Reviews (page 3 of 7)
The album is very cool. But this woman is crazy!! She has endorsed Corbyn and Trump. This is baffling
Not really my thing, I do like some of her other stuff though.
Love this album
No. Just no
I've really only known M.I.A for her big hit "Paper Planes" that was huge around the time I was in high school. Non music wise, she endorsed Trump in 2024 and went on Alex Jones's show in 2000 and I think that detracts the good politics she otherwise had. I'll choose to ignore that and focus on her early albums that this list contains. But just gotta say: not a good look. Hating vaccines is wack, anti 5G shit is weirdo crap, and I'm not gonna get in on the Assange rapist defending, just a weird mess Arular is a very creative and interesting album, blending in UK/Brazilian genres and creating some pretty funky stuff. The trade-off is that it doesn't always hit for me, but I appreciate a creative approach rather than trying to be the same as everyone else. It hits a great creative flow in the second half of the record. I think for most people it'll be hit or miss, certainly not for everyone's kind of sound. I think it's neat but not something I'd dig too further into, lest the 5G radiation will kill me or whatever
Holy shit this is annoying. I'm starting to think that Paper Planes is entirely carried by the sample of Straight To Hell.
2/3. Such a cool sound; this would sound futuristic to me no matter what decade I heard it in. The sound choices are incredible, but it’s definitely an album I need to be in the right mood for. Stars aligned today, so it’s a strong inclusion for me.
Previously rated: #217 - Kala (1/5) ************************** Album #1,089 (FINAL ALBUM!) I really despised the first album from her on this list. It was too long ago to remember why. Please let this be better. Oh, boy, now I remember. Aggressively in your face with her annoying vocals aaaahhhh-AAHHHHH and mind-numbing repetitiveness. The music is mostly annoying too with their loud BAAAAAHHHHHHHHHs and OOOOOOOOMMMs (I don't know how else to describe them). I kinda liked the Sanford and Son sample on U.R.A.Q.T. though. I'm glad Quincy Jones got a credit -- I checked. Didn't like the lyrics. British rap (if that's what this is) always sounds bad. Best track: Bingo
I think it was the British accent getting to me, didn't love it that much
How
I'm not even going to describe how much I hated this.
Really interesting, and more enjoyable than her other album I've gotten in here. I liked the world fusion hip hop idea, and it was done in an interesting way here. I didn't immediately love it but I'd listen to it again.
A star for originality, a star for political stance and a star for such a blend of styles which is cool. But I couldn't listen all the way through--not my jam.
Hated it at first. Softened on a second listen.
This was such a great sound, second album was even better
This may have been one you needed to hear at the time as it was genuinely thrilling back then. Her brains may have been fried since but this still stands up OK (and isn't even her best album)
Reminds me of Christmas Eve in Austria
This somehow manages to sound both retro and innovative, I'm not sure how. I had fun listening to this, it's fun to dance along with. I enjoyed this much more than I thought I was going to.
Never listened. Expectations: Mid - Verdict: Good - This album doesn’t blow me away but I do find it very likeable. I think I enjoy how unsubtle it is. It isn’t trying to be too clever and just has fun the entire runtime.
Pitchfork wankery
Pretty consistently entertaining. Production still sounds really cool and her flow (seemingly a mix of Indian subcontinent Filmi vocal style and Missy Elliott-esque street swagger) is perfect. Liked it a lot and would probably still enjoy a second time!
Quite enjoyed this, though not enough to add it to my library. Especially dug the Caribbean influences.
Listened to this on a spin bike and great music for that, got the heart pumping. Fun record
Can't believe she's had this crazy of a career trajectory. Was going to give this 4 stars until I remember her actually insane MAGA status. Insane because of who her father is, and also I did NOT realize this album was named after him 💀 Again: literal batshit career AND life trajectory.
Ok mix or rythyms
Yes, I love this album. It was on repeat in my life when it first came out.
Die ersten Takte ertönen. Was ist zu hören. Geräusche vom Schrottplatz. Dazu furchtbares Gestottere! Meine Fresse!
Fierce, banging, driving, vital - organic, independent, with the spirit of The Slits, of Bjork, and many other independent originators present.
Not for me
I won't say this is a poorly made example of the genre, I will just say I find the genre utterly annoying and unlikeable. And there's a drum machine.
M.I.A.’s debut album gives us a handful of absolute bangers and a few tracks that make me wonder how they made it out of the studio. I’ve added some material to the workout playlist for sure but the skits and tracks I don’t like will prevent me from returning to this one in full.
Bingo was a bop. Some fun beats throughout but not something I'd daily drive. References to president Bush and a new Nokia in "M.I.A." dated it in a way that made me smile.
Absolute garbage. Simplistic, repetitive noise. No idea why this is a must listen to, it does nothing worthwhile, and brings no enjoyable listening experience.
a fusion of various beats and genres, plenty of interesting (if not strange) noises and melodies throughout. but not interesting enough for me to ever pick this up again
I feel like F E N got the freedom to wanna dance to this at BCR
Franchement je met une note par ce que je suis obligée pour sauvgarder mes notes d'écoute (oui c'est imporant). C'est un album beaucoup plus complexe que je ne suis capable de comprendre la maintenant. Ca a rien à voir avec ce que j'écoute habituellement du tout, mais je pense vraiment y revenir quand je serais prete, pour l'instant ça m'a juste fatiguée.
Not the worst album on this list but far from the best.
Catchy at times and danceable but not on the level of her follow up. Galang and Sunshowers are the highlights for me.
I think it's up my alley but my possible love of MIA is wasted due to her flummoxing support for Donald Trump (weird since she's a woman and british. I don't know who asked her to speak on it). I'd love to support a brown Uffie-adjacent sort of girl but I don't know her well enough for the music to overshadow the politics and I don't think the music has the same style or likeability that Uffie's or similar artists have. Always found even Paper Planes a little cringey. Sorry, bud
Moments that piqued my interest, lots of energy, interesting mash of styles, but just couldn't get into it. Sounded like 1 long song and nothing particularly stood out.
