MAYA, M.I.A's third full length release, follows the internationally critically acclaimed records Arular (2005) and Kala (2007). Like its predecessors, MAYA deftly mixes politics, social consciousness, and inimitable genre blending. Perhaps as much a political statement as a musical one, the new album scathingly takes on our ever-increasing dependence on the digital world.
Influences on the sound of MAYA include dubstep, electro, punk, and pop but the end result is not so easy to define. With songs geared towards the dance floor ('XXXO,' 'Teqkilla'), the mosh pit ('Born Free'), or towards a quiet moment alone ('It Iz What Iz'), MAYA covers a lot of ground, but is held together by the unique, inimitable, and controversial aesthetic of one Maya Arulpragasam.
MAYA, by M.I.A, is produced by Rusko, Blaqstarr, Switch, Diplo, John Hill, Derek Miller, Sugu, and M.I.A.