M.I.A. is known for writing songs with political undertones. She uses her music to remind people to think, speak up and make a difference. In an interview with The Guardian in 2005, M.I.A. explained that her past is her number one motivation.
“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."
M.I.A.'s past as a Sri Lankan refugee led to the creation of her latest single, "Borders."
The song begins:
Freedom, 'I'dom, 'Me'dom
Where's your 'We'dom?
This world needs a brand new 'Re'dom
We'dom - the key
We'dom the key'dom to life!
Let's be 'dem
We'dom smartphones
Don't be dumb!
M.I.A. is asking us to question current events. We should put down our smartphones and stop acting as if our retweeted hashtags and temporary Facebook profile pictures have changed the world. But what is "Borders" really trying to say? In the new music video, M.I.A. offers a striking and authentic depiction of refugees. We see her positioned between people who are migrating through deserts, climbing over fences and wading through water. It's a real glimpse of the hard life refugees face.
Critics are raving about the effortless cinematography in the video. However, there is one problem. M.I.A., a modern feminist, seems to have left out a crucial element in her video: women. Whether it is intentional or not, I think it raises a valuable point. When refugees are referenced in the media, a majority of the coverage is centered on women and children. Middle Eastern men carry the stigma of being terrorists, rapists, and job-stealing criminals. But the video portrays them in a different light. By stereotyping male refugees, we forget an important lesson on humanity.
I'll leave you with the hard-hitting video. I see it as a call to action—stop and pay attention to the Syrian Refugee Crisis. Ask yourself why countries, like our own, are unwilling to open borders for refugees. When will we all check our privilege and realize that the "freedom" we take for granted is not available to many people across the world, especially refugees?
