Today's Must See Music Video

Brand new M.I.A.!!! Born Free!

M.I.A, Born Free from ROMAIN-GAVRAS on Vimeo.

M.I.A. Changes Her Retirement Plans

Good news! Due to the current success of her single, "Paper Planes," M.I.A. has decided not to retire from music. She was recently interviewed by Entertainment Weekly, and in the interview she confessed that she was ready to quit music:

"Well, it [Bonaroo] was my last ever show. And it still is. I stopped touring after that and I didn’t want to make music again. I was quite happy to just leave it all behind. I was happy with what I had achieved. Now, with the success of 'Paper Planes,' there’s pull for me to make another record. Even my mum believes in me more [laughs]. It’s a nice encouragement. But I was planning my life as a fishing woman on the outskirts of Cambodia. That’s a joke."

As someone who did not discover M.I.A. through the trailer for Pineapple Express, I am glad to hear that Maya is not giving up on music. She is too original and too talented to quit.

M.I.A. in the U.S.A.

Everyone's favorite Sri Lankan hip-hopper, M.I.A. has announced a few more dates for a US tour. Sadly, she will not be hitting the Omaha area. The new album, Kala, has been pushed back to August 21. Here are the dates so far:

07-21 Brooklyn, NY - Coney Island (Siren Festival)
07-25 Brooklyn, NY - Studio B
07-28 San Francisco, CA - Rickshaw Stop
08-03 Chicago, IL - Grant Park (Lollapalooza)
08-04 Chicago, IL - House of Blues *
08-05 Baltimore, MD - Virgin Festival
09-14 Austin, TX - Zilker Park (Austin City Limits Festival)
09-15 San Francisco, CA - Treasure Island Festival
10-26-28 New Orleans, LA - Voodoo Music Experience

Here's a small behind-the-scenes video of the making of M.I.A.'s new video "Boyz."

Watch This Video Again and Again

I'm really excited about the upcoming new album from M.I.A. Her music is not at all the type of stuff I ordinarily listen to. It's a mix of hip-hop, dance, world music, and political sloganeering. I find it absolutely infectious. Maya (M.I.A.) is originally from Sri Lanka, but she grew up in London. This seems to give her something of an otherwordly sound. It is some of the most unique sounding music I've ever heard. A bunch of new M.I.A. songs have been leaking over the internet, and she has made videos for two of them. Here is the video for "Bird Flu." I cannot stop listening to this song!