M.I.A. is finally back with her brand new single ‘The One’ and an announcement for her upcoming album, MATA. Clocking in at around two-and-a-half minutes, the upbeat, infectious track is produced by T-Minus, Rex Kudo, Charlie Handsome and Heavy Mellow and was created by M.I.A. when she “was in a really happy place.”
Speaking to Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1, she explained, “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.”
She also opened up about her upcoming album MATA, which will mark her first solo full-length record since 2016’s AIM. “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,” M.I.A. said.
“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 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 things like Islamophobia, talking about wars in the Middle East, and things like that,” added the Grammy nominated musician.
M.I.A has seen somewhat of a mainstream resurgence as of late after her high profile feature on Travis Scott’s and Young Thug’s ‘Franchise’, which debuted atop the Billboard Hot 100. There is no release date for MATA as of yet but you can stream ‘The One’ below.
