M.I.A. Gives Us The Real Definition Of A Baddie

When M.I.A.‘s Paper Planes first hit the scene in 2008, everyone said she was well ahead of her time.

Hailing from Sri Lanka, M.I.A. who’s real name is Mathangi Arulpragasam, managed to produce some of the most catchy commentaries on immigration, class conflict, and xenophobia, all the while blending hip hop, electronic and world music influence. Having experienced displacement in Sri Lanka growing up, Mathangi moved to London when she was eleven years old, growing up to become a visual artist, filmmaker and designer before beginning to record music in 2002. She released singles Sunshowers and Galang, earning her stripes quickly as an underground artist not to be overlooked, before the prominent album ‘Kala’ which featured the iconic Paper Planes song produced alongside Diplo cemented her as one of the most influential artists. My favourite though - Bad Girls. Here’s my chat with the original baddie.

Hey M.I.A, thanks for your time today. I’ll jump straight into this because I know we’re tight for time. My first question for you – what do you define as a baddie?

That is a great question, wow. The old school saying was baddie is actually a goodie. When someone was a baddie, it meant they were the best. But now, I think the definition of a baddie is much more of a state of mind.

For sure, like confidence.

Yeah. There’s a whole movement now, it just keeps growing.

Would you consider yourself a baddie?

Absolutely. The OG baddie, yes. The baddie that set forth many other baddies.

I think you can claim baddie status with the creation of ‘Bad Girls’ for sure. How does making music make you feel?

The best. It’s something that I don’t get from anything else, you know. It’s own world. When I’m doing it I just completely lose the concept of time. It’s like the communication of your spirit.

I love that. Have you recently watched or listened to something that you’ve been a fan of personally?

I just discovered a song called ‘Holy Water’ by an artist called Kurtis Wells. When I first heard it I was like ‘wow this is just so beautiful.’ His song is very… I don’t even know how to describe it. Just so original. He’s based in Berlin. His sound is just so sonically interesting, a bit like Paris Texas.

Oh yeah okay.

Yeah you listen to it and it makes you feel like you’re in a film. 

Okay good recommendation, I’ll give him a listen. Where, outside of music, do you draw inspiration from?

Oh everything. I think the best work comes from when you are commenting on life or celebrating life. Well that works the best for me.

Do you use music to process life?

Honestly self therapy doing absolutely nothing helps me process life, not music. I’d happily sit in a garden for eight hours staring at a flower to sort through my shit. When I’m in the studio it’s way more of an exciting place for me. It’s where I can be as experimental and funny as I want. I wouldn’t say it’s therapy for me.

More of an expression.

Yeah exactly. But then it still helps me feel better. I had a friend come into the studio the other day who was just feeling super low, and we started playing music and felt immediately better. So it helps.

Do you have a song that is most special to you, and if so, which one is it and why?

Oh, that’s a tough one. I think my first song is always going to be special because when you finish it, it’s just such an amazing feeling. Galang is also going to be special too because without that song there would be no M.I.A.

Nice, and when was the last time you came out to Australia?

I think it was 2019, just before the world shut down. I went to Adelaide and also up to Uluru.

Oh wow.

Yeah it was so special. Did you know Uluru means ‘the land deep inside’ which is also like the Tamil word. There are so many similarities in language to Tamil and the Aboriginal communities of Australia.

Right, I honestly did not know the connection. 

Yeah to think that Tamil’s probably walked across Australia. Isn’t it said that the indigenous people of Australia are some of the oldest civilizations in the world. 

Yeah, I believe around 65,000 years old. 

And now today, there are all these issues with immigration and detention centres. I wish I could express how all of these cultures are connected in history.

For sure. Is that something you might explore when you come out?

Maybe! I don’t know what it is yet but it’s certainly something I want to explore. I’d love to spend some time in some female detention centres, do some outreach programs. Something useful. 

That’s really special to hear. 

Yeah plus also work with some more Australian artists and producers. Maybe get in the studio. Who knows. 

Well good luck on your travels and looking forward to seeing you when you’re out here for Harvest. 

Thank you for your time too, see you out there.  

Grab tickets to see M.I.A. and a stack of incredible artists at Harvest Rock on October 25th & 26th here. 

Or her headline shows in Melbourne and Sydney here.