t sonically work, especially in the earlier songs (yes that includes Bucky dun gun) but as the album went on it almost settled into a flow that is like entrancing like is it closer to a 4 than a 6 yeah but solid intro

The line between insufferable and catchy is very fine; This album uses that line as a jumprope I could not stand this record when I first heard it and yet now, it is for the exact same reasons that I cannot stop listening to it

nah

It's fun and upbeat and catchy and summery and beachy but im too high rn

The most garage band sounding ass piece of shit I’ve listened to in a long while. How In the hell is this on the list? Mix that with her annoying vocal deliveries and you’re in for 40 minutes of hell.

Not my favorite record by M.I.A. but a stunning debut, full of confidence. I’ve said it before, but I also love when an artist has an eponymous song.

It's unfortunate that when I saw this album come up I thought "isn't there a reason we don't like MIA anymore?" Truth be told, this is a powerful release. This listener easily is able to understand the message and emotion behind it and was even more pleased to read it was successful in reuniting the artist with their estranged father. Politics aside, this is a solid release. 3.5 rounded up.

Very fun

This album is AGGRESSIVE.

This was album was designed to piss me off. Skits, annoying vocals, questionable beats. And it doesn’t even have “Paper Planes” as compensation. 1/5

Damn life comes at ya fast. Two major conflicts with this leave me kinda lost here. I expected to like this from a musical perspective more then I actually did, wild as it's very much my kind of music, think I found it almost like lazy in some way? It's kinda like really uninspiring from a lyrical perspective, but original and definitely honest, boppy and fun. Conundrum 1. 2. So much like cultural and immigrant pride and unity in this album. It's been 20+ years (listening in 2027) but damn she definitely has different views as of today. Hard to reckon with all the joy and pride of this album as today she is cancelling shows because she is getting blowback from her public, anti-imagination stance. Conundrum 2. Leaves me wondering how she got to this version of herself. How we all got here today. The policy is art v artists is a case by case. Today MIA is in such direct conflict with this album, wonder actually what she thinks of this album today. Feel like this all leaves me in 1+ territory and that's feels wild for me as I really loved this artist Wild the album also finishes with a rebuke of the current authoritarian state. People are however have the right to change. Final verdict 2+

Recorded in a bedroom but interesting mishmash

I loved this album when it first came out. It sounded so innovative and fresh, especially her beats. I think it still holds up.

This album was just so fun

Passed the time on a long car journey, wouldnt go back to it though...

Takes a while to get going but once it does this is a treat, still feels fresh and innovative now. Great

Willfully annoying.

This was okay, not something I’ll seek or listen to again. I did like the elements of the streetbeater, though.

2,5

ну и херня

ооооо мия ваще топ люблю ее если бы я музыку писал то я бы ее минусами вдохновлялся это ваще огонь поставлю 3 но тут до четверки близко

Piepjes, bietjes en een meid erdoorheen. Weinig afwisseling, weinig luisterplezier. Het stommelt voorbij, en dan is het ook weer klaar.

Een enkele keer schrijf ik hier mijn bewondering voor een enorm sterk eerste nummer op je allereerste album. Het kan ook anders blijkbaar...Ba-na-naa. Goed het is blijkbaar voor het goede doel: Leer! Na het vorige album had ik wel interesse gekregen in Mia. Ze bood namelijk interessante bruggen tussen werelden van muziek, maar wist het niet echt af te maken. Ik heb wat later werk geluisterd en geconstateerd, dat de potentie er ook later niet uit is gekomen. Tot mijn verrassing krijg ik haar nu nog eens, maar met eerder werk. Na die banaan, volgt een bass die de haren van je lijf blaast. Ik houd wel van een briesje. Daarna blijk ik zelfs een nummer van mevrouw te herkennen. Beide tracks zijn niet helemaal gelikt, maar dat houdt het eigenlijk wel interessant. Ze hebben iets Skrillex achtigs. En daarmee blijkt deze mevrouw er toch vroeg bij te zijn geweest. De internationale bruggen zijn op dit album veel minder dan in het latere werk. Dat is een gemis. Maar tegelijk weet ze de nummers zonder die uitdaging beter neer te zetten. Eigenlijk heb ik iets meer luisterplezier aan dit album.

