Album Review: M.I.A. - MATA

Sri Lankan-British rapper M.I.A is back with a new album. The release of MATA has been surrounded by a lot of controversies, something not new to M.I.A, but this time amplified by her statements. While I tend to focus on the music only on this site, I felt it would be disingenuous to ignore any issues surrounding its release. That said, MATA is quintessentially M.I.A; musically unapologetic, loud, chaotic, and ready to explode from all cacophonic elements within it. This is both a blessing and a curse for the album.

F.I.A.S.O.M Pt. 1

The album opens with a teaser to the song F.I.A.S.O.M, with the first part acting as the builder. From the melodic chanted samples clashing with it each other, F.I.A.S.O.M Pt. 1 is more intro than an actual track, but it perfectly teases the album, with both the vocal samples and the clashing drama at their heart.

F.I.A.S.O.M Pt. 2

Completely disregarding 2016's AIM, F.I.A.S.O.M Pt. 2 instantly harkens back to the chaos and experimentation of Arular and Kala. Moving from Tamil and English without care, M.I.A shouts over a spilling vocal sample, "Freedom is a state of mind, whatcha gonna do 'bout mine?!" F.I.A.S.O.M is a whole lot of fun, bringing back the chaos that defines M.I.A's post-Y2K sound.

Rating: 8.25/10

100% Sustainable

As one of the most conceptually out-there songs on the album, 100% Sustainable works better in theory than it does in actuality. I love the idea of M.I.A rapping over a traditional Tamil A Cappella folk song, but often throughout the song, it sounds like M.I.A is freestyling with no idea what she wants to say, with awkward pauses and repeats. This ruins what was otherwise an interesting concept. At least the climax is somewhat cohesive.

Rating: 6/10

Beep

What an instant return to form! Beep is loud and noisy in the best way, but it feels just fresh enough to work. A cohesive summary of everything M.I.A has ever aimed to in her career, Beep doubles down on the chaotic samples, with a siren(?), but M.I.A is the highlight herself, with some of her best rapping career-wise. Unfortunately, the song is a tad short, leaving me wanting more.

Rating: 8.75/10

Energy Freq

Sampling an old Kollywood song (from the sound of it), Energy Freq is loud and energetic, bordering on hyperpop several times through its run length. At the same time, it has a traditional Indian feel, with tablas and traditional elements blending into a hype track celebrating M.I.A.

Rating: 7.75/10

The One

The One is one of the most frustrating songs on MATA. While other songs such as 100% Sustainable push M.I.A's creative boundaries too far, The One is quite safe, sounding like any other Soundcloud trap rap within recent years. M.I.A is still a competent rapper, and I appreciate the religious themes, but The One is just boring. It doesn't even fit into the album.

Rating: 4.75/10

Zoo Girl

M.I.A lets loose with some of her best rapping in recent memory, with some wonderful flute and drums assisting her voice. Unfortunately, I think the Kollywood sample, while inventive on its own, ruins the wonderful flow of the verses. Nonetheless, the verses hit so hard that Zoo Girl is an instant album highlight.

Rating: 8.25/10

Time Traveller

M.I.A raps on how she travels through the universe on her Vimana (a legendary type of aerial vehicle in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism), adding a supernatural twist to what is essential another "vroom vroom" car song, continuing to talk about M.I.A supremacy. I love the beat here, and M.I.A's sing-talk rapping is still charming, but she has better songs of similar styles.

Rating: 8/10

Popular

Popular (and its video) talks about how fame affects individuals, and it is the only song on the album where M.I.A's braggadocio feels semi-satirical, spoofing how celebrities seek fame. I love the classic, noisy M.I.A instrumental, and M.I.A adds some much-needed intensity with her rapping. I just wish the chorus didn't rely just on the instrumental and brought in more vocal flavor earlier on.

Rating: 8.5/10

Puththi

Puththi sees M.I.A abandon English for Tamil in what is certainly an inspired choice. I really love the loud and noisy instrumental here, and the mixing is fantastic, a little too well done, and I wish that each of the individual elements popped more.

Rating: 7.5/10

K.T.P. (Keep The Peace)

K.T.P. sounds a little too lo-fi for the rest of the album. The clicking production and the children's choir give the song a few interesting elements, but it sounds like a halfway point between The One and the rest of the album. Combine this with some bizarre lyrics, K.T.P. should be a disaster, but it works well as a sort of breather from the classic M.I.A classic.

Rating: 7.25/10

MATA LIFE

MATA LIFE is back to the chaos of the earlier songs of the album. At 1:30, it shouldn't really count as a song, but I will, just because I love M.I.A's speedy rap, easily her best through the whole album, combined with the wonderful percussion, with a clacky, sharp sound. Combine this with a shifting, unsettled tempo, and you got a wonderful jam right before the album closes.

Rating: 8.5/10

Marigold

Featuring an uncredited feature sample from Lil Uzi Vert, Marigold is a dramatic song-of-the-times, reflecting on the chaos of our contemporary era. This reflective style is surprisingly calm for M.I.A, and she tackles it with it grace. The samples certainly help, along with a catchy hook.

Rating: 8.25/10

Cumulative Score: 7.65/10

Overall Rating: 7.25/10

Purchase and listen to M.I.A's MATA right here!

MATA is a mixed-bag return for the legend. On one hand, it has some enthralling moments that see M.I.A at her absolute big peak. On the other hand, the album often falls into either side of the trevice of M.I.A's sweet-spot creativity, leading to some misses, without ever delivering a single Borders or Paper Planes moment. Nonetheless, a return for M.I.A is welcome, along with her long-missed ambition.

Image Source: Pitchfork