Stop Searching When You’ve Found ‘The One’

The rapper M.I.A. is back. This is a review of her new single, 'The One', from her upcoming album, MATA.

It must be nice being nice being M.I.A. The British rapper is in the news even before her new album, MATA, has been released.

Publications like Paste Magazine, DJ Mag, Hunger TV, Stereogum, Pitchfork, Hypebeast, Hot New Hip Hop and Rolling Stone UK have started sharing news about the first single from MATA (M.IA. even had an interview with Zane Lowe). Titled ‘The One’, the single hit Spotify on May 26.

On ‘The One’, M.I.A raps over a pop beat. The song is totally hers since she does not feature any artist on it. This is brave, considering she could have featured any musician on it. Of all the lines in her new single, here’s one that’s thought-provoking:

When you’re tryna find the one

Why do you need reminding

In other words, I take it that M.I.A. is telling us that when we have found ‘the one’ thing that’s important, we shouldn’t wait to be reminded.

In the song’s second last verse, M.IA. sings

No matter how you look at it

It’s me you keep finding

These words are in direct contrast to The Rolling Stones, the band that sang about our insatiable appetites in the song ‘Can’t Get No Satisfaction’.  

Currently without a release date, MATA will be M.I.A.’s sixth album (her fifth came out in 2016).