[review from Giant Step]
M.I.A, real name Maya Arulpragasm, is one of the most watched and creative pop artists in the world right now, skillfully blending elements of dancehall, hip-hop, reggae, Baltimore club and electro in such an enjoyable way that fans in many countries are practically on their hands and knees begging her to play a concert in their hometown. Yet when M.I.A attempted travel to the US to record her new album, she was denied a visa. As the daughter of a militant Sri Lankan who was part of a movement to overthrow the oppressive Sri Lankan government, M.I.A has been deeply affected by her father’s life of activism. Her politically-infused songs, fittingly matched with pumping rhythms and pulsing beats, effectively create a sense of immediacy on her riot-dance inducing Kala.

Breaking from the mold of her debut Arular, M.I.A recorded her new album out of hotels in Tokyo and in the mean streets of Trinidad, encompassing the sounds of the global urban: roadside sound systems, taxicab transistors, DVD-wired dollar vans, motorbike couriers and parking lot pull-ups. Set to tribal drumming and B-more bass stabs, the first single “Boyz,” an unabashed love song, is a reflection of the fast-paced world in which attractions are formed and lost just as easily. Equally tribal is “Birdflu,” an untamed collage of wild chanting and high-pitched call and response. The Bollywood-borrowed “Jimmy” injects playfulness into the album, underlining M.I.A’s pop brilliance. The album also features guest singers Afrikan Boy (a Nigerian rapper from London), The Wilcannia Mob (a group of rappers from Australia), Timbaland, as well as co-production by Switch and Diplo. Kala is cool, catchy, and genuine. And you know you need it in your life right now.