M.I.A. still does not want to be your pop icon, thank you very much. Over a hyper-cut sample of "Blue Moon" by The Marcels, she sings, "I'm not Rihanna / I'm not Madonna / I'm not Mariah, or Ariana."
"P.O.W.A." is her first single since last year's uneven AIM, and its bite is a reminder that M.I.A.'s true power is in the single. She also directs this visually rich video, as M.I.A. sits in a truck bed full of flowers and lets a long orange veil fly across a mountain backdrop. A row of dancers in matching outfits look like a orange, black and white wave — a Christo and Jean-Claude installation in human form.
M.I.A. will curate the 2017 edition of Meltdown in London this June, asking fans to help to fill out the festival bill:
For me this Meltdown will be about putting on a musical week that shows different types of music which have inspired each other to exist. Genres that support other genres, redefining the concept of a melting pot. Respect the history, don't live in it. I plan to bring together music's best forward thinkers who have contributed to all our lives. When music acts as inspiration, it's boundary-less.
Hear M.I.A.'s interview with Morning Edition about her "Borders" video.
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