Artist Maya Arulpragasam, or internationally known as M.I.A., is no stranger to danger and controversy. Both a film and arts graduate from Central Saint Martins College and a three-time Grammy, Academy Award, and Mercury Prize nominee, she also has the credentials to back up the film and music work she has done over the years. M.I.A.’s previous music videos have tackled issues of global discrimination and cultural empowerment to Saudi Arabian women driving laws. While the Saudi Arabian law has changed as of a week ago, it is 7 years after M.I.A. released the Grammy-nominated music video. Her most recent music video “Borders” is also just as socially charged. M.I.A. also has the refugee background that fuels her passion for refugee rights, but can we say the impact and social contribution of “Borders” is significant?

While M.I.A.’s two previous YouTube popular videos of “Paper Planes” and the aforementioned “Bad Girls” are higher in view counts, “Borders” is among her top three most viewed videos on YouTube with 11 million views and counting. Through her music and visual projects, she attempts to challenge the way we may dehumanize marginalized populations as well. Her objective for her career has been quite consistent, as said in her own words during a 2005 Guardian interview:

‘I was a refugee because of war and now I have a voice in a time when war is the most invested thing on the planet. What I thought I should do with this record is make every refugee kid that came over after me have something to feel good about. Take everybody’s bad bits and say, “Actually, they’re good bits. Now whatcha gonna do?”‘

M.I.A. has also dedicated “Borders” to her favorite Uncle Bala, who was the first of her family to come to England from her hometown in Sri Lanka. The original title of her album was “Matahdatah” may also provide us light on her objective when we consider her video project “Matahdatah Scroll 01 Broader than a Border.” The second half of the name implies transcendence of borders.

The actual music video provides plenty context of the true demographic of refugees attempting to make The Crossing over the Moroccan border. As discussed in class, many of these migrants make repeated attempts to climb fences into Spain, sometimes even reaching their destination only to be relocated back into limbo. M.I.A also depicts migrants forming configurations of a boat, representing another way of travelling across the border, and the word “LIFE”, symbolizing the migrant need for a true lifestyle. In these large formations, the migrants represent their collective need and how they have lost their unique identities to the general public through the migrant process.

M.I.A. also calls out the general public with her repeated use of simple terms, and questioning “What’s up with that?” To highlight the irony and selfishness of young people and citizens of developed nations, who are more likely to listen to her music, she breaks the song down into three phases. The first verse focuses directly on migrants, calling to question of borders and politics. The second criticizes popular culture and the meaning of the words used, as many have used “Love Wins” but not applied it beyond a domestic scale. While this verse may seem somewhat spontaneous on a first listen, M.I.A. hopes that those who listen to her typically for her celebrity will understand she wants them to truly digest the words. Her last verse draws on the individual level, asking her audience to consider what their values and beliefs are, and if they align with their actions. Overall, her lyricism is simple yet powerful to outline the humanity we all need and that must be provided to migrants, through action that is innately human and not just humanitarian.

“This is North, South, East, and Western” claims M.I.A. but is she really speaking for all the refugees? The public has criticized her use of migrants (although worded as refugees) for her song’s popularity, as well as the potential glamorization of migrant crossing. But even though she is dressed up and has a spotlight gleaning on her, it shows that she is also a migrant among many as she climbs the fences. It is necessary that listeners know her refugee background to see that “Borders” is genuine. While the simple language may seem to be too taunting or preachy to some, I believe M.I.A. does a great job of providing more accurate awareness to the pop culture younger population through her own attitude. If she continued the series with the conditions that migrants are running away and end up in, it could provide a more holistic perspective of migration and refugee life as well.