M.I.A.

Mathangi Arulpragasam (born 18 July 1975), better known as M.I.A., is a British rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, visual artist, and activist. Her stage name is wordplay on her name as well as a reference to the military term "missing in action". Her work combines elements of alternative, dance, electronic, hip hop, and world music. M.I.A. began her career in 2000 as a visual artist, filmmaker, and designer in west London before beginning her recording career in 2002. She was one of the first acts to come to public attention through the internet, posting her songs and videos on platforms such as MySpace. She rose to prominence in early 2004 for her singles "Sunshowers" and "Galang", and released her debut album Arular in 2005 and her second album Kala in 2007, both to critical acclaim. Kala was certified silver in the UK and gold in Canada and the US. The single "Paper Planes" reached number four in the US and has sold over four million copies. M.I.A.'s third album Maya was released in 2010 soon after the controversial single-short film "Born Free". The album received less favourable critical response compared to her previous records, but was M.I.A.'s best-charting effort, reaching the top 10 in countries including the US, Canada, and Norway. Its single "XXXO" reached the top 40 in the UK. M.I.A. has embarked on five global headlining tours and is the founder of her own multimedia label, N.E.E.T. Her fourth studio album, Matangi, was released in 2013 and produced the single "Bad Girls". She released her fifth studio album, AIM, in 2016. M.I.A.'s early compositions relied heavily on the Roland MC-505 music sequencer and drum machine. Her later work marked an evolution in her sound with rare instruments, electronics, and unusual sound samples. Her music lyrically incorporates a range of political, social, philosophical and cultural references. M.I.A. has been nominated for an Academy Award, three Grammy Awards and the Mercury Prize. She was named one of the defining artists of the 2000s decade by Rolling Stone in its "Best of the Decade" list in December 2009. Time named her one of the world's 100 most influential people in 2009, and Esquire ranked M.I.A. on its list of the 75 most influential people of the 21st century in January 2010. According to Billboard, she was one of the "Top 50 Dance/Electronic Artists of the 2010s" decade. M.I.A. was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2019 Birthday Honours for her services to music.