We hebben al eerder een album van MIA gehad, dus ik weet een beetje wat ik kan verwachten. Het is uiteraard hiphop, met invloeden van wat ik maar wereldmuziek noem. Ze heeft ook duidelijk haar eigen rapstijl, want de muziek toch een eigen karakter geeft. Heel anders dan andere hiphop. Wat ik fijn vind aan dit album zijn de soms dikke beats. Waar ze over zingt, heb ik geen idee van, maar volgens mij is het niet zo kinderachtig als veel van haar hiphopcollega's. Of er nu 2 albums van MIA in hadden gemoeten, daar valt over te twisten. Dit mag er van mij best in. Het is niet iets dat ik uit mezelf op zal gaan zetten, maar ik kan de kleine 40 minuten prima uitzitten. Beter dan dat andere album, nog steeds 3 sterren.

A high 3 because I like her music, have sought her out live, and think she’s singular. Definitely a landmark album that still gets me dancing. But since I picked this up 20 years ago, I never feel like jumping into the full album.

Great sound, terrible morals of the aetist

harsh like yeezus but soft tone. lyrics are fun

Mid

She nearly got a 2 and then I thought what has someone got to do to get a 1?? Was pretty annoying to be honest. If Paper Planes was on then it might have gained an extra star.

Thought it was well crap

Great if your a 15 year old female chav! Just not my vibe

Low effort/ give-a-fuck-age. Good beats. Distinctive. Liked it. Cant understand half of whats being said, but dont need to. Heard a couple of songs before but the album as a whole is well listenable. Every song is decent. At the time & a few years after, loadsa music people jumped on her bandwagon, Pushing her to show how 'progressove' rhey were. That turned me off her. But suppose thats not her fault Thought it were reet good.

Disappointed. After the high from paper planes I had high hopes. Couldn’t understand half the album. Was just ad-libbing all the way through making noises

A once rebel speaking out against oppression now a "Christian" supporting the Trump regime. Sad.

noise pollution

Not as off the wall production-wise as she gets on Kala but the essential M.I.A. ideas, energy and rebellious identity have all been established.

Didn’t love it, but I did enjoy it.

01) Banana Skit - / 02) Pull Up the People - 6,5 03) Bucky Done Gun - 6,5 04) Sunshowers - 6,5 05) Fire Fire - 6,5 06l Dash the Curry Skit - 6,5 07) Amazon - 6,5 08) Bingo - 6,5 09) Hombre - 6,5 10) One for the Head Skit - / 11) 10 Dollar - 7,0 12) U.R.A.Q.T - 6,5 13) Galang - 7,0 14. M.I.A. - 6,5 TOTAL: 6,58 (66/100) Current ranking: 633/946

Kind of surprising how she's on this list not once, but twice. I really only thought she had that money song and that was it.

Good enough that even though I listened in the car on my road-trip, I gave it a full replay at home to really enjoy it.

“Kala” takes this further in all directions, fitting for her explosive works, but this still bursts with fun, constantly on the prowl, leaping out of the speakers with its cut-ups, some of the best hip-hop I’ve heard from this century. It swings and shimmies like nothing else. Sad that see she’s now a conspiracist touting tedious religious music and Trumpian ramble, following the explosions metaphor: they’re impossible to maintain, apart those inside stars.

Tinny and embryonic, but her wit and humour won me over in the end.

