M.I.A. biggest hit “Paper Planes,” which peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 in September 2008, is also the British musician’s most influential song. On the Kala track, she addresses the stereotypes and situations that immigrants deal with on a daily basis. It’s built around a sample from The Clash’s 1982 song “Straight to Hell” and interpolates Wreckx-N-Effect’s hit “Rump Shaker.”
The gunshot effects on the chorus were a source of controversy for M.I.A., who explained that the sounds are part of everyday culture for refugee immigrants such as herself. “If you’ve been exposed to gunfights and violence and bombs and war, then I can use those sounds backing my thoughts,” she told the Daily Beast.
Watch the video above for the full breakdown and read all the lyrics to M.I.A.’s “Paper Planes” on Genius now.
