The Complex Journey of M.I.A. & PAPER PLANES | New British Canon 

What other songs deserve an episode of New British Canon? Trash Theory playlists - Spotify: tinyurl.com/yxp32pjf Deezer: tinyurl.com/y2mdp8h2 Also if you want to help out, here's my patreon link: patreon.com/trashtheory

"got more records than the KGB" is an iconic bar

finally, a review that does justice to this brillant artist. I'm sick of people talking bout the gunshots in paper planes and taking the lyrics too serious and without any study of the meaning.

"If I'm going to sing then I'm going to have to sing a bit weird." - M.I.A. These are words to live by.

I had no idea about M.I.A’s history and this has just made me love her even more. I grew up with her music and being the only person of colour among my family and friends, I related to her so much and felt a strong connection with her. She really inspires me a lot.

god i love this series. so good to see video essays that aren’t completely US-centric

MIA's first 2 albums were like soundtracks to my childhood, and listening to them now they hold up soooo fucking well

Her album Maya is absolutely incredible. I think M.I.A. doesn't get enough credit for how ahead of her time she is. She's a true rebel.

I remember people being upset that the song wasn't on the Pineapple Express soundtrack.

as a Tamil from London and a British Asian, Im really happy you made this video. MIA is the type of artist that gives new artists of similar origin hope. as a musician myself, MIAs music is something completely different for me to listen to. my family is also from Jaffna and theres a lot in her music that's incredibly familiar, from the themes of immigration and refugees to the oriental styles of music that we grew up learning from our parents, and is pretty much a validation of the type of shit that we try to put out. a great British artist and one that I couldn't be prouder of.

One of the first things I ever borrowed from the library was her Arular album. I was instantly attracted to all the colors on the cover when I was a kid. I read the lyrics from the booklet and was shocked, especially for 10 Dollar. For the first time, I realized music could be talking about real problems in the world. Pretty sure she's the reason I have high expectations for artists' lyrics.

MATANGI / MAYA / M.I.A. is probably the best documentary I've ever seen. It draws attention so clearly to the problems with American media as well as many other huge issues. It really puts things into perspective --- as well as being a brilliantly-made story about an amazing, unique popstar. Funny thing is, it barely makes any mention of Paper Planes 😂

It’s crazy how the most legendary artist are so musically advanced that people don’t understand their artistry

She's so far ahead of her time

MIA is fascinating to me. I think my favorite thing is the verisimilitude she establishes by masking even her most politically poignant songs as dance club jams with lyrical cliches about dancing sprinkled in. It's like hearing pop music over the radio in a dystopian future and there's some secret organization of political dissidents that's desperately trying to squeeze their life experiences into the broader culture subliminally through pop hits. There's a very specific vibe to MIA's work. She's got a whole aesthetic.

To think she initially wrote Galang for Elastica... We can only be thankful that Justine pushed her to keep it for herself. Simply can't imagine my teenage years without M.I.A and her music.

MIA was fantastic. That record just spoke to people, with the Clash beat it was unescapable.

Paper planes was a cultural reset PERIODT!

I’ve liked MIA since 2004 when I heard Sun Showers. Am so glad she’s still making beautifully complex music. She’s definitely an icon. And crazy smart too.

"People be sleeping on me so much I feel like a mattress They be giving too much credit to these girls that be actress." M.I.A., OHMNI, 2020.

Still some of the most futuristic pop around over a decade later.

I found her music in 2006 and that shit still gives me chills.

Just rewatched her documentary, true badass, have had her on repeat for a week

I am from Tamilnadu. Most of our people don't even know her, even to these days. I am happy that she went ahead of all odds. Those were really pernicious time for tamil elams in sri lanka

This is such a wonderful love letter to one of my most favourite artists of my teens. You've encapsulated why myself and so many people adore M.I.A. and her music and what she stands for. Thank you for this.

