1019. M.I.A. - Kala (2007)

Track Listing

1. Bamboo Banga
2. Bird Flu
3. Boyz
4. Jimmy
5. Hussel
6. Mango Pickle Down River
7. 20 Dollar
8. World Town
9. Turn
10. XR2
11. Paper Planes
12. Come Around

Review

Another M.I.A. album and another great one. M.I.A. continues what she started in Arular and develops into a full blown world-rave, party music with a message. Her references range from the Modern Lovers to Bollywood and everywhere in between.

So she starts off the album quoting from Roadrunner by the Modern Lovers and even quotes the Pixies in 20 Dollar, throughout she samples from Bollywood, African music, Aboriginal music etc, etc.

It is interesting to not that the tracks she did herself are actually the best ones here. Timbaland's contribution to the last track is actually pretty poor in comparison to her stuff. So yeah, looking forward to her next works.

Track Highlights

1. Paper Planes
2. Bamboo Banga
3. Jimmy
4. World Town

Final Grade

9/10

Trivia

From Wikipedia:

M.I.A. named the album after her mother, in contrast to her first album Arular, which was named after her father, and stated that her mother's struggles in life are a major theme of the recording. Tracks for the album were recorded during 2006 and 2007 in various locations around the world, including India and Trinidad. Planned sessions in the United States failed to occur after M.I.A. was refused a visa to re-enter the country.

Paper Planes: