SPIN‘s December cover girl shouldn’t have to defend her choice of fiancé (Ben Brewer, son of Warner Music CEO Edgar Bronfman Jr.), but here is how she reconciles the union with her “fuck-the-system mentality”: “His dad is so ‘the System.’ But then, they’re the most liberal family — they bootlegged alcohol, for God’s sake. They’re rich because they threw big, illegal parties, so I don’t mind.” Check out the cover at spin.com.
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Since when has MIA not been part of the system? She poses for high fashion ads, liscenses her music for first-world “luxury” items like video games, eats cheese that is more expensive than an AK-47 in certain de-stabilized parts of Africa (as she reminds us in her songs) and is signed to Interscope. Good music though.
good call.
i agree with all that except for the part about good music.
MIA does make great music.
But I mean, come one, read that quote carefully: “They’re rich because they threw big, illegal parties, so I don’t mind.” Sheesh. Clearly hasn’t thought about it enough, and doesn’t really care to stop and reflect on the irony. It’s kind of like HW saying, “The Plainviews are rich because my dad was so punk-rock and kicked a bunch of people’s asses! So I don’t mind.”
Well, the thing is: why do you have to qualify or apologize for someone’s being rich or poor in the first place? No other musician would even have to address that. So why MIA? Because political self-righteousness plays a big part in her music. At what point, I wonder, will MIA turn the focus of her political indignation inward; how long can she maintain an unironic shaming of the first world while simultaneously embodying all of its ethics? The answer is probably forever – but I think it would be much more interesting if she acknowledged her own complicity than just wagged her finger at all of us (who are, by the way, most likely much poorer than she is) for the rest of her career.
Her friends told her “don’t be spiritual. whatever you, do don’t be spiritual.” Seems she listened.
I’m a pretty major M.I.A. fan and have been for years. But I have to say that after I read that article, a part of me wanted to find a female friend to slap the crap out of her. Ao nailed: how dare she chastise people for not being ‘rebellious’ enough, when she’s being squired around town by a freaking billionaire and getting paid obscene amounts of money to perform at the most corporate events known to man?
Maya, your hypocrisy has caught up to you, and the whole thing is starting to smell. You’ve turned into the female Zach De La Rocha, and that’s about as ass-backwards as it gets. in a word: FAIL
I listened to her baby daddy’s band after first hearing about her pregnancy. I really hope that kid inherits its mommy’s music genes. The Exit are horrible. Like, worse than The Horrors and Black Kids, even.
I think M.I.A.’s lyrics mostly reflect where she comes from and shouldn’t be taken as more than that. I love the fact her words show other cultures besides the American one. Who else would sing about an XR2?
She may still have an urge to make money, like anyone in the game, but at least she’s creative enough to sing about things other than that money she’s making.
i like MIA, i do think its fucking odd shes marrying a billionaire, but fuck it? she has lots of substance hopefully it doesnt take away from that. and she keeps creating dope ass music.
i also have a slight feeling that this hootenany is going to kinda fuck up her image just a lilttle . but if shes smart.. she will stop airing her buisness out and live a private life.
you can help who you love….shes not marrying the guy to get some fortune she loves the guy for fuck sake……when u love someone u dont care where they come from, etc….