Missing in Action: M.I.A.'s Arular 20 Years Later

Was M.I.A.'s debut her best? Has anyone managed to picked up her mantle?

Before hyperpop, before PC Music, before glitch and vaporwave and “post-internet”… we had M.I.A.

Last weekend marked the 20th anniversary of her debut record, Arular - one that I’m worried too many people have forgotten.

The rule is that if I have to feel old, you have to feel old with me. So today I’m pouring salt in the wound.

“London calling, speak the slang now”

I figured this would be the quickest post ever. Something like:

“Hey gang, remember M.I.A.? Time flies, right? Man, fashion sure has changed. Anyway, Galang was tight. Here are some new songs that sound like that. Later, skaters!”

No such luck for either of us, though.

Problem the first:

This is embarrassing, but I don’t think I’ve managed to actually find any new music that sounds like early M.I.A.

In fact, listening back to Arular now, I find myself falling into the trap that I admonish nearly everybody else my age for getting caught in: I started thinking “nobody makes music like this anymore.” I stopped short of “new music sucks,” but it’s dangling right there in front of my face.

I guess nobody is immune.

Problem the second: