M.I.A. Shares New Song โThe Oneโ and Reveals New Album Title. In an interview with Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1, the musician also stated that she is now a born-again Christian.
M.I.A. has released a new tune called โThe One,โ which was co-written by Rex Kudo and T-Minus. The title of her new album, MATA, has also been disclosed by the musician. M.I.A. has inked a new global record deal with Island Records, which will release the follow-up to AIM. There is no set date for the albumโs release. Listen to โThe Oneโ below, and check out M.I.A.โs future tour dates.
M.I.A. stated she โwas in a really joyful placeโ when she made โThe Oneโ in an interview with Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1. MATA, she further stated, โhas two sides to it.โ M.I.A. went on to say:
I think thereโs a bit of a battle on the record. There is a bit of a clash, but the clash is, like, your ego and spirituality. Those are the clashes because, as a musician, you need some ego, otherwise you canโt do it. Also the genre of music thatโgenresย I should sayโis all very much like egocentric. Itโs not like Iโm an artist that came from gospel or something. For me, it was, like, to have that journey, and also, like, it was a significant time to discuss like Islamophobiaโฆ talking about wars in the Middle East and things like that.
M.I.A. also spoke with Zane Lowe about spirituality:
I had, like, a weird spiritual experience. One of the first people I told was Richard Russell actually. And it was, like, back in 2017. And, since then, my head has been in a totallyย different placeโฆ.ย Being a Tamil and being a Hindu, I was very comfortable that Iโd arrived finding myself. Which is, I think, going to be weird for America to process. But I had a vision and Iย saw the vision of Jesus Christ. Itโs very, creatively, itโs a very crazy thing because it turned my world upside down. Because everything I thoughtย and believed was no longer, like, the case. And I think that was maybe a sign that something major was going to happen in the world, you know, and that peopleย were needing to be introduced to this concept. But I always found the concept of Christianity quite basic compared toโฆ wow this is gonna be shocking if people go โMaya calls Christianity basic.โ
โI think people are going to be more focused on the fact that, I believe, and correct me if Iโm wrong, youโre now a born-again Christian,โ Lowe said. M.I.A. replied:
I am. Iโm not going to lie.ย And then when I had this vision, it turned my world upside down. I kind of couldnโt let go of the Tamil side. I think thatโs why 50% ofย the record is sort of like that. Because Iโm still me. Like, thatโs still my language. And those are still my tools to be able to create beats like that or aย sound like that, you know. But I think the message was just to get to a peaceful place.
She also said:
The history is, even if it costs me my career, I wonโt lie. I will tell the truth, and I will tell you whatโs on my mind and my heart. So if Iโm coming back now saying Jesusย is real, thereโs a point, you know?
M.I.A. has released many songs after the release of her fifth studio album, AIM, in 2016, including โP.O.W.A.โ Matangi/Maya/M.I.A., a 2018 documentary on her, was also about her. Travis Scottโs โFranchiseโ was her first No. 1 hit in 2020.
M.I.A.:
06-01 Stockholm, Sweden- Grona Lund
06-02 Funen, Denmark โ Heartland Festย
06-10 Barcelona, Spain โ Primavera Sound
06-11 Dijon, France โ VYV Festival
06-12 Marseille, France โ Marsatac Festival
06-17 Lyon, France โ InVersion Festival
06-18 Montendre, France โ Freemusic Festival
07-08 Oeiras, Portugal โ NOS Alive
07-09 Biscay, Spain โ BBK Bilbao Live