I tend to do this thing where I go through artist phases. Basically, whenever I turn on tunes, which is every time I sit down at my computer, I listen to one artist’s work, and I listen to it over and over again. At the moment, I’m absolutely stuck on M.I.A. My obsessive consumption of her music began when I heard a nasty N.A.R.S. remix of her “Bad Girls,” featuring Missy Elliott and Azealia Banks. Check that out below, and squeal in delight at the pure filthiness this trio of badass women delivers.
When I take a break and stop playing the original “Bad Girls” and its remix back to back in a two-song playlist, I’m grooving to M.I.A.’s albums, mainly 2010’s Maya and 2005’s Arular. Currently, I feel her music is appropriate for any setting. Though her songs might seem like they’d inhibit effective study sessions from occurring, I find that her beats create a wall of sound I can push to the back of my brain, which thus fills those wandering spaces that search for distractions to think and dwell on as I work. On the other hand, when I want to forget all about schoolwork and studying, I blast “Bad Girls,” obviously, or bump “Teqkilla.” Finally, if I read a news story that upsets me or some annoying happening during my day gets me reeling, I can channel my frustration into singing along to songs like “Lovalot,” and belt lyrics like “They told me this is a free country/And now it feels like a chicken factory,” and “I really love a lot/But I fight the ones that fight me.”
I’m hoping M.I.A. releases new music soon, as I’m sure I’ll soon grow exhausted of the three albums she has. She has definitely been in the studio and getting work done, but her new album, Matangi, is reportedly delayed until April for lacking the bad girl attitude she’s come to be known for. Until then, I’ll just watch the visually thrilling “Bad Girls” video again and again, as I doubt I’ll ever tire from doing so.