Everyone, please watch her documentary. It's MUCH more than some 'behind the music' type shit and is crazy powerful and thoughful.

I still think Galang is a killer single.

I wasn’t too big on her, until I watched this, and started listening. She’s a talent!!

1 of the greatest artists of our lifetime everyone should watch her documentary

It's crazy how one tune can absolutely blow up your career. That paper planes even though I'm not into that style of music completely grabbed me and stuck with me . Such a great song that goes with so many settings in life 😍

I was about 12 when “Galang” came out and I heard it on Fuse or some other now defunct music channel. I was immediately infatuated with how different it sounded from anything else at the time. Loved her music.

To add another bit of her international influences, Bucky Done Gun is highly influenced by Brazilian funk. She even went to Brazil at the time. This was over 10 years ago, waaay before Brazilian funk go mainstream abroad

M.I.A is such an inspiring artist, she is so talented. Thank you for the video!!!

It's important to note that the Clash were credited as co-writers of the song. Some people seem to think she (and Diplo) just brazenly stole it. So the surviving members of the Clash have probably made a fairly decent amount from it over the years, given the song's enormous success.

I always said paper planes was my funeral song. & I still stand by those words

I had such a big crush on her as a kid lol

M.I.A. is such an underrated artist, i remember playing midnight club 3 as a kid and hearing fire fire and fell in love with it. never heard anything like it before

I love her so much! I didn’t appreciate her music when I was younger but now listening to it as an adult, she’s so phenomenal and inspirational. Some things you don’t appreciate or recognize until you’ve grown up a little lol

*"I fly like paper get high like planes"* always liked that bar.

Paper Planes, Borders and Bad Girls are classic 😊🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

I won't say I named my daughter after MIA, because my wife picked the name. However, MIA was the reason I said yes.

pls do a video on the misunderstanding of fiona apple, and how she was undeservingly blacklisted by mainstream media!!! thank u

Your video essays are great! I always watch them, doesn't matter if I'm a fan of the artists or genre you're covering or not. Love your work, I feel like I'm actually learning something.

So glad i clicked on this. My interest level in M.I.A just went from about 25 to 100 real quick. Paper Planes has always been a banger. New subscriber.

This is why she is one of my favorite humans on this planet! Super underrated in my opinion, so happy I got to meet her. Forever humbled!

Brave and Real...Then Now and Forever. Thank you for making you're Music Mean Something. Thank you for standing for ones who can't stand, thank you for a voice, for ones who have no voice. This music is longevity becuse you told the truth. Massive Respect.

There is no other artist like M.I.A. she stays so true to herself and takes inspiration from such a wide variety of sounds so it is impossible to put her in a box. Edit: Free Palestine 🇵🇸🇵🇸

Arular remains one of my favourite albums to this day.

Paper Planes story reminds me of Lizzo's Truth Hurts, she also almost quit music after it was released. Until a netflix movie used it and the song blew up. Crazy how on thing can change your life forever.

Loved this album back in the day. Nice to see it get a spotlight put on it again. Great video man

Interesting that Public Enemy and Madonna were big influences on MIA. I know she has other influences but I can see the influences of those two acts

M.I.A. is amazing. I remember when "Maya" came out. My fave song from that album is "Meds and Feds". It sounds best cranked up with the subwoofers.

Been MIA fan for a long time, didn't expect to have goosebumps and tear up watching this. I was very curious on the 20 minute video versus some older artist covered but she has such a powerful life. I downloaded Kala on my Zune it was promoted on briefly, the Bun B and rich boy remix of Paper Planes is one of my favorite songs of all time.

I was a junior in high school when this song came out. My favorite song from this album was actually '20 dollar.' I was quite young so hadn't really paid attention to the lyrics, but I'm so glad this video brought me back to the song and its lyrics. I'm so glad to know the inspiration for that song and to delve back into her music. M.I.A. is brilliant!