I only knew her hit, Paper Panes, before this. I’m not a big fan of this genre.
This just shows my age. Just didn't like this album, listened through and let's just say it isn't for me, and leave it at that. Because if not, say what an extremely repetitive mess, both rhythmically and lyrically, like what everyone with no talent made when that app was on the 1st ipads, garageband i think.. song development and transition is non existent. Lot of spin about crossing geographical boundaries n all. Sure, thought was being generous at 2 but this is 1 Star
Not my cup of tea
Very disruptive, tried several times, Bingo !
Ok... after the first few minutes I was sure, I would rate this album 2 stars at best in the beginning, but in the middle of Bucky Done Gone the brazilian funk really, really "clicked" for me. I think M.I.A. hits the perfect balance of creative and enjoyable at the same time, that many artists on this list (and in general) try, but are unable to achieve for me. Never heard a song by her before knowingly and I am looking forward to explore more!
This was cool. A very unique, kind of wild approach/style.
It was catchy, but not entirely memorable. I did greatly enjoy the Sanford & Son theme song used as a beat on U.R.A.Q.T. I couldn't help feeling like the whole album was a throwback to early 80's rap. I don't see this entering my playlist, but I didn't hate it.
I enjoyed several songs on this album. She has a very pleading voice and localization style. The cuts I recommend are Bucky Done Gun Fure Fire a10 Dollar Galang Galang. Pretty impressive for a first release.
I’m AWOL on MIA.
Not for me.
one of my all time favorite albums. 5 *
Does her influence get this from a 2* to a 3*? Yeah, I'm not feeling coming up with a 4* replacement.
It's definitely not bad, but not something I sincerely enjoy and it felt a bit samey to me. I liked the energy though! I think with the right mood this could be great.
Cool, ved ikke om både denne og Kala behøvede være med
Vild med det. Alle genrerne er med på den her plade, og den er et sjovere lyt end Kala.
Interesting and not as annoying as the other M.I.A. album we had.
Trying so hard to be cool and edgy is neither cool nor edgy. Everything is crisp, too crisp, it sounds like it was mixed for cheap earbuds or car speakers, to punch through mid speakers, but i'm listening on normal headphones, so the a sit through of the entire album is just punishment. So, hate the music genre, hate the production & hate the content. I easily prefer absolute silence over this assault on the intellect and the senses.
se me borró todo el review lcdll Album olvidable, el ultimo tema safa despues es el mismo tema 13 veces
Based on paper planes I thought this album would be better than it was. Talk about recency bias; not unlistnable, but a baffling why is this shit here. Not influential or important enough to warrent a place on the list.
Danced around cleaning my kitchen to this. Bloody great
Maybe.Its.Amazing
Feels extremely ahead of it's time for when it came out and still holds up well today
This subgenre (whatever it falls under) of electronic music is already not my thing, and this album takes that to the extreme. I wish there was some kind of redeeming quality I could find from it, but I just couldn't find any. The music is repetitive and annoying, and for being electronic music, I never even found the beat catchy at any point. It just consistently sounds like audio vomit with nothing even really tying it all together. And I really don't like the way she sings. It's just as obnoxious as the music to me, so I guess at least that's all consistent. And speaking of consistency, there isn't very much variation between songs, it's all very samey. It's a shame, since so many people seem to like it, but this album's a hard no for me. Favorite Song: None
I think this still sounds like it's from the future. Also, there's more Big Audio Dynamite influence than I realized 20 years ago.
Now we’re talkin. I have listened to M.I.A. But haven’t heard anything from this album. 🙌🏼
They should have stayed Missing ...
Repetitive childish nonsense
At the start I thought what a load of old crap, that is because it is way out of my comfort zone. But when I had begun to adjust to this particular noise, it did start to grow on me as it went on. However I somehow doubt I will ever listen to this again.
Didn't even make through the second track, grating as hell
Favorite songs: Fire Fire, One for the Head (Skit), Galang
I'm impressed! Impressed that an artist can keep such an annoying sing-song/ playground voice going for an entire (over-long) album. It shows a level of dedication indeed. The closest thing I can think of to this is Missy Elliot. I'm not a big fan of Missy, and I'm definitely not a fan in the slightest of MIA. There's little distinction between tracks, other than some strange gaps with a few seconds of total silence, randomly inserted here and there. It's almost like the first track is just extended and ran for the entire 41 minutes. Even the skits sound like they merge into one continuous and awful song. Boom, bap, annoying sing-song vocals, it just keeps going, almost like this was designed to wear me down with its awfulness. The only positive I can see is that anyone listening to this can see how easy it is to make music, even if you have zero musical talent. I don't mark artists down for being trashy people, but once I saw this artist was an anti-vax, Trump supporter I had to briefly reflect on my one star review. But nope, this would be one star even if MIA didn't have awful political views. Total dogshit album.
Not my jam There are bits that are legit, but they come in small bursts.
Full force kaleidoscope of sounds
I have no idea what is going on here. StillI I don't dislike it, whatever it is, it's just not aimed at me.
**No real music, a lot of sounds and noise, too much rap
Hell yeah
the music ... is epic
Seemed interminable.
Great! Got me productive!
Made we wanna twerrrkkk
Pretty good hip hop. I.like it.
She's so cool. This isn't usually what I like, but I liked it.
Decent album but does sound like a debut as some songs don’t sound quite right. But defo a cool sound. Fave songs: -Galang -Bucky done gun -
this was such a fun little album!!
Enjoyed
a bit of dangdut, electro, bongo, some indian???, also feel plastic beach vibes, and blackpink somehow not my favs, but then again, i rarely listen to electro & hiphop Overall: 5/10
Þetta er eflaust tónlist fyrir mörg, en þetta er ekki tónlist fyrir mig.
Just didn't really do it for me
Such a fun style! I've always enjoyed MIA's hits when I've heard them but never listened to a full album. I'm going to listen to this one a lot more!
I really liked this. It's Hip-hop with other types of musical influences and her voice which can have Sri Lankan accent.
