M.I.A. Shares New Song “The One” 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 “The One,” 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 album’s release. Listen to “The One” below, and check out M.I.A.’s future tour dates.
M.I.A. stated she “was in a really joyful place” when she made “The One” in an interview with Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1. MATA, she further stated, “has two sides to it.” M.I.A. went on to say:
I think there’s 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 can’t do it. Also the genre of music that—genres I should say—is all very much like egocentric. It’s not like I’m 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 Islamophobia… 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 totally different place…. Being a Tamil and being a Hindu, I was very comfortable that I’d arrived finding myself. Which is, I think, going to be weird for America to process. But I had a vision and I saw the vision of Jesus Christ. It’s very, creatively, it’s a very crazy thing because it turned my world upside down. Because everything I thought 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 people were needing to be introduced to this concept. But I always found the concept of Christianity quite basic compared to… wow this is gonna be shocking if people go “Maya calls Christianity basic.”
“I think people are going to be more focused on the fact that, I believe, and correct me if I’m wrong, you’re now a born-again Christian,” Lowe said. M.I.A. replied:
I am. I’m not going to lie. And then when I had this vision, it turned my world upside down. I kind of couldn’t let go of the Tamil side. I think that’s why 50% of the record is sort of like that. Because I’m still me. Like, that’s still my language. And those are still my tools to be able to create beats like that or a 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 won’t lie. I will tell the truth, and I will tell you what’s on my mind and my heart. So if I’m coming back now saying Jesus is real, there’s a point, you know?
M.I.A. has released many songs after the release of her fifth studio album, AIM, in 2016, including “P.O.W.A.” Matangi/Maya/M.I.A., a 2018 documentary on her, was also about her. Travis Scott’s “Franchise” was her first No. 1 hit in 2020.
M.I.A.:
06-01 Stockholm, Sweden- Grona Lund
06-02 Funen, Denmark – Heartland Fest
06-10 Barcelona, Spain – Primavera Sound
06-11 Dijon, France – VYV Festival
06-12 Marseille, France – Marsatac Festival
06-17 Lyon, France – InVersion Festival
06-18 Montendre, France – Freemusic Festival
07-08 Oeiras, Portugal – NOS Alive
07-09 Biscay, Spain – BBK Bilbao Live
