New M.I.A. Album 'Will Be Most Honest Yet'

Posted on Jan 11th 2010 6:37AM by Barnaby Smith
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West London rapper M.I.A. has revealed her new album will be her most open and honest work yet. There is also the tantalising prospect of more singing from the 34-year-old as well as, in her typical leftfield way, songs inspired by her malfunctioning broadband.

Talking to Rolling Stone, the artist otherwise known as Maya Arulpragasam described the sound she is aiming for on the follow up to 2007's 'Kala', which benefits from the production skills of Baltimore hip hop guru Blaqstarr.

She said of Blaqstarr "simply makes music that sounds good, and I needed that. I definitely needed to come to music on this album, to make music. I don't want it to be gimmicky or silly or hipstery."

Five months in the making, M.I.A says the album promises to her 'back to basics' album, with a distinctly personal approach.

"I just want it to be real, whatever that is," she said. "Even if my songs are s---, and if I have flaws and if I'm confused if I offend people or if I don't offend people, I might try to work it out in public, just so you know that it's OK to think, that thinking's not a dirty word."

She also promised to sing more on her new material, admitting that on 'Kala' she "put more emphasis into production... I was more into making beats."

In an added twist, songs 'I Fight the Ones That Fight Me' and 'I'm Down Like Your Internet Connection' feature Filipino call centre employees singing the hooks, after M.I.A's frustrations with hours spent on the phone trying to solve her internet connection problems turned into songs.