Can bad people actually create good art? Or, rather: Can you enjoy the art created by people whose mindset you despise? In the case of M.I.A., the answer, to me, is yes -- although I think she took a turn for the worse somewhere after "MAYA", I think her first three albums are amazing. Maybe the didn't revolutionize hip hop, but they certainly revived the genre, adding pop sensibilities, the heaviness of rock (see her feature with Suicide on "MAYA") and experimental world music. "Arular" probably is my least favorite of the three, yet it still contains amazing tracks. "10 Dollar" is ridiculously catchy, "U.R.A.Q.T." still sounds as powerful today as it did in 2005, and "Bucky Done Gun" hints at "Paper Planes". Not a perfect record -- but nonetheless a record that I enjoyed revisiting.
This sounded really fresh when it came out, and is still quite fun listening back. It feels as if music has moved on, partly due to this album. I like the simplicity and directness of it and there are a few bangers on there. Sunshowers is a particular highlight.
This sounds more like a mix tape than an album. I love the chopping and changing of styles and references points between each track. You can't imagine it being recorded anywhere but East London during a particular time. Like all the best albums, it borrows from just about everyone, without ever trying to hide this. It's disposable music that deserves to be revisited every now and then as a reminder of what was possible.
Not too shabby MAGA I A.
I couldn't really get into it. Maybe I'll check it out again some other time.
This was so much fresher when it came out. The next couple of albums were better and MIA has since gone off the deep end
BEURK !
Det bandldido sier, bare at jeg liker det.
Can respect it but not for me Why are so many of these albums just straight noise
I can't help it, but I find M.I.A. damn attractive, just like her music.
Weirdo femme reggaeton electro. I’m not putting it on when the in laws are over, but hey, this thing is cool.
I was excited to see this, because I already had Kala by M.I.A. and I really liked that album. This one was a little less dynamic, but still some good Caribbean beats. I wasn't able to focus on the lyrics. There wasn't a lot of variety between songs, and it was mostly beats-based. The beats were good but I like more instrumental and tonal elements to be mixed into percussion.
I know the name and I'm sure I heard some of these songs back in the day, but I couldn't tell you what any of them are. Presumably once I listen some memories will come back. Gimme 45 mins or so... First off, M.I.A is a bit thick, throwing her pseudo-intelligence behind anything she seems as anti-establishment. She has supported both Corbyn and Trump, something only a truly broken mind could reconcile. Like many children of war, she's obviously scarred, but has allowed those scars to dictate her life in some of the worst possible ways. Anti Co-vid Vax, thinks 5g is going to... something? Oh yes, she claims to have had a vision of Jesus. She is a person pulled into political discourse due to her upbringing, but has been swallowed by every black hole going, lacking the smarts to understand what is in front of her. For all the good things she promotes, this is a person who must be entirely dismissed. This doesn't mean her music is good, bad, or otherwise, but it sets some context. This album is a serious clatter, noisy, all over the place, cheap, dated, influential, pulling from all matter of sources to make something ultimately redundant. For all the fierce noise, it comes across as your local loon deciding to take a swim in the nearest bin, armed with a couple of frying pans. Something I've never enjoyed about British rap is the pantomime accents employed. This is front and centre in the vocals here, made worse by repetitive lyrics and cheap clicky beats. But that's the rapping, maybe she can sing? No, sadly no. Slurred and monotone and whining, it's the voice of a hoodie yelling 'bruv I'm not gonna lie but I'm gonna smash this here window if you don't unlock that dog, innit', after you trap them inside the corner shop they've just tried to rob. It sounds both dated and modern at once. Dated because, well, listen to it. And modern because so much of modern, viral, Tik Tok shite follows the same clicky, squeaky, anti-melodic pattern. A truly awful Microsoft paint vomit for the artwork with the approach of 'just one more CTRL V from clip art'. Turns out I don't actually remember any of this. Clearly I travelled in better circles with better taste. I can't leave with such negative comments, so I'll finish with this - plus points for some of the lyrics and lyrical themes (shame they're buried under such shite music), and I imagine you could probably have a good time dancing to some of the songs if you were off your tits or being chased by the filth.
Helt ok innslag i en slik liste. Men ikke det beste albumet fra en tross alt one hit wonder artist.
The peaks are great, the troughs are pretty unremarkable.
Arular is a genre-kleptomaniac collage, mixing countless styles into a politically charged, hard-to-pin-down debut.
Takes me back to highschool! Such a big M.I.A. fan back then!
Kind of liked the beat and respected the innovation
GOOD
The electronic instrumental sounds good, but overall it doesn't turn out to be anything special. Rate 2/10
Man, this is all so very same-y. I didn't hate it, but I didn't especially love it either. "Galang" is a jam, and it has its moments otherwise, but I was very underwhelmed.
Favorite Songs: Bucky Done Gun, 10 Dollar Least Favorite Song: Banana I'm sorry Mamma M.I.A. I really wanted to like this one. I really did.
Yep.
It's fine, it's just not my vibe. I'm not big on 2000s music. Her voice is pretty/cool tho.
I'm beginning to come to the conclusion that I'm just not cut out for this album a day thing. I thought it was going to be an adventure. I thought I was going to find gem after hidden gem that I'd never heard before and be adding songs to my playlist left, right and centre. Instead, it turns out that I'm just being exposed to unlistenable shite like this. I mean, listen to songs like 10 Dollar or URAQT and tell me it isn't actively annoying to listen to. It's just in irritating repetitive noise. This is album 491 and it's another one - and yes, I sound like my grandad - where I'm not entirely sure it strictly classifies as music. God help me, the last few albums have been hip hop, country & western, shoegaze, whatever Malcolm McLaren is classed as, hip hop (again, so much hip hop) and Captain Fucking Beefheart. I might be about to throw the towel in. I get that this isn't supposed to be the best 1000 albums ever made, but I at least thought they'd be interesting.
Bucky Done Gun sounds like an old-school rap song that should have a video with breakdancing. Other songs also have a retro electronic flavor, sounding sometimes like The Knife only happier. A mostly frenetic dance-y record with decent beats and chants.
