M.I.A.: 'Born Free'

A mere 24 hours after it premiered, M.I.A.'s 'Born Free' is already rivalling Lady GaGa and Beyoncé's 'Telephone' for the Most Talked About Video Of 2010 crown. And not because its star wears a couple of Diet Coke cans in her hair and coins a catchy/confusing aphorism about killing a cow. Instead, it's a brutal and brutally effective nine-minute meditation on military violence, discrimination and government abuse of power that climaxes with a child being obliterated by a landmine.

So effective has it been, in fact, that the track itself has been somewhat overshadowed. That's a shame, because 'Born Free' is almost as uncompromising as its promo clip. A blistering statement of intent built around the distorted synth riff from Suicide's 'Ghost Rider', it comprehensively smashes any murmurings that motherhood may have softened Maya Arulpragasam. Where's her head at? "I throw this s**t in your face when I see ya / Cause I got something to say." The result is an almighty racket, but the best kind of almighty racket - one that makes you want to jump around your bedroom feeling all, y'know, rebellious and s**t.


> Click here to watch the 'Born Free' video