Ginger (Oh) Snap

M.I.A.'s new video for "Born Free" is already being censored for its gruesome violence.  Daughter of a Tamil revolutionary, M.I.A. typically takes her politically-charged lyrics, masks them with beats, and produces them until they become bizarrely accessible, questionably indie, and borderline poppy.  Her first album, Arular, sold a mere 130,000 copies, but soared on Indie charts and incited a kind of conversation that the music world had been missing for some time.  M.I.A.'s combination of slang-filled simple language and elusive politics perhaps only help to keep listeners coming back for more-  trying to solve the mystery behind the music might be more fun than the music itself.  Her second album, Kala, skyrocketed her to stardom with the hit "Paper Planes" and the help of a little movie called "Slumdog Millionaire." But, despite collaborating with Timbaland and other acclaimed artists, M.I.A. hasn't lost her unique vision and sense of style.  In fact, "Born Free" proves that she's willing to go further and harder than ever to send a message.  The track, which recently leaked on the internet is from her forthcoming album that will debut in June.  The video, directed by Romain Gavras, packs graphic violence- batons, guns, landmines- and male/female nudity into this powerfully genocidal punch.  It has been yanked from youtube, but you can watch all 9 minutes of the video on her website here.  Channeling Rage Against the Machine with its anger-infused percussion and screamy vocals, "Born Free" certainly won't be played at prom.  With this one, M.I.A. won't just grab your attention, she'll rip it out of you, tear it to shreds and set it on fire.  Best not to watch this one before bed, lest nightmares highjack your brain.