I thought I was going to be way too old for this one, but ended up playing it 4 times.
Hip Hop, 59 eme album =>1/5
The sounds are interesting but grating. I enjoyed Sunshowers but her better album on this list is Kala without a doubt.
Really? This is on the 1001 albums list? It doesn't have a good first impression. What would you even call this, rap? Spoken word? And it has early 2000s production written all over it, and not in a good way. Maybe this album goes hard in the club? But I'm not really a club person. And if I wanted club bangers from this era, I'd prefer Rihanna or 50 Cent. I guess Amazon is good. And Hombre is okay. I like U.R.A.Q.T. in theory, but the song structure feels all wrong. I'd actually heard Galang before, its okay. But overall, this album isn't for me. actually I don't even know who its for, do people actually enjoy this style of music?
Doesn't do much for me other than the "bang bang bang bang" song.
Cute, but not for me. Although Paper Planes is quite cool. Maybe this is just not the record.
Sounds like a toddler got access to a sound board and the want to be hip auntie making up some of the worst lyrics over the top. Doesn't even sound professional let alone great.
Litt voldsomt. Det var veldig lite som fenga her. Skulle gitt Jagged little pill en stjerne til.
Hørt til og fra jobb. Mye pling-plong og mye drit. Sykt irriterende
Tøff i trynet, men blir bare mas og gnål i lengden.
It has some moments. However it gets kind of repetitive
Honestly I didn't think it was creative enough. Even though I listened to it all the way through it was boring and repetitive. Wasn't a fan.
Excellent rap/pop music. I am probably too old to really appreciate it in my gut. But I appreciate it in my head, and it is so original and energetic I know I SHOULD really love it. Maybe another day. 4/5
Really bad sometimes pretty fun other times
Album 1026 of 1089 Arular - M.I.A. (2005) Rating : 1 / 5 This one was short and to the point, which I appreciated - unfortunately, that was about where it ended for me. I listened all the way through, gave it a fair shot, and it just never connected. The album felt repetitive and largely uninspiring. The beats and delivery didn’t evolve enough from track to track to hold my attention, and nothing really stood out as something I’d want to revisit. I can understand why this album holds a place within its genre and why others may appreciate what it brings to the table - it just isn’t something that works for me. Sometimes an album is simply something to experience once, process, and move on from. This was one of those listens for me.
Kind of a fun album, but her style gets a bit repetitive and tiring for me.
Good vibe, keeps you on your toes.
Lyrically, MIA is always repetitive which is not necessarily a bad thing in one off songs that hit hard. Nothing seems to hit hard here. At times a bit tedious.
it didn't really work for me
M.I.A.’s attitude on this album is infectious. It’s banger after banger of badass techno hip-hop that’s as danceable as it is socially aware. Extremely creative production and beats support each and every song here. Moreover, the embrace of non-western influences on this album is eye-opening, and highly essential as these artists often don’t see “equal opportunity” in the music industry. Overall a very fun and enjoyable listen.
3 words Bucky Done Gun
I have no idea what I just listened to but I liked it.
3/5 good but all the songs are too similar
Sometimes good, sometimes annoying. On balance, more annoying than good, and its always hard to support somebody who is anti-vax. Shout out to my favourite song of hers which isn't particularly akin to anything on this album - Born Free. 5/10
not a single song I would listen to again
Not quite my thing, but I liked it more when she added some hooks like on Fire, Fire and a few others, and this did something very differnet to a lot of similar albums in the genre. File more in the "can very appreciate" than really really enjoy. Also can't believe she's now 50 as I swear she only came to prominence like a decade ago. That is very much wrong, but still.
I really wasn’t looking forward to this album after she went on her republican, mini-kanye rant a couple of months ago. I have to say this is much better than I though it would be.
I loved this. I don't really know why. The electroglam is fun, she has a fascinating way of singing and her double tracking is so not tight that it kind of riffs off the other vocals. I have no idea what she's on about half the time, but it really grooves and I found I didn't really care. There was one track iraqo or something that started a bit meh, but got better and that was my only criticism really. So much energy, seemingly so little care for what people might think of it, almost lazy in delivery, but the layers really grabbed me. I watched the video for galang too and on paper I should hate it, but the dance moves, the kind of not caring naffness of it. It came across as really cool. I love it.
Not my kind of music.
low-key good shit
One of several on this list, I suppose, where it will be necessary to separate the art from the artist. A few decent tracks, but nowhere near as good as Kala.
Infâme, horrible je comprends pas comment on peut écouter ça
In so many ways, seems like a clear precursor to Charli xcx. Really innovative and danceable beats. Playful but understatedly meaty lyrics.
Like a Mustaine riff this is flashy, overdone and void of substance or soul. One pity star and one for reminding me of Sanford & Son.
Great Album. Fav: Pull up the people
yuck. 0/5
Eclectic and energetic, but maybe less than a sum of its parts? A lot I liked about it, but not much that makes me want to return to it. 3.5*
i’m glad this album exists, but its far from her best work.
This is a high 3. A lot of it does nothing for me but it flows well enough. Bingo is a very good song, 10 dollar is excellent, luv it
I've always really liked the few M.I.A. songs I've heard so it's silly I'd never listened to a whole album before. Front to back, this is like one non-stop banger. Sort of unlike anything I've ever heard, but also sounds like a lot of music that came 15-20 years later. Sign me up as an M.I.A. fan. (Wait, she supported WHO for president in 2024? Okay, please unsubscribe me. But this album still rules.)
Different for once!
Not my bag
so good and weird i love it
Just not for me
It's a somewhat interesting concept and I somewhat understand its influence at the time of release but it's just not my jam.
utter bilge, turned it off
Ba nah nah ba nah nah ba nah nah M I A M I A M I A M I A pull up the people pull up the people bucky done gun bucky done gun bucky done gun... I can only assume this was designed and used as a torture method during the Iraq war. No.
The production is so interesting. I liked this one more than Kala. Low 4.
I love M.I.A but I rlly do not listen to her music outside of for this list. 10 dollar has lyrics that r from a Tamil nursery rhyme thing that I grew up hearing.
