The New Classics #37: Arular, M.I.A.

Title: Arular
Artist: M.I.A.
Year: 2005
Label: XL Recordings

I already touched upon the serious music vs. dance music dynamic in my post about LCD Soundsystem's first album, but it deserves some revisiting within the context of the London-born Maya Arulpragasam (a.k.a. M.I.A.) and her astonishing debut, Arular. The basic argument against overly danceable music is that it's simply entertainment, pandering to the lowest common denominator: people's desire to shake their asses and just get down. Make no mistake: Arular is addictively danceable. I challenge you to listen to it end to end without at least getting some good, ol' fashioned chair dancing going. But is this also music of substance? Abso-fuckin'-lutely. Arular is simultaneously one of the best party-starting albums of the decade and one of the most politically controversial. Drawing upon her own Sri Lankan revolutionary background and a deeply leftist view of contemporary issues, Arular is as challenging as any protest record.

Musically, there's a bit of virtually everything getting mixed into M.I.A.'s gritty, minimal beats. British hip-hop is balanced out by touches of electro, dancehall and reggae, along with more than a bit of punky ferocity. It's a very international sound, owing little to American music. "Bucky Done Gun" calls out London, New York, Kingston and Brazil, before an infectious horn sample sets everything in motion. For a song ostensibly about paranoia ("they're coming through the window, they're coming through the door"), it certainly sounds like a lot of fun. Yet, M.I.A.'s no-nonsense vocal delivery and pared down beats give the music a certain dangerous edge, particularly on the show-stopping singles "Sunshowers" and "Galang." Urgent, excited and energetic, Arular never lets up. There are no slow songs or ballads for hand-holding and cuddling.

The subject matter and lyrics are what catapult Arular to a whole other level, though. Through M.I.A.'s eyes, we see a world of desperation and violence, inspired and informed by her father, who has been associated with Sri Lankan revolutionary group/terrorists the Tamil Tigers. It's that grey area separating freedom fighters from outlaws that seems to fascinate M.I.A., as she presents an ambiguous-to-downright-sympathetic portrait of individuals that much of world sees as criminals. Themes of violence ("Fire Fire"), captivity ("Amazon") and poverty ("Pull Up The People") pop up all over the album. However, unlike other music that deals with similar issues, M.I.A.'s perspective doesn't paint herself as a pure, saint-like figure. There's an intense streak of sexuality in these songs, which often dovetails with themes of violence. "Hombre" matches an ominous and compelling beat with a narrative about seducing another woman's man. Prostitution is also touched upon in "10 Dollar" and the hidden track "M.I.A." hiding at the end of "Galang." Arular can be very sexy at times, but like everything else on the album, that sexiness is very immediate and dangerous.

The world has seen very little political dance music, which is what makes M.I.A.'s Arular so special. Yet, M.I.A. makes the combination seem so natural it's a wonder that no one beat her to the punch. The two major subjects of her songs (violence and sex) are so perfectly suited to high-energy, beat-driven sounds. If you dance to Arular, it's both a celebration and an escape, a fast, frenetic release of energy in the face of the brutal world M.I.A. describes. Perhaps the most fascinating element to her story, though, is the astonishing success she's currently enjoying. Her follow-up album, Kala, dominated 2007. Her work on the music to Slumdog Millionaire won her an Oscar and, in a month or so, her much-anticipated third album will be released. She's been declared one of the most influential and important individual artists of the 2000s, an honor I'd say she rightly deserves. Although Arular isn't currently her most acclaimed work, it's her most focused and effective. It could very well rise through the ranks to become one of the elite albums of the decade within a few years.

Next up on The New Classics: Vampire Weekend, Vampire Weekend