This was seriously cool when it landed and i think it holds up well. Lots of variety and fire and lyrics that pack a punch. She knows how to write a pop banger and i got a couple of listens in. downsides are this is a bit anxiety inducing and can be screechy in parts. Shame what she became but this was fun

When MIA came on the scene, it was world music that was more than somebody combing another culture for cool sounds or more cerebral moments of music. It was a refugee finding herself. She was taken on by certain folks as a banner for immigrants, women, and those downtrodden. Her existence was political. Her point of view was complex but able to be put in a box. As she has aged, her politics are once again reinterpreted by her adopted home and the listening public within their squares. They place their interpretation on her. She was never meant to be someone speaking for all these other folks. She speaks for her experience. This album is a personal and political album that you can dance to. It is hard to listen to without finding your way into trying to understand where she is coming from. It is a good album that showed a different possibility for rap. It isn't an African American perspective. Maybe other cultures have something to say while reusing and recycling Western music. It really did create an impact and underline the DIY aspects of how music is made.

Wow this doesn’t slow down does it!?! “They’re coming through your window- they’re coming through the door” This album sure is!! Would love to know how many times she spells her name throughout the album… crazy! And can’t get the chitty chitty bang bang noise out my head after the track ‘Bucky done gun’ But I love it! ‘Dash the curry’ seemed unnecessary 🤷‍♂️ Anyway Jay Z and Kanye need to listen to this album and learn a thing or too as this is how a rap album should bounce sound and feel! Best track- ‘10 dollar’ (shame she’s looking for a Yorkshire banker and not a Yorkshire farmer 😂’ Worst track- ‘dash the curry’ Feel like I’ve just completed a workout! Very solid 8/10

M.I.A. Arula Always enjoyed her stuff but never heard this debut album which has a real DIY bedroom feel to it. Right up my street. Each track is in your face (ears) from the get go. There's one idea each song and it gets pushed harder and harder. You can feel her Tamil Tiger heritage come through, and it really does have a vibe of bouncing through Sri Lanka streets on the edge of revolution. Best tracks - loads of em, Galang, Sunshowers, Amazon, Fire Fire, the funky U.R.A.Q.T. but the one that I've listened to constantly since, in every remix and live version I can find, is Bucky Done Gun. Those 'trumpets' are just killer! Worst Track - the closer M.I.A. Just doesn't quite hit like the what has gone before. 8/10

I get the artistry, but a little too all over the place for me.

Sick summer album, I don’t know if I would’ve liked it as much if it had been selected in the winter / fall. I thought this was interesting sonically and lyrically. Playlist add: "Bingo"

Pop un peu commerciale aux accents latino, on se fait chier

Je reconnais que j’ai trouvé ça très particulier, ça manque de liant… il y a juste une boîte à rythme j’ai l’impression.. je connaissais cette artiste et elle a fait quelques bangers… mais la… c’était vite chiant

Pas du tout ma came j'ai trouvé ça très répétitif

Really enjoyed this one! Surprised that I liked it better than the last one, but I did!

More M.I.A.? Well, she's getting a lot of attention for all the wrong reasons these days. Anyways, I think this one was better than the other one.

I have never heard music so annoying. I could be mistaken, but I believe the Geneva Conventions banned the usage of these synthesizers for being too inhumane to subject POWs to. M.I.A. has such obnoxious vocals. Apparently the lyrics are politically conscious, but I had no clue. I’m sure I’d agree with the messages, but my ears barely processed any of the crap being funneled into them. The only lyrics that stuck out to me were the words to the chorus of “U.R.A.Q.T” because of how stupid they were. This album is universally praised based on what I read on Wikipedia, but I do not get it. 1/5

All one note, don’t know if it was follow-up to paper planes

I was a little surprised this was on the list, but I guess it made a bit of a splash when it came out. Overall, it's a pretty decent record. I still enjoy the beats and sound on the record. Other artists have used these basic ideas to greater effect, but this still holds up. M.I.A.'s vocals seem to be divisive, but I'm still a fan. Her range is a little limited, but I like what she does with that range. Lyrically, this is a bit less impressive. It often feels like nonsense with a liberatory/transgressive sheen, but you could argue that the vibes matter more than the substance.