Why are there 2 mia albums on here
interesting album. if you listen to the lyrics, it's pretty political. mostly about Sri Lanka independence. Political Dance music. who woulda thunk. i hope everyone got a kick out of the song U.R.A.Q.T. which included a music sample and a dialog sample of one of the all-time great comedies.
I appreciate the artistic expression and the uniqueness. The singing is very unique as well which is cool. Well done album with a lot going on. I definitely agree this should be on the list. But my grades are based on if I like it, not how good I think it is. And this music is nails on a chalkboard for me. It gets a one even though I think it is deserving of the list.
I give it a 2 just based on the Sanford and Son tease.
I felt like I listened to the same song for 40+ minutes! I’ve heard worse though!!!!
Я бы охуел, если бы услышал это 20 лет назад. Лучшая песня - Bucky Done Gun.
Removed Album #23 (List: https://pastebin.com/cSThNiK9) Cool, another snubbed album. I already know this is going to be hip-hop, though I could probably gleam it from the cover, too. I've been working my way through every hip-hop album on the list that I haven't listened to yet, of which this is listed as such. What brand of hip-hop album this could be is up in the air, however. Is it gonna have more of an African influence? Fascinating. I was fistbumping after predicting the African element in the intro only to be immediately slammed by the electronic sound on the remainder of this album. The instrumentals are decent. I dig this off-kilter, electronic sound. The percussion is especially interesting at the beginning of the album. I'm not sure how it was produced - it sounds like a real instrument that was distorted in the mastering process. The harsh synthesisers in the background are also okay. I like their jittery flow. The vocals suck complete dick, however. I could never get a feel for them. The ethnic-sounding parts are dull and lackadaisical, whereas the cockney-voiced sections are jarring for obvious reasons. I'm typically unbothered by vocals, but I was accosted by the ones on here for nearly the entire runtime. I just couldn't get into 'em. Overall, I thought this was pretty suckin', though I can respect the short runtime. So, why was this album removed? To the book we go. This was in the first edition and was removed from the 2008 revision, where it was replaced with her second album, Kala. I guess the reason is pretty self-evident, then. She's only deserving of one book entry and her second album is the superior showing. But was it ever worthy of inclusion in the first place? To the actual entry we go. The entry compares her to Peaches, whom I'm surprised doesn't have an entry. MIA was backed by the frontwoman of Elastica - another surprise crossover. Drew a lot of attention on the industry side of music. A lot of samples. "Witty choruses" - I'd venture to disagree. To-the-point. Wikipedia says that this album was well-received by critics, was a Mercury Prize nominee, had moderate chart success and was an influence to Thom Yorke of all people. I mean, the album's shit, though it seems to have earned it's fair share of accolades. I cosign this inclusion.
She sounds like a cheerleader
I hated this on first listen, kinda loved it on second, what’s that all about? It’s fun and I was shaking my booty. Shame she appears to have turned into a loon though
Un poquito de esto y un poquito de esto otro aah album.
- So, apparently she said with her whole chest that "Trump is going to ride America through the most challenging 4 years coming pulling out weed , and RFK will inherit America when God is ready to replant and rebuild it righteously.” So, finally a woman on this list, and now she’s just as questionable as the men. Fair to say that she thought differently when she made this album, but it’s hard to listen to it now in the same spirit knowing this. - Nice beats and flow, and I appreciate the political bent of this album (pre the above quote).
Bouncy and catchy all the way through. And that's the problem. It doesn't evolve or show any real depth.
What a load of rubbish. I vaguely remember this album being recommended in a magazine I used to read back then. I bought it and wasted my money. Even 20 years later, the album is still rubbish. 1/5
Just not for me. To be honest, I'm a little shocked that M.I.A. has so many monthly listeners. But then, maybe I'm not surprised. This was pretty unique and interesting, but not something I'll be returning to often. Fave tracks: - Pull Up the People - Bingo - Hombre - U.R.A.Q.T. - Galang
Liked two songs. Could not stand the others. Sounds like she was having fun though. You go girl!
On paper I feel like I should like this album. I love experimental and weird music, especially when it is upbeat party music, and I love experimental hip hop, I am a huge death grips fan. But man... I find almost every song here to be almost unlistenablely annoying. I think it is her voice that really bugs me. I am glad I don't like this so I don't have to do mental gymnastics to enjoy a crazy antivaxer. Mid 1.
There’s an annoying trend on this list of debut albums from artists whose craft is not yet fully formed and who made much more of an impact with later works.
This entire album's genre is 2000s club music fused with Hip-Hop, and Pop. Here I was thinking M.I.A. went M.I.A. after "Paper Planes". And somehow, I really liked it. Favorite Track: "Galang".
This album really only has one sound. It's good and doesn't overstay it's welcome
Just fucking awesome. Banger after banger.
Something different, that's fer sure. Couple interesting tracks I'll revisit
Hard to rate this as it was ok for my tastes but got a bit repetitive, and beat production seemed a bit underdeveloped (whether a bit amateur or a product of its era I’m not sure). I think I could learn to love M.I.A. But today 2.5/5 rounding down
DOPE
Pretty fun and very energetic.
An intriguing mixture of western hip hop and sounds from around the world. While this pulls from a lot of influences, each one is subtle enough to not overwhelm the songs and to create an album that has a consistent sound. This is a bit of a detriment too though, as it causes the songs to blur together a bit. What hooks there are sound fairly similar. While some songs like "Amazon" and "Galang" contain a lot of layered sounds, others like "Sunshowers" are more minimal. The minimal songs lean more towards hip hop than dance or pop, relying on M.I.A.'s lyrics and rapping, which aren't anything to write home about. On her next album M.I.A. created lusher songs with more hooks; those things are largely missing here, so while the sound is still interesting it creates very few memorable moments to come back to.
surely it had its time and place. not 2025 though
This chick fucking sucks.
