Her compositions combine elements of hip-hop, electronica, dance, alternative and world music.
M.I.A. began her career in 2000 as a visual artist and designer in West London. Since rising to prominence in early 2004 for her singles "Galang" and "Sunshowers", she has been nominated for an Academy Award, two Grammy Awards and the Mercury Prize.
She released her debut album Arular in 2005 and second album Kala in 2007. Kala went gold in Canada and the United States and silver in the United Kingdom, and the singles "Boyz" and "Paper Planes" became North American top ten chart favourites in 2008.
M.I.A.'s third album Maya was released in 2010 soon after the song-film short "Born Free", and reached the top ten in numerous countries worldwide.
She has embarked on four global headlining tours and is the founder of her own multimedia label, N.E.E.T..
In 2008, M.I.A. was listed in Esquire magazine's list of the 75 most influential people of the 21st century and in 2009, Time magazine included M.I.A. in its annual Time 100 list of the world's most influential people.
A noted philanthropist and activist for many causes, her activism has been met with both appreciation and criticism. In 2002, she received an Alternative Turner Prize nomination for her art, and has been recognized for her work as a music video director, graphic and fashion designer.
"Paper Planes" is a song written and for her second studio album, Kala (2007). The song was co-produced by Diplo and Switch. Its backing track is a sample from the 1982 song "Straight to Hell" by The Clash.
It was released as the album's third single in early 2008, but achieved much commercial success in June 2008 after appearing in a high profile film trailer and TV spot for the film Pineapple Express. The song and a special remixed version of it featured in the film Slumdog Millionaire, as well as its soundtrack.
It peaked at #19 in the UK, making it M.I.A's first top 20 hit and highest charting single in the UK. The song charted in numerous other countries worldwide and is to date XL Recordings best selling single. "Paper Planes" also appeared in the trailer for Michael Moore's documentary Capitalism: A Love Story. It was sampled in rappers T.I. and Jay-Z's single "Swagga Like Us", which reached #4 on the Hot 100. On 3 December 2008, the song was nominated for the Record of the Year at the 51st Grammy Awards.
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