Would buy

2.5 stars I remember when this came out. My cool older brother played it while driving me and my sophomore classmates to school. This was at a time when I listened almost exclusively to indie rock like Arcade Fire and Eels, and definitely no hip hop or rap. I thought it was annoying. But honestly I remembered “Bucky Done Gun” and “Pull Up the People” like I’ve been listening to it on repeat and it’s been 2 decades. Upon this listen, I appreciate what she was doing much more. A solid debut, inventive and fun. Don’t know that it’s a must listen, but enjoyable.

Although it is not my preferred style of music, I love the kick-ass bass on this. favourite: "Bucky Done Gun" 2,5

It’s an interesting genre. Some of it is cool, some of it is a little bit too much. Favourites: Bucky Done Gun and Pull Up The People

probably my favorite artist on the list who has a questionable public persona

This at least has some energy to it but I don’t really wanna listen to hyped out British electro rap. Paper Planes had better production.

Ok

Best Track - "Galang"

I’d love to separate the art from the artist but she’s way too Trumpy for me to ignore

This was very interesting. I enjoyed listening to it a lot more than I expected.

Joni Mitchell’s Blue, quieten down, I need to make a sound

I'm surprised that I like this. Not because I have anything against M.I.A., but because I wasn't impressed with her breakout album, Kala. The styles between albums aren't too different, but it turns out I enjoyed the more electronic focus of Arular.

Música rarísima. No puedo identificar ni influencias hacia atrás o adelante. Hay algo de reggaeton viejo, pero es música medio agresiva... Gracias, jamás hubiera llegado aca

This wasn’t for me.

3 1/3 ⭐️ I like it more than I did.

And a half. It’s got its vine and I appreciate the politics. Sometimes a little samey but with some standouts.

Cool Yeah it’s great. Apparently she’s a right wing loon now but this holds up, remember Galang coming out and liking it but listened to the whole thing without any skips and enjoyed the lot. Favourite track: Sunshowers

1. Banana - Skit (★★⯨☆☆) 2. Pull Up the People (★★⯨☆☆) 3. Bucky Done Gun (★★⯨☆☆) 4. Sunshowers (★★⯨☆☆) 5. Fire, Fire (★★⯨☆☆) 6. Dash the Curry - Skit (★★⯨☆☆) 7. Amazon (★★⯨☆☆) 8. Bingo (★★⯨☆☆) 9. Hombre (★★★☆☆) 10. One for the Head - Skit (★★⯨☆☆) 11. 10 Dollar (★★⯨☆☆) 12. U.R.A.Q.T. (★★⯨☆☆) 13. Galang (★★⯨☆☆) 14. M.I.A. (★★⯨☆☆) TOTAL = ★★⯨☆☆

I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. Clever use of electronics with a touch of subcontinental beats.

Can we separate the art and the artist? In mias case no...

Plaisamment sassy au début, lassant à la fin

I didn't hate this. It was a fun listen while I was walking. Do I think it is one of the top albums of all time? No. However it is better than some of the other crap I have had to listen to. 6.5/10 Top song Amazon

Rubbish!