Catchy but annoying
Gear: INAWAKEN Twilight-DS Artwork: ️🎨👾🏁 Production:📉😏👍 Music: 🧪🤪😖 Rating: 🍌🍌(🍌)/5
Bangers
Very interesting. Kept waiting for the Kill Bill song but that must be on a different album. Yes to a relisten.
Just sounds terrible. Their only good song is not on this album
I actually enjoyed this but when in with low expectations
Because I guess why does politically charged music have to be punk rock? What if its dance fusion?
Well this got annoying real fast
Exuberantly ecclecic, a kaleidoscopic blend of sounds styles and genres bombastically borders crossing and delivering playfully rebellious protest dance bangers. great fun.
I had not high hopes for this album but I’d say I was excited to hear what this album had to offer. I just had to wait a while before I got it. The “A side” is just sorta meh, didn’t really wow me or interest me at all, but then the second half of the album totally won me over. I love the percussion focused instrumentals. The sound was completely original, like I’ve heard other pop/rap female artists before, but genuinely I don’t think anybody has music that sounds like hers. I just wish there was more to get my attention. I’ll be curious to see if she comes up on this list again, but I will look into her other albums at some point cause there’s definitely a lot of talent and potential on this debut album.
It feels a little strange to call M.I.A underrated, especially when Paper Planes is one of the biggest songs of the 2000s, but genuinely feel that the sheer eccentricity of her early work gets forgotten when discussing the grander music landscape. Arular is probably the first album I would call an 'internet' album, as in everything feels like its spliced together from different sources and meant to be discovered on a myspace board. The beats on every song are varied, fun, and genuinly new for the time. Genuinely giggled out loud at the line "Is your dad a dealer? Cause you're dope to me". Can't remember the last time I felt so excited listening to an album, cannot fault it at all
Passer best på klubben. Men der passer det også bra. Litt enerverende i lengden.
Meh
Man eftir að hafa hlustað mikið á þessa plötu á mínum yngri árum, mikil nostalgía
Bara fín. Samt ekkert sérstaklega athyglisvert þarna.
I didn't think this was terrible 3
Her delivery and the beats are fire. I couldn’t often connect with the lyrics but it sounded great.
- me surpreendi muito, várias estéticas interessantes, recortes regionais que não soam como apropriação cultural, pioneira no lo-fi - além disso é bem crítico e consciente, tive que ouvir a discografia inteira e acho que Kala é até melhor, mas é um álbum de estreia ótimo
I Don't want to waste time to comment this.
Felt like one endless track dragged on for the whole album. The only thing that saved it was that Sanford & Son sample.
Pretty good first real intro to M.I.A. Heard the hit, but cool to hear her other stuff. Pretty unique from anything I’ve heard but it was intriguing throughout the whole record. 6.8/10
Groovy, but like Kala better.
Meh.
I hate M.I.A. and there is no changing that. I like her vocal experimentation, I like her samples, I like her production, and I hate the finished product. I will never be an unbiased reviewer for M.I.A. Favorite Song: Bingo
This is very cool stuff, shame M.I.A. is a lunatic.
I honestly didn't know what to expect with this one but I’m totally digging it. It stands completely apart from anything else. It’s weird and wild without being alienating. It captures a specific global street vibe that just clicks. Spins: 2 Playlist Additions - Pull Up the People - Bucky Done Gun - Sunshowers - Galang
No thanks.
I had almost the same questioned reaction as one of the top reviews on this project. "M.I.A. has a second album on this list...?" I actually really enjoyed this one a lot more than the first album I got from her. (so much so I may go back and try that one again at some point.) It's a hard genre to pin-point at times, but I got a cool feeling of being able to hear the past and future in at same points in some songs. The sound of Fela Kuti, aggresiveness of Public Enemy, but also, hearing future rappers like Little Simz, and even the massive wave of K-pop that has washed over worldwide the last decade or so, you can pull similarities from this album, almost a quarter century before. (ugh) Can easily see why people rate this lower, but these type of albums make it very interesting.
Good background music while lifting
A little too out there for me!
How is there two M.I.A albums here? Anyway I was mildly amused by it at times so I guess it wasn't so bad
Really neat, been meaning to check out M.I.A for a very long time now. My initial thought listening to this was "Wow this is so ahead of its time!" but honestly I wasn't even sure how, at least not right away. What about this was ahead of its time? I want to say it's primarily the production which is very grainy, disjointed, jarring, and uncanny that draws a lot from the world of contemporary EDM. The type of production that many experimental post-industrial hip hop and electronic artists in the 2010s would ride. The percussive work specifically stands out, it's all so subtly overdriven and chaotic like with 'Bucky Done Gun' or 'Fire Fire'. The song 'Bingo' was maybe the noisiest banger here, and my favorite song. The rapping well, it's certainly something. M.I.A is certainly unique and an acquired taste. It sort of sounds like all her verses are hooks. So her ACTUAL hooks are hard to distinguish in the mix, and the whole thing ends up feeling like this endless stream of bars, no structure in sight. That is unless she's getting melodic on the chorus like on 'Sunshowers'. This song and 'M.I.A' had maybe the most directly political messages on the album because, lyrically, M.I.A clearly favors getting her points across with the repetition of sticky lines. M.I.A, being a refugee herself, clearly holds that specific topic close, and opts to name drop it, and her home of Sri Lanka, in many of the raps here. After the first few songs, and especially in the second half, I found the album really clicked for me - there are some real head bangers here and MIA's style just starts to make sense for some reason. My brain just sort of melted into the nonsensical nature of it all. Good stuff, and again, really predictive and ahead of its time.
Enjoyed this. I think I’ve only really heard paper planes from M.I.A. previously, but thought this had some guts. Sounded great too.
I only know Paper Planes and had some idea that M.I.A. was a one hit wonder but this is a proper record. Very ahead of it's time for 2005. However I think it lacks some maturity and it felt like once it got 'the idea' down it seemed to repeat quite a lot.
Such an odd album. Guess I could see it being a club dancing album, but not good for just listening.