I love her so much Thank you for this and all of your other videos! Definitely one of my favorite channels.

I was always a fan of M.I.A, and have always been intrigued to know more about her. Her lyrics always controversial and antagonising and honest. Eclectic styles, but original and new

She’s the best rapper of all time in my view. So many of her songs are just so powerful.

Great video. Cheers. I wish I understood M.I.A. more when I was younger, but I was younger.

Kala is properly imprinted in my mind as my first post-college soundtrack. It was August 2008. The opening of $20 made those daily bus rides from York University to my first post-college job at a shitty call centre, with the hot summer sun pouring through the window, absolutely uplifting and transportive. A ray of light during otherwise melancholy days.

This series just gets better and better. Essential content.

This is the greatest channel on youtube, this is everything I've ever wanted

I love these short films - brilliantly researched, really well put together, and I always learn something. Please do more.

I had never heard of this artist or the song until I saw Slumdog Millionaire years after the film was released. Almost as soon as I had finished watching the film, I looked for where I could find the song, and more of the artist. I bought Kala and I have thoroughly enjoyed the album. Since I don't really pay much attention to popular music, I never realised how popular it was.

I am one of the biggest M.I.A. fans. I grew up listening to her music. I remember buying her albums and watching all her videos on RU-vid ... like watching this made me so happy. Idk why but I really can’t stand paper planes. Like it’s a great song I just use to hate when I would talk about her and it’s all people would mention. She has amazing work,..

Thanks to this channel for highlighting artist that challenge the status quo instead of being part of it

Every single video of yours is so good. Incredibly good job.

Her song "XXXO" is my favorite song and video from her

this video couldn’t have come at a better time. being from london this song is played at EVERY party and it’s helping me get through quarantine

One of my favorite songs EVER. Such a nostalgic and dancing vibe, rocks me every time!

I literally stumbled upon MIA at a festival in Australia. She was performing Bucky Done Gun, those massive swooping bass lines pulled me in but she kept me there completely overawed. I’ve been a huge fan for two decades and was lucky enough to see her in a small (now defunct) venue called the Forum. To this day she was the coolest MF I’ve seen on stage.

MIA is one of the greatest musicians of the 21st century

I mean, there’s something irresistible about that awkward elbow dance!

I still vividly remember the first time I heard this song. I was driving around with my friends and we must have heard this at least 3 times in a row. Epic.

Started listening to her attentively on Kala, then paid attention to Arular, so on and so forth until AIM. If she were to pull a surprise album at any time now, it's duly awaited!

This was wonderful to watch. I love M.I.A. but had no idea she drew some much inspiration and influence from some other great musicians.

Great video. That song is a masterpiece but never thought about it much. This gave me a new appreciation of what MIA went through and how dedicated she is to causes bigger than her, especially her family.

I heard about M.I.A. on public radio, The World one day and liked it. Downloaded Arula and listened to it, a lot. I had no idea what I was singing, but I sang it anyway. No matter what playlist I was listening to, ARULA was in every playlist I made. The story covered a bit of her life, nothing this deep. All these people talking about "this girl who sings paper airplanes" and I just want to smack them on the forehead. This girl?? I was so excited that the song was so popular, but people don't want to bother to find out her as an artist. Go listen to Arula or never speak to me again.

M.I.A is the greatest and realest artist of all time. I don't think we'll ever have someone as good as her. So many artists took from her : Diplo, Jayz, Beyoncé, Rihanna, Grimes, Gaga, Azealia Banks, ... They were all inspired by her. She was so unique and had her own brand.

You really should drop these episodes as podcasts aswell! I would love a new british canon podcast and i'm sure it would do well!

I'm a bit older.... So to me.... It sounds like one of my favorite Clash songs. It sticks with you & won't leave your brain. Love the Clash

such an iconic anthem for the last two decades

I appreciate that this video puts M.I.A as the natural progression from The Clash and Public Enemy. I do believe her first album is the greatest album of the 00’s decade.