*drum machine, vivid, gaudy lo fi Bucky done gun Amazon

Maya Arulpragasam is an easy person to accuse - of a lot of things, but most acutely of being insufficiently committed to whatever leftist ideals she claims to hold. And it isn't difficult to see why; here are what appear to be a series of revolutionary discourses, delivered via bouncy hip-hop beats and worldbeat samples, by someone obviously capable of pop superstardom and not at all interested in the enforced humility we demand of would-be Robespierres. In this she reminds me of nothing so much as Spivak's "Can the Subaltern Speak?"; we aren't hearing from the oppressed peoples of the world, we're hearing from their coolest, smartest, prettiest, most talented, most privileged un-representatives (and make no mistake, charisma is a form of privilege). This dynamic threatens to make M.I.A.'s entire shtick feel like, well, a shtick; witness "Bucky Done Gun," where she appropriates the language of warfare in the service of seduction. Or, more broadly, the toy-piano and similarly childlike production on the beats throughout, as if the whole thing is no big deal. And then we get to "Amazon," in which Arulpragasam seems to reveal having given in to sexual coercion to ensure her own survival, and in an instant the whole thing snaps into a different kind of focus. The playfulness isn't privilege - it's a defense mechanism, a way to avoid the crushing psychic load of whatever shit has happened to her. And that gives the entire project a particularly resonant sort of realness; for someone for whom this threat is commonplace, why *wouldn't* it be something to play or joke about, the way crime scene investigators joke about blood splatter patterns? M.I.A.'s realness throws into contrast the posturing so many of her male rap and punk colleagues engage in. Without saying it directly, she points out how much easier it is to bang your head to Johnny Rotten shouting "no future" over and over when you've never had to, say, turn to prostitution to earn enough money for a visa, like the women Arulpragasam sings about on "10 Dollar." Or, similarly, that nobody *really* thinks Dr. Dre is gonna force Eazy-E to suck his dick. Turns out the truly revolutionary thing about M.I.A. is not the trauma of the Sri Lankan Civil War but the trauma of simply existing as a woman in a world where men take the things they want. No wonder the streets of London feel just as scary as those of Jaffna. (Incidentally, if I had a nickel for every time Lynn Hirschberg wrote a hit piece aimed at a female recording artist that ended up defining the artist's public image and career forever, I'd have two nickels, which isn't a lot, etc., etc.)

Definitely unique, with some really really great beats and sounds going on and the production sounds awesome. The main problem for me is that I just don’t really like M.I.A.’s vocals on here, they become a bit annoying after a while.

To many random noises mixed in for me to really enjoy this. It often feels like it doesn't fit in with the rest of the music.

not at all what I was expecting, and honestly this was quite good. 4/5.

Pretty unique and worldly for '05. I think the next release in '08 is the wildly influential one. This one is good and ambitious. It really does something different and does it pretty well without jepordizing the whole artistic output.

Not my thing

It's so easy to see someone recommending this. Like, there's more to M.I.A. than Paper Planes, this is fundamental to her energy. I remember hearing this in my early adolescence and it felt like too much. Today, I can understand why. It's eclectic, it has a lot of influence, a lot of noise, a lot of culture. There's a lot here that clashes if you're used to listening to things that follow a eurocentric standard. I can also admit her appropriation of '80s synth is the reason the record sounds like the future, even 20 years later. It sounds like a black-light night-club in an urban tropical setting, right where gentrification meets the underground and the working class. I'm not gonna add this album to my rotation, but it's got a nice raw sound I could see myself recommending. Maybe for a game-night playlist, or a reel about an intense process, a lot of this has an aggressive catchy spin that makes for fun listening in small doses. I also respect the project as a whole, ending in a track titled her own name, making sure her philosophy and energy has been understood, cementing the message in the process. Beautifully executed. It was a lot of fun listening to this record all day today. It might never happen again, I'm unsure. 4.25/5

I can vividly remember being up too late one night in college watching MTV’s Subterranean and seeing the video for Galang the first time and being completely mesmerized. It felt so new and fun. Kala will always be my favorite M.I.A. album, but this slaps too.

The talent is apparent -- but a very busy ear assaulting album that is to aggressive for my taste. I view this as an artisitic piece.. there is something for everyone, but not everything is for most people.

Not giving this B the time of day or my streams. IYKYK.

My brain can’t process this music.

This was overall better than Kala for me. The beats are bombastic and her vocals maintain a good rhythm that keeps everything moving. Favorites were Pull Up The People, Sunshowers, Bingo, and U.R.A.Q.T.

MIA’s current politics suck. This album was fun regardless. The amalgamation of world influences is pretty awesome.