It is mediocre. I don’t think it deserves the hate/disdain it gets
I actually quite liked this, which I was not expecting. For the most part (except "Hombre" and "10 Dollar") I really appreciated the lyrics or at least found them interesting. I also loved the kinda spastic beats and layers throughout the album. Her voice was pretty solid too.
meh. boring & repetitive sound. can't really understand much of her lyrics so no idea what she's trying to convey
iwie geil, iwie nervig. schade, dass sie mittlerweile crazy is. 3.5.
Stressful
#781. Alright. That's it. I'm done listening to any rap music from the UK. Its all terrible it seems, and I'm not listening to any more of it. I'm putting it on the list with jazz where I'll just skim through and listen to a few seconds of some of the songs and then move on. I'm not wasting any more actual time on this crap. 2/5: it's shit, obviously
M.I.A., I like you more as an artist than as a person. Catchy as fuck, but damn girl.
8/10 Favorite: Pull Up the People
Didnt know about this one by her. Very good. Great Rhythms.
I don't understand why anyone likes this. Not interesting, not groundbreaking, not influential as far as I can tell. 1/5.
This was different. More electronica/hiphop than I’d usually listen to but not actively horrible.
unique, well made, interesting, I just didn't enjoy any of it
awesome
Kala was a really pleasant surprise for me about 18 months ago so I was quite excited to give this a go and once again, not disappointed. M.I.A. brings attitude and humour while the production is slick and incorporates a world of influences to basically create a party. I actually think this is even better than its successor; slightly less polished and more in-your-face. Great stuff.
More interesting than I thought it would be, but does get a bit repetitive.
This feels a lot like her Kala album with similar production elements. It does feel more like cohesive music and probably really cool for 2005. Once again, I am not into it that much.
(5) I love this so much and here is why: URAQT love the sample of the Sanford and Sons main theme with Red Fox saying “you big dummie”.
Super annoying, can't listen
I haven't looked at the reviews for this, but I would not be surprised if people are bashing it. Maybe not? Maybe they'll be like me and say I was kind of surprised that I was grooving with most of this album. It has some bangers on it for sure. Solid 3.25 stars for this one.
Cool
I miss the days when all I knew about M.I.A. was how dope her music was. 😞
How many ways can a headache be induced in an otherwise healthy person? Absolute kudos to this album for going above & beyond in its efforts to find out.
A crazy, exotic mix of London and all of its cultural influences. A great voice to capture it and beats that absolutely bang. Had to listen twice.
I was very interested to listen to this album when it came up today. I’d heard of her, but have never listened to any of her music. Looking at the genres, I’d also assumed I’d really like this. Unfortunately, it was not the enjoyable listen I’d hoped for. I liked the music very much. The beats and synths are really fun. What I didn’t like is her vocals and the repetitive nature of the lyrics. They are interesting lyrics, but I just don’t care for the delivery. Midway through I found myself losing interest. I’m always a bit more disappointed when I think I’m going to like something and it doesn’t meet those expectations.
Yes, it’s annoying. Yes, it sounds like she’s singing naughty nursery rhymes in the choruses. Yes, everything sounds the same. Still, there’s no denying the danceability of the beats and the catchiness. It makes me smile, so why not three stars?
Her whole thing is African drum beats which is good if you're into that.
Thought it was ok, did feel like the same thing on repeat but I do enjoy a couple of songs
MIA’s music sounds like a fun street carnival thats politically motivated. Shes really got a genre of her own going here. You can listen to this and be frustrated with how clunky it may sound, or you can take it as creative and charming, hearing sounds/aesthetics that would give was to the era of bloghouse/indietronica to come. “Sunshowers” is a wildly fun beat that doesn’t match the very *real* nature of the lyrics. It works well. That’s not the best beat though. “Amazon” might lay claim to that, with an insanely catchy chorus over top of it too. The bangers keep coming, “Bingo” goes just as hard as the last track. Last, “URAQT” stuck with me for its whimsical delivery and lighter subject matter. I think I have to 4/5 this one. A light 4. Lots of little pockets of creative production + great hooks + meaningful lyrics.
yeah it was fun
Early 2000 soundtrack
Pretty good wrapping over some incredibly dated and amateurish "music" it sounds like a demo made with a 1980s Casio keyboard
Always wanted to like MIA more...love the drums on these albums, but the rapping gets a little repetitive. 2.5/5
meh
Not far from horrible
I have no idea what this is going to be like. Banana (Skit) - 1/10. Repetitive and not enjoyable. Pull Up the People - 2/10. Not my style of music. Electronica under repetitive, hard to understand hip-hop. Bucky Done Gun - 4/10. Better than the first two tracks. Still not my taste. Sunshowers - 4/10. About the same. Fire, Fire - 2/10. I like this less than the last track. Dash the Curry (Skit) - 2/10. Not a fan. Amazon - 3/10. Unpleasantly repetitive and unbalanced in the mix. Bingo - 3/10. I just don't like it. Hombre - 3/10. Not a fan. One for the Head (Skit) - 2/10. Haven't liked the shorts. 10 Dollar - 3/10. This is a track on this album. U. R. A. Q. T. - 4/10. One of the better tracks on the album. Not terribly good, but better than most. Galang - 2/10. Not a fan. M. I. A. - 4/10. Solid lyrics. Not my style, but the message is there. Overall Rating - 1.39/5 (2.79/10). Not a style I particularly like.
Too bad she's gone to conspiracy theories
Like the sound. Some of it is a little repetitive
Prefer Kala
I had only heard MIA with the great song "Paper Planes" and its Clash sample so I was disappointed with this album. It's interesting sonically and production-wise but it is repetitive and gets boring. Many of the songs don't have a whole lot to say beyond the usual sexual bravado only from a female perspective.