Kind of slept on her, I see her influence in SoundCloud rap. At least, aesthetically.

The concepts behind MIA music is amazing af

i love this series sooo much, maybe you should do a video in charli xcx and how she is shaping the way pop is being made ps: sorry if my english is weird, its not my first language haha

great source of knowledge. cannot stop watching one after another. huge respect and gratitude. and i found a song i've been looking for for a ddeeccaddee:OOO

✈️💯 As someone whom named Mohammad I used to put this song on repeat while I’m in airports I was studying in UK 🇬🇧 For me it was clearly about mocking the xenophobic not about being gangster It’s an artistic take on what we go through as travelers to western cities. For me I can understand what she meant instantly from the title of the song “Paper Planes” that we are harmless planes unlike the metal planes ✈️ which destroyed the twin towers in 9/11 We are the threat landing towards western cities although this threat is false because we are harmless & won’t cause any distraction just like paper planes .. harmless & playful looking for fun or good times nothing serious. and every time I land in London Heathrow or Amsterdam etc they makes me wait longer than other usually with me some Indian Sikh with turban these people maybe suffer more than Muslim men in airports I feel bad for them 😂💔 and they then ask me like I’m a suspect & why I’m here etc also in my university once the Chilean lady who’s in charge of overseas students took me in a room after some incident in the chemistry lab she said “without any evidence or even any link” that I might be suspicious, for me it was obvious she picked me just because my name is Mohammad tall dark & oddly quiet 😂 although I was helping her & the university with international students for free I used to take them around & guide them to local shops etc, so this song reminded me of those sad & good times of being studying in England where occasionally treated with racism & xenophobia with some hints of islamophobia .. that being said I’ve met many wonderful people there they’re over all nice & decent people but the problem is with official workers like airports employees or universities staff, in shops restaurants etc most people don’t care who you’re they’re ok so if you’re British or Dutch don’t get me wrong I salute you all 🌹

I love her music and I'm always listening to her discography since I was a kid but I didn't know much about the backstory of her music. This video was dope

What a fantastic, informative video. Amazing job, and extra for picking a song that really did just explode what was possible in pop at the time.

MIA is the real deal, always been underrated imo

She's a true artist. There is no was. She's still making music. Still amazing. Even if she got "canceled" for Maya and the superbowl middle finger. Also, Lorde's Royals literally uses the beat from paper planes.

I remember waiting for Sasha, and John Digweed to play their set at Coachella, or maybe it was just one of them, but I remember M.I.A. just pumping this song, I think she was pregnant too. I’ll never forget it!

Great delve into that! I had no idea there was so much musical inspiration that fed her as an artist etc, quite interesting

Thank you Trash Theory and your patrons for this amazing video!!

I always thought the gun shots meant ‘shotting’ - slang in the U.K. for selling drugs (weed mostly). Reloading at the time meant re-paying cash to your dealer to get another big bit for you to split up and then ‘shot’. So all I want to do is shot shot shot shot and reload (the trigger sound) and ‘ka-ching’ (cash register sound) and take your money. Sell the bits, reload from the bigger guy and pay him. Because even in a non government (lol) regulated industry, you’re still a cog in the chain. 🤷🏻‍♀️

hands down this is my favourite video on youtube of all time. seriously. and i watch a lot of youtube. from a tamil girl, thank you.

"Borders" is in the new Netflix preview for "The Old Guard". I love that song too!

this song is one song that i will never ever get tired of. my favorite song of all time.

THANK YOU, I've loved MIA since I discovered Paper Planes (I think thanks to Slumdog Millionaire, though I hated that movie.) I've been following her ever since, now you've reminded me to look for her documentary.

Fantastic!Loved it! I needed this video in my life. THANK YOU so much. I can't wait to see here and absorb more from this artist on ALL mediums. Now I have a better idea of where and what to look for, thank you again.