M.I.A. Tackles The Refugee Crisis In Politically-Charged ‘Borders’ Video
Perhaps no modern artist comes to mind more quickly when it comes to politics than British-Sri Lankan rapper M.I.A. Her songs and videos have tackled topics as broad and socially-charged as Internet surveillance, feminism, and genocide. And now, with a new track and video called "Borders," she's taking sharp aim at the current refugee crisis.
While the trap-infused track itself surfaced last week, the self-directed video for "Borders" was dropped online this morning via Apple Music. In the clip, M.I.A. joins a massive group of refugees on the run, who are forced to scale barbed wire fences, crowd onto tiny boats, and sleep together in a crowded pile. It's an impassioned and poignant commentary on the ongoing refugee crisis, with particular focus on the hazards and challenges faced by displaced peoples, as well as the inhumane treatment they receive.
As she sings in the clip, she skewers the state of our global society, questioning our collective values as a species while rapping, "Politics / What’s up with that? / Police shots / What’s up with that? / Identities / What’s up with that? / Your privilege / What’s up with that?" Watch below:
"Borders" will be featured on the artist's fifth full-length studio album Matahdatah, which is set to be released through Interscope Records. Other tracks off the record include "Matahdatah Scroll 01 Broader Than A Border," "Swords," "Platforms," and "Can See Can Do," which were released earlier throughout the year.
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