MAYA - Matangi - All Tracks Reviewed And Analysed

3. "Only 1 U"

Produced by So Japan, it echoes his own sound- choppy, overwhelming and discordant. What results is a wall of empowering sound celebrating individuality and M.I.A.'s own badassery. It's fitting- there's not a song on the rest of the album quite like this one. Though it's not a favorite, it's certainly an important installation in the album, an example of how eclectic sounds don't necessarily break apart the coherence of an album.

4. "Warriors"

The album continues with its battle theme. Breaking up this song with the "ohm" chant from the start of the album keeps it interesting; they are peaceful moments in an otherwise harrowing song, perhaps a fitting parallel to the conflicts of her life that catalysed this album. These temporary reprieves, however, do not take anything away from the song- the "ohm" chants simply create a contrast to effectively amplify the grit and turmoil present in the rest of the tune.

5. "Come Walk With Me"

Can I just say: the official lyric video released to accompany this single is creepy. Not so much in content (animated interpretations of Hindu stories and images of the gods) as animation style- it almost seems reminiscent of the "Dancing Baby" style animation of yore and the whole thing is just really disturbing. As for the song itself, it's a refreshing break from the battle cries of the album, featuring M.I.A.'s vocals (which, for some reason, sound consistently slightly off-key) and subdued lyrics: "you ain't gotta shake it, just be with me." At the end of the song, though, the war theme has returned: "what doesn't kill us, it makes us stronger. That's why my roads get longer and longer."