From her 2009 Grammy performance alongside Kanye, T.I, Jay-Z, and Lil Wayne to the infamous Superbowl Halftime Show appearance with Madonna and Nicki Minaj, M.I.A. is known to all as a provocative artist who has dominated pop culture with her with socially-conscious statements. Mathangi Arulpragasam, known as M.I.A., has not only created an image for herself that has shocked and awakened her fans and foes alike with messages connected to everything from genocide and xenophobia to sustainable fashion, but she’s done it through declarations enveloped by beautifully unique tracks and videos.

M.I.A. has been dealt a myriad of inconveniences related to her expression as a musician, and most recently her ability to both release her new LP “Matahdatah” and tour in support of it has become a topic of discussion concerning her inability to secure a visa to return to the US. She posted a series of tweets at the beginning of this month related to the matter and joked about the reality that to have her music reach the public, she’d have to collaborate with the famed DJ Khaled or Selena Gomez.

I am handing my last LP in to my American label this week. It'll be up to them if its released.I don't have visa 4 states to promote or spk!
— M.I.A (@MIAuniverse) May">https://twitter.com/MIAuniverse/status/72721246001... 2, 2016

Can't tour the US without a visa- might have to start writing songs 4 Dj Khaled and Selene Gomez to get heard
— M.I.A (@MIAuniverse) May">https://twitter.com/MIAuniverse/status/72721899329... 2, 2016

Arulpragasam has become a beacon of awareness and advocacy for social issues in American pop culture, and her inability to access a country that is in an era where race-centered social movements are reaching a peak in their existence is a loss for us all. Looking back at her artistic achievements as a spokeswomen against problematic governments and individuals exemplifies her capability to connect to the younger generations in a way that doesn’t sugarcoat the realities that discriminated minorities live with.

A prime example of her work as an advocate includes her graphic yet subtly haunting music video for the song “Born Free,” which was inspired by horrific mass killings in Sri Lanka and emphasizes military brutality. Her music video for the song “Bad Girls” has also faced both positive and negative criticism for its subdued stereotyping of Arab culture while also being meant to empower Arab women in response to their common discrimination. Most recently, M.I.A. released her single and music video “Borders,” which served as her statement regarding the ongoing refugee crisis, an event familiar to Arulpragasam, who fled Sri Lanka as a child in the wake of the civil war.

Over the last 16 years, M.I.A. has proven herself as an artist to be a force against inequality and oppression, especially of Tamils in Sri Lanka, African Americans, and Muslims. Her popularity and provocative attitude in every aspect of her life has propelled her to be seen as a threat to the problematic behavior of the US government and other world leaders because her criticism and support of global citizenship has not only become just another voice endorsing activism, but has become one of the most influential creative voices of this generation. Once M.I.A. is allowed to return to the US, announce a tour, and release her new LP, I sincerely believe her message will not only be a musically influential presence, but also a socially conscious force to be reckoned with.