M.I.A.: Can See Can Do
M.I.A has released her first new track since her 2013 fourth studio album Matangi. The track, titled Can See Can Do sees the artist in top form bringing back her signature heavy synth and rebellious lyrics.
On the surface Can See Can Do seems like a romantic track about making a future together but the lyrics and the entire meaning are given a twist with the mention “some people see planes, some people see drones,” and as is expected of M.I.A. it hides a punch of political opinion. The line “Make a future with you” in the track suddenly becomes a matter of mere survival in a harsh reality where the unseen is confronted. Some may even be inclined to interpret the track as referring to war and humans ability to shut their eyes for matters distant from their own personal sight.
Not only the track itself but also its release was marked by strong punch lines. Can See Can Do was released on SoundCloud with a cryptic description reading “Democracy Conversations ! Tamils are still waiting ! And no my beats are not better without my politicx.” The exclamation seems to be a defiant response to those critics that wish her to separate music from politics.
M.I.A. initially released a teaser across Twitter announcing the release of a track titled All My People just a few minutes before the release. However, to the surprise of her fans, the artist changed her mind last minute, deciding to release Can See Can Do instead. Explaining this change of mind, the artist tweeted “I want to release All My People when all my people are ready.”
The rebellious shout out accompanying Can See Can Do and a tweet encouraging fans to “hang in there summer is coming” make a clear promise by M.I.A. that she is back, uncompromised and with full power.
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