Started off really strongly but by the halfway point it was starting to drag a bit. I’m amazed it was only 41 minutes long cause it felt like over an hour. There was still a few tracks I did really enjoy but I probably won’t listen to the album in full again. Top Track - Bucky Done Gun

It aight

enjoyed more than I thought I would

Missed this at the time and only really knew Paper Planes by her. This is surprisingly good

1.5

the type of music that plays when you leave fifa on for 3 hours

had some funky ass beats on this. kinda childlike and whimsical. fun for my train ride

I felt like this album was pretty lazy, and definitely not up my alley.

This is very interesting. I've never quite heard something like this, I suppose the closest I've gotten are MIA's more famous songs. It kinda almost doesn't sound like music it's very interesting. I can't imagine being able to make these sounds come together like this it's so interesting. What the fuck. I like it conceptually I don't really like it in practice. Favourite: Sunshowers :east favourite: Pull Up the People

M.I.A. – Arular (2005) I have one piece of advice for her: maybe don't try to spread a revolutionary message over mess beats and production. This one I just wasn't feeling at all. The vocals and lyrics felt so disconnected from the rhythm, production, and beats. Honestly, she probably should have been preaching for girls to shake their asses on these tracks instead of trying to preach about vaccines. A flat 2/5.

I thought I may like this but just found it mostly annoying. I do currently have a cold though and everything is shitter with a cold

pass

Sucks

Brit hop? Nah. Spice Girls meet Jenny Kim? Maybe. It was ok and very unique for me, but im a west coast hip hopper at heart.

Did I enjoy listening to this? Yes. Would I listen to this again? Probably not.

No. This was not enjoyable. Just clanging garbage.

Amazing album. Sick beats, several bangers, and a flow that just keeps you wanting more.

13/05/26 - mesmo dia que Licensed To Ill e Sheer Heart Attack o debut de alguém que eu sempre achei a estética interessante é um eletrônico estranho, que beat bizarro (e não é um bizarro bom - é funcional) minimamente interessante, mas esse nível de experimentalidade não me agrada tanto não colou principalmente a forma que ela rima com o beat, n sei explicar queria dar uma nota boa por esse ser apenas o terceiro álbum feminino que eu recebo em 71, isso me revolta o outro foi bem foda, um 9, esse para legal em um 6 essa segunda música é um pouco mais legal e mais latina, deve ter a ver com ela ter outros elementos não-norte americanos na sua identidade artística fico feliz de ela ter se consolidade na indústria musical sendo experimental assim, significa que ela é criativa e formou uma fanbase ela inclusive é citada em rádio silêncio, mto foda ainda assim essa segunda música não vai salvar esse álbum para mim esse modelo de música não se sustentou pra mim, 3 minutos dessa experimentalidade meio repetida para mim por faixa já é muito foi mal M.I.A, vc é foda mas vc não é pra mim minha nota genuína seria 5/10 / 2.5/5, mas arredondo para 6/10 / 3/5 por reconhecer que tem sua qualidade e eu não a apreciar não diminui isso, principalmente pq ela ascendeu legal na indústria musical fazendo música desse jeito criativo e singular

not to my tastes, but as far as rap goes, its kinda basic. nothing really memorable either way

Fun hip hop / electronica album. I love the different rhythms across the tracklist and the different sounds used. The lyrics can be a bit repetitive at times but that also makes the songs hookier. Bucky Done Gun is definitely the biggest earworm on the album but none of the rest really stood out.

Some catchy stuff on this album. I wasn't expecting to enjoy it considering that the other M.I.A. album I got on here was a 1/5 for me, but this one wasn't too bad.

Different kinds of beats than familiar with. Some of what was good. Nothing crazy catchy like some other stuff of hers but a fascinating listen

A really fun album with some fun beats. 4/5

4.5/5

Pretty great, kinda sad in hindsight if what M.I.A is doing now but still great.

Really struggled on this one, when I'm not into the music I don't want to go into the lyrics, therefore I kind of slacked... This felt like 1 very long song. Cover : Like the collage and influences !

