I'm still making my mind up about it. It sounds like M.I.A teamed up with Joan Jett, the ultimate collaboration, but it also manges to sound like an amateur imitating M.I.A at the same time.
Let me know what you think.
H/T Pitchfork
Update: Here is M.I.A's extremely violent video for Born Free. If you are of the ginger persuasion I'd suggest you look away now.
M.I.A, Born Free from ROMAIN-GAVRAS on Vimeo.
Hey, you commented on my blog, and now I'm commenting on yours! I hope you don't mind that I'm following you, and that you won't be opposed to me adding your blog to my Sisters in the Struggle link list!
ReplyDeleteI can frankly be a bit close-minded when it comes to music that isn't punk/punk-related, but I love M.I.A., and I can't help but see this video as so brave. I'm actually really annoyed at the criticisms she's getting -- mostly because they're all "ew, it's so over the top." Or, it's every day life in places you've never even heard of.
Hi Jamie, thanks for adding me to your blog. I kind of wanted to do a blog like yours but I was too lazy to write real commentary.
ReplyDeleteIt took me a while to warm to her new song, I didn't really understand why she had gone punk rock, but I like it now.
I had no idea the video would be so violent when I first watched it. I understand though that M.I.A is obviously making a point about the brutality of the US government and how their is no censor or warning in real life.
Lol. Thank you for calling my blog 'real commentary', sometimes it feels sill and totally irrelevant.
ReplyDeleteI don't really think that M.I.A. is commenting on the U.S. government specifically, but rather on the absurdity and horror of targeting a certain group of people for any reason. Also, I do think that she wanted to depict state violence, something the West has little experience with. There are a lot of jerks saying that the video is unrealistic. Um, no, that's apparently exactly what was happening in 1970s Argentine, Chile, and Paraguay.
Ugh, it will make me sound crazy, but the response to the video really is making me so angry.
But anyways -- it took me a long time to warm to M.I.A. in general, but I did come around! Sometimes I think I like what she represents more than her actual music. My favorite song of hers is "20 Dollar". Can't go wrong with a reference to the Pixies...
I think people who condemn the video just don't want to believe bad things happen. I applaud M.I.A for attempting to tackle the issue.
ReplyDeleteI've always loved M.I.A. and truly believe she is 100 times more punk than most indie bands around today. She makes great songs and always puts her neck out to represent people who struggle to find a voice.
p.s. True, you can NEVER go wrong with a pixie reference.