MIA ‘AIM’ Album Review.
With AIM set to be MIA’s last studio album she has certainly gone out with a bang, quite literally, but sadly it’s all smoke but no fire.
The album is a collection of bhangra infused dancehall tracks whilst the London based rapper sticks to her true form sharing her own political views, but it doesn’t quite pack a punch.
MIA has never shied away from making her feelings known and AIM reflects this throughout. From the self-explanatory opening track Borders to the energetic Visa, there are obvious political references.
The recent refugee crisis and immigration as a whole as well as other social injustices people face on a daily basis are touched on across the majority of tracks, but only very subtly. With this in mind there is a lack of imagination and creativity involved across the album, and as much as Borders was a strong comeback track, listing things off and saying “what’s up with that” is far from inspiring.
The strong EDM influence feels rushed and out of context with some questionable lyrics, yet on Finally she combines the best of both worlds. Combining lyrics about ignoring the haters under a Justin Bieber – Purposestyle beat the track sets itself apart from the rest of the album and you can expect it to soon take over the airways.
When you think of classic MIA tracks you think of Paper Planes, Bad Girls and Bring The Noize which stood out from the rest as they each brought something new to the table, but this doesn’t come across on AIM. The album is peppered with heavy, clunky beats but there’s nothing to really sink your teeth into.
There is however a small light at the end of this bleak tunnel in the form of some strong collaborators. MIA brings out a new side of Skrillex who jumps on the standout EDM tracks AMP and Go Off. Frequent Blaqstarr production does just about enough to keep your attention and former One Direction member Zayn Malik provides a refreshing change with some auto tuned vocals on Freedun over the top of some punching drums.
AIM is far from MIA’s strongest work with a mix mash of clashing genres and uninspiring lyrics, but if you scrape away the surface there are a few hidden gems. The only question is, how far do you keep digging until you realise there might be nothing valuable actually down there?
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