By Wyatt Robb
Sports Editor
While M.I.A. is a acronym for “missing in action,” there seemed to be nothing missing from British rapper M.I.A.’s newest album titled “AIM.”
“AIM” is far removed from current pop music, incorporating deep melodic beats, bizarre lyrics and only one vocalist. “AIM” can be characterized by a constant reverberating bass, creative rhythms and the monotony of M.I.A’s rapping.
Mathangi “Maya” Arulpragasam, otherwise known as M.I.A, is a London based rapper and movie director responsible for a number of hit albums. M.I.A. began her career as a filmmaker before releasing her first album, “Arular,” in 2005.
Since then, the artist has released four more studio albums, along with two mixtapes and 32 singles. M.I.A has also been nominated for three Grammys, and even an Academy Award. Some of the artist’s most well known songs include “Boyz,” “Paper Planes” and “XXXO.”
The creativity displayed in “AIM” is captivating. MIA was able to intertwine everyday sounds into many of the background beats, creating a pleasing rhythm featured in each song. For example, the song “Swords” includes the sound of metal striking a hard object, like a sword fight.
One of the album’s most appealing features is its uplifting tone, which can mostly be attributed to the seamless incorporation of bass and treble. Every makes the listener feel uplifted, and empowered.
However good the musical engineering featured in “AIM” may be, a song is nothing without lyrics. This seems to be where “AIM” is lacking. Even though “AIM” is probably intended to target an audience that enjoys indie and psychedelic music, its lyrics are odd, and at times even laughable.
Despite its lack of engaging lyrics, “AIM” serves its purpose as a dance album. Each song’s beat is unique and intriguing. The album’s deep tones and constant booming bass make it almost impossible for the listener to not want to dance.
M.I.A’s musical talent is obvious, but the album truly lacks the spark that is brought by a second artist or contributor. Most of the songs are sung entirely by the artist herself, making the tracks hard to distinguish from each other when listened to in succession.
Unfortunately, “AIM’s” strange lyrics are accompanied by an even stranger singing style. This album’s style gets caught up in the monotony of the artist’s singing. For some of the songs, the style works well, however, many others leave the listener desiring more passion and intonation.
Overall, the album successfully displays MIA’s growth as an musical producer and rapper. The work is completely unique, a quality that is difficult to find in pop music.
“AIM” is available for purchase on Itunes and Google Play for $11.99. The collection is also available for streaming on Spotify and Apple Music.
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