M.I.A. has released a new song called ‘The One’, which is produced by Rex Kudo and T-Minus. Along with the track, the musician has announced that the follow-up to 2016’s AIM is called MATA. It will be released via Island Records, with which she has signed a new record deal. Check out ‘The One’ below, and scroll down for M.I.A.’s upcoming tour dates.
Talking about the new track to Zane Lowe, M.I.A. said:
I was in a really happy place. And I know that it was the pandemic, and kind of everything was hitting the fan, but I’d got to a place that was really happy. I did want to make that nice, happy record. Almost like the record that everyone wanted you to make when you made Paper Planes. Then everyone’s like, “Why the hell did you make Maya? That was such a depressing record.” In hindsight, it makes sense to people, but at the time everyone was like, “That’s the worst record in the world.” Now, I feel like, “Okay, well, you know that other record that everyone wanted? This is what it would’ve been.” I guess it is just about sticking to what you are and the truth. I think, at the end of the day, that is also what this record is about to me, is still trying to find truth. In a way, it’s kind of rebellious because everybody’s expecting me to put out that really havoc… Everyone’s expecting that, but it’s not, that’s not what it is. It’s about the battle of the ego versus you finding yourself and you finding the spiritual leader. Spirituality within, whatever form is given to you. I think that’s really interesting, when you think everything, you get challenged by the universe. And that happened to me. Really I’m just here to share that.
Of the new album, she added:
I think there’s a bit of a battle on the record. That there is a bit of a clash, but the clash is like your ego and spirituality. Those are the clashes. Because as a musician, you need some ego, otherwise you can’t do it. Also the genre of music that, genres I should say, is all very much like egocentric. It’s not like I’m an artist that came through gospel or something. For me, it was like to have that journey, and also, it was a significant time to discuss like Islamophobia…talking about wars in the Middle East, and things like that.
Last year, M.I.A. shared the song ‘Babylon’ as an NFT. She previously teamed up with Young Thug and Travis Scott on ‘FRANCHISE’, scoring her first No. 1 single.
M.I.A. 2022 Tour Dates:
Jun 1 – Stockholm, Sweden – Grona Lund
Jun 2 – Funen, Denmark – Heartland Fest
Jun 10 – Barcelona, Spain – Primavera
Jun 11 – Dijon, France – VYV Festival
Jun 12 – Marseille, France – Marsatac Festival
Jun 17 – Lyon, France – InVersion Festival
Jun 18 – Montendre, France – Freemusic Festival
Jul 8 – Oeiras, Portugal – NOS Alive
Jul 9 – Biscay, Spain – BBK Bilbao Live