Had high hopes for this one because Paper Planes is a great song and only one I really knew by MIA. But her not really rapping, not really singing thing, and the extensive use of repetition, just didnt work for me at all for the length of an entire album, got super annoying. I cant say i absolutely hated it, some of the actual music was kinda good, but i also really wanted it to be over sooner and had a headache after listening
You know, when this started I almost shut it off. Stuck with it, thinking it’ll probably be a one or two. Ended up really liking it and listened a few times more
Feeling generous and enjoyed this one a surprisingly amount. Made me a MIA convert
I liked this a lot when it came out, haven't listened to it in a long time. This was all before the brain worm. 3.5 rounded up Heard before? Yes Owned: Yes: 27/101 (26%) Will I get? Already have!
not good! it's rare that an album makes me audibly laugh out loud yet the fucking horns on "bucky done gun" had me dying. this album feels... almost good? like with a lot of changes i think i might enjoy it? but the vocals feel grating, every song feels the same, and the heavy electronic drums just feel droning. an unfortunate 41 minutes i cannot get back.
This was not at all one of my typical listening genres -- other than the fact that I've had Sunshowers in my regular rotation since it came out -- but I really enjoyed this. MIA's sound is so unique and really her own flavor. I don't think there's anyone else out there that makes music that sounds quite like hers. I listened to it twice. Four stars.
I expected to like this a lot more than I did. Mostly this was just a chore to get through.
Catchy songs, but as an album there’s no growth, no flow.
M.I.A. dope to me
(83/100)
Sounds both homemade and polished at once; it’s an impressive debut. All the embellishments and noises are exactly where they should be. Would be great at a party or in the car. Felt a little weird sitting down and listening to it at the office.
M.I.A. really lit up the music scene when this debut album came out. She wouldn't achieve her greatest fame until "Paper Planes" came out a few years later. "Arular" was more of an underground success and was maybe bigger among fellow musicians than fans, but for me, this debut is still her best work. It's political, personal, and represents a uniquely diverse range of music from technology, punk, and international styles. And it's infinitely danceable. Political themes hadn't been this fun since The Clash. There's an uncomfortable connection with the militant organization The Tamil Tigers which brought some controversy (along with a reference to the PLO), but M.I.A. denies that her revolutionary father was actually engaged with violence. Giving the benefit of the doubt, challenging political energy and awareness into the dance floor is certainly more fun than keeping it to the battlefield. This album remains a powerful statement about revolution and love of music.
Shit
Catchy. Sexy. Veldig 2000, samtidig som ikke
Gøy, tidvis litt slitsom. Ligger nok et sted rundt 3.5.
Paper airplanes er fortsatt en banger
This was a bit of an acquired taste so I had to listen to it a couple of times, but it grew on me.
OK, for what it is
Good fun, something a bit different, enjoyed this
Pop-Hop
I liked this. It had energy and felt a bit different. Interesting sounds.
kun Amazon fængede lidt.
not my cup of tea
Português: meu ouvido não é penico! / Inglês: my ear is not a toilet! / Espanhol: ¡mi oído no es un orinal! / Francês: mon oreille n’est pas un pot de chambre ! / Alemão: mein Ohr ist kein Nachttopf! / Italiano: il mio orecchio non è un vaso da notte! / Russo: моё ухо — не ночной горшок! / Árabe: أذني ليست مرحاضًا! / Chinês (mandarim): 我的耳朵不是马桶！ / Japonês: 私の耳は便器じゃない！ / Coreano: 내 귀는 변기가 아니다! / Hindi: मेरा कान शौचालय नहीं है! / Turco: kulağım tuvalet değil! / Holandês: mijn oor is geen toilet! / Polonês: moje ucho to nie nocnik!
Siempre disfruto del propio hecho de que haya álbumes más modernos y experimentales en esta lista. De este registro en particular me gustaron los ritmos tan peculiares, las sonoridades electrónicas tan crudas que fueron utilizadas y en gran parte la manera de cantar de M.I.A. Al mismo tiempo me resultó un tanto monótono en tanto que el álbum tiene un sonido diferente, original, pero no hay mucha diferencia entre tema y tema. Todos usan los mismos tipos de recursos, a nivel rítmico, vocal y tímbrico... no digo que sean todos iguales, pero se siente que no experimenta en toda la extensión creativa con las herramientas disponibles (como ha hecho Björk en "Médulla" por ejemplo). Además el álbum tiene contenido de conciencia de clase, contenido político y social contra las injusticias del capitalismo. Pero M.I.A., así bien no parece ser una figura mainstream, ha presentado una imagen superficial y contradictoria (como cualquier figura que critica el capitalismo para amasar una fortuna con su mensaje). Lo cual genera ruido a la hora de pensar en el valor del mensaje y la artista. Creo que es un buen álbum que disfruté, pero me genera sentimientos encontrados respecto del desarrollo creativo y de la transparencia del mensaje. Aún así lo valoro.
Not a rap fan
Great beats and flows from M.I.A. Funny in parts and the lyrics are generally good but I would have to give multiple listens to get the full effect.
𝘈𝘳𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘳 is a bold and inventive debut, where M.I.A. fuses grime, dancehall, hip-hop, and global pop into something uniquely her own. The album radiates political urgency and raw creativity — it sounds like it was made with nothing but a laptop, a vision, and an unshakable sense of rebellion. Tracks like 𝘉𝘶𝘤𝘬𝘺 𝘋𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘎𝘶𝘯 and 𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘨 still feel vibrant, built around clattering beats and hypnotic chants that defined mid-2000s underground pop. Yet, as exciting as it begins, the record can also feel monotonous after a while; the minimal production and looping rhythms sometimes blur the songs together. 𝘈𝘳𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘳 remains a fascinating and era-defining work, but one that’s easier to admire for its attitude than to love for its replay value. 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.
Started strong then ended up just kind of sounding spooky like the depeche mode I imagine. Pretty average.
This album sounds like 2005. Merging styles in the early days of mass technology. A left turn with political lyrics, dance music, and harsh edges to think about. Knowing this album when it came out felt like a fresh breakthrough in and left turn surrounded by roiling indie rock.
banana- 5 pull up the people- 5 bucky done gun- 5 sunshowers- 5 fire fire- 5. thought she said she was jacking off to lou reed dash the curry- 5 amazon- 5 bingo- 5 hombre- 5 one for the head- 5 10 dollar- 5 u r a q t- 5 galang- 5 mia- 5 no one makes beats like her
Not for me.
Fun, interesting and cool.
Very notable MIA.