Not for me

Listened Before? N I'm gonna be honest... I didn't listen to this one all the way through. I just don't care. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Bucky Done Gun

Weirdly cool

cunty in a raw way, cool vibes

Meh! Not my cup of tea. Bit dull.

Rap

I would say this is alright type of album, I didn’t really like it but I didn’t really hate there were a couple of good song here an there but overall it not really my type of niche to listen to. One of my favorite were 10 dollar, and Bucky done gun Overall: 2/5

Хип-хап с маршами и воинственной атмосферой.

Nice! Nice eclectic tunes rather and some great lines from MIA. It's the kinda music to inject vaccines to x. The one issue I have is that the songs all go on too long for me, because they don't have highs and lows and such, just feels slightly repetitious after a bit x

It's a record that is both stuck firmly in 2005 and sounds bang up to date.

Meh.

Cool album, good to dance to, a bit repetitive but then I suppose that’s the point. Just noting for reference since I’ve been a bit inconsistent - 1 star - didn’t like it, wouldn’t play it again 2 stars - decent, I liked it but may not necessarily play it again 3 stars - good, I liked it quite a bit and may play it again 4 stars - great, I loved it but may have some uneven aspects 5 stars - brilliant

It’s cool and all, but I don’t know if I’d ever listen to it again

Just when a song gets interesting it either ends or veers into something else or becomes at least lyrically more like a traditional pop song.

Favorite Tracks: Sunshowers / Amazon/ 10 Dollar / Galang Rating: 3.4 Chaotic, bouncy, fiery mashup jams with a healthy dose of DIY aesthetic. By Kala MIA's production and sound got more polished, but I dug the raw anything-goes creativity on this one. Overall a banger of an album, but one I'll listen to in the right mood/moment rather than songs that find their way into regular rotation for me.

rap, electr. dance, RnB, 2005 -> 1

Not as good as Kala but still very enjoyable. MIA songs rock.

One of the most interesting and boppy albums I've heard on this list. First time listening to a full M.I.A. album, even better than expected. Great shit!

It is an interesting album but it's not really my cup of tea.

An old favorite.

Interesting listen. Loads of personality and good production. Feel like it looses abit of steam towards the end of the album. Favourite tracks: Pull up the people and Amazon

Didn’t expect to like this but I did. Catchy, some good beats and I like her style. God that makes me sound fucking old… Ran out of steam for me towards the end but nonetheless, interesting and entertaining.

Very fun listen, so ahead of its time.

this was good but i feel like the songs all started to sound like each other. the beats and lyrics were unique enoguh but it was all high energy dance pop i fear

Too busy, too loud, too repetitive

Loved this whe it came out, but it wasn't as amazing as I remember now that I'm a 36 year old.

la verdad me sorprendio, casi lo saco a la mierda pero lo deje y meh, si pudiera serian 2,5 pero bueno

Not for me (sorry dad)

Even though it sounds almost like one long song, and there isn't much range to her vocals, it really grew on me. It is a guilty pleasure.

First time listening to this album. I do like some of M.I.A.'s work but I think this album isn't really that good or interesting enough to be included on the list 2/5

An okay album, just liked Amazon the most.

I thought this album was ok. I didn’t hate it or love it. I probably wouldn’t revisit most of the songs on the album, but I enjoyed certain parts, and the production was great all the way through, just not my thing. Fav song was Galang, least fav was U.R.A.Q.T.

Very unusual from what I'm used to. I really don't like it, can't even finish the album

Very much the kind of music that appears in Britbox crime TV series that I've never heard before and am intrigued by for about 40 minutes. I like it. Listen to it three or four times in a row and it becomes a sort of comforting rhythmic cage.

Loved this album! Some catchy hooks mixed with some creative rapping.

