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M.I.A. Reports From the Mexican Border on “Ola” and “Foreign Friend”

Ian Gavan, Getty Images
Ian Gavan, Getty Images

With the upcoming Presidential election putting a spotlight on foreign policy and immigration, M.I.A is right on time with her latest banger. The British rapper and controversial figure is back on the scene with a new track titled “Ola,” which sees her patrolling the Mexican border over a rollicking, string-laden soundbed.

Catchy lines like “Popping the collar, yeah, hustle a dollar/You can’t touch us or MC Hammer” and “Jump in the chopper, yeah, chop up a mango with salt and pepper” grab your attention before even arriving at the hook and set the tempo for the rest of the track.

Rhyming “At the border I see the patroller, cruising past in their car/Creeping in my socks and slipper, Mexicans say Ola/At the border I see the patroller, cruising past in their car /Hiding in my Toyota Corolla, everybody say YOLA,” M.I.A cooks up an indelible refrain that should be all the rage among patrons of dance-floors and shindigs for the foreseeable future. M.I.A. also tacks on a cut called “Foreign Friend,” adding to her politically charged theme.

M.I.A.’s long-awaited album Matahdatah is slated for release later this year and comes on the heels of a number of one-off tracks (including “Ola”) leading up to its arrival. In July of last year, the rapper unleashed a five-minute video titled “Matahdatah Scroll 01 Broader Than a Border” which was filmed in India and West Africa and featured a new track dubbed “Swords,” which will be included on Matahdatah. She also dropped a new single titled “Borders” in November of last year, which falls in line with the sociopolitical theme of her forthcoming album.

“Ola” is M.I.A.’s first release since “Boom ADD,” her clap-back in response to the NFL’s lawsuit against her performance during the 2012 Super Bowl.

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