It's an interesting album, didn't really blow me away. But this was very influential for when it came out, and that's a credit to its originality. I feel that there isn't enough variation in the album, so it can start to feel repetitive after a while. This has a very distinct attitude which gives it a lot of character, this helps add intrigue to the album and give a sense of who M.I.A is. I think the beats are good, and overall had a very catchy baseline throughout. But some of the GarageBand style elements don't work for me. It's interesting, I'll give it that. But really didn't stick with me. Probably doesn't help M.I.A is a weirdo (girl get vaccinated). Fav Track: Galang

Best Song: Galang. The fuzz and the nonsense chorus ended up working in the song's favour on this one. And the beat was great. Worst Song: 10 Dollar. This is unapologetically British, but it's so egregious to listen to that honestly I feel like it should apologize a little bit. Overall: I can't quite put my finger on why I dislike this album. I think it has something to do with how busy it sounds. There all so many different samples being used, and they are used in a way that (to me) feels cluttered and discordant. There is so much going on all of the time, that there's never any room to breathe. Claustrophobic pop music.

It’s cool and the vibe is amazing but some of the sampling got pretty annoying in a few tunes.

I liked this better than I expected. It is more "raw" than her next album that blew up on the pop charts, and I appreciate that about "Arular." It's still not going to be a favorite of mine, but I do applaud the uniqueness of it. I'd give it a 3.5 stars, but I'll round up to 4 on this scale.

Loved the chance to revisit this classic

Always figured she was a one hit wonder but there are some solid tunes on here. Love the reggae influence. Favorite track: Bucky Done Gun

This came out two years before Kala. Some good dance tunes but I think I like the later album more. None of the songs particularly stood out, but the overall sound was fun. Having given Kala 3 stars, this one would get 2.5, but am giving it 2 since half stars aren't an option.

ahead of its time, richtig geil und kreativ und geil

So much fun!

Miss Paper Planes but still a solid record

Great, fun album. I’ve been listening to this album on and off since it came out and it has never gotten old. Will definitely listen to it again.

Not my normal listening fare, but not too bad, all in all.

This might be an album that music people love, but for me it's just okay. I'm torn between a 2 or a 3.... it didn't annoy me too much so I guess I can give it a 3

1 - TERRIBLE

My first exposure to M.I.A. in album form. Really fun listen some of the songs get a bit annoying but generally a very enjoyable and eclectic album 7/10 Favourite: Bucky Done Gun Least Favourite: Hombre

This is garbage. Please God, make it stop!!!!!!

Definitely some cool, fun, and interesting tunes in here, but probably not the best album for a relaxing morning listen, which is how I initially took it in. What would probably hit just right in a party setting felt a little irritating and obnoxious at times. That's making it hard to rate this one. I should probably give it a listen in the right setting, but who the hell has the time for that? I've got like 1200 more albums to listen to.

This is fun and I had a good time listening to it, and I don't think it's meant to be much more then that.

Banging.

An excellent album, but not different enough from its follow-up to warrant both of them being on this list.

This album grew on me as it went on. I think I realized I was listening to it in the wrong context (in my car driving and also on headphones while playing a video game) and I really needed to hear it in a club or something and it would definitely pop off then.

I didn’t even know MIA had an album before Kala. That album definitely was geared toward a more international audience, which is one of the reasons I like this one so much: it was authentically her. Much like Lauryn Hill, MIA attacks music in a totally Sri Lankan way. It’s a little Indian influence, some Middle Eastern flair, American rap and Brazilian dance hall all mixed into one. Damn is she blunt in her lyrics too, eg, URAQT. Key songs for me were 10 Dollar and Amazon, though Hombre was good too. I want to revisit this entire album when time provides this weekend. I have to say initial listen gets a 3.5. But since that’s not possible I’m rounding today!

Random thoughts: - I remember getting this one in the mid-2000s. Yes, I was on MIA before Paper Planes - Sunshowers is the one I remember from this album and it still holds up. Very underrated. It’s not even in her top 10 on Spotify. - I also liked URAQT on this listen. Didn’t remember that one from before. - Overall, super fun album. More of a 3.5, maybe a 4 for some.