The True Meaning Behind PAPER PLANES
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- Опубліковано 21 жов 2020
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Back in 2008, M.I.A released Paper Planes. A massive hit, peaking at number four on the Billboard Hot 100 -- giving the artist her first top ten single, a Grammy nomination and an Oscar nod. It went Platinum in Canada, the US and the UK and was featured in promoting films like Pineapple Express and Slumdog Millionaire.
But the track saw M.I.A. accused of glorifying violence, criminality and advocating terrorism. Because behind the downtempo beats, the breezy melody and sample-filled choruses lies some heavier history.
Let’s take a look at THE TRUE MEANING BEHIND PAPER PLANES.
This video is sponsored by CuriosityStream
Written, voiced and edited by Frank Furtado
#Middle8 #PaperPlanes
Listen to the PlayM8 Podcast:
PlayM8Podcast.com
Oh cool, a documentary about actorNOTS faking space with green screens and zero-g planes not made of paper.
Can you please do take a slice by glass animals
Lol when you wanna talk shit about a country but then complain they won’t give you a visa.
And the song is clearly about 9/11 duh.
@middle 8 DONT SELL UR SGIT TO THE BIGGER PLATFORM AS THEY WILL FUCK U OVER , 4 RYIAL
I swear Paper Planes felt like the dopest song I had ever heard at that time.
Her music always sounds ahead for its time.
Still is imo... It in my main playlist still and when it come on i'm just blasting it in my car lol
Yeah still one of my favs
It's the hardest song ever, a chic talk bout flipn birds, and the gun cocking...is some gangsta shit
Vag Huntr the lyrics alone was raw and fire 🔥 the beat was the icing on the cake 🧁
Did MIA seriously get criticized for glorifying violence? On a hip hop record?
No man it was about terrorism /s
They clearly ain’t seen modern day rap
bc she’s a girl and brown smh
@@beautyandtheoffbeats bro and u think that because she is a brown girl lmaoo like it’s literally been explained
@@bilaltariq7819 they never said it isn’t involved in rap culture at all they’re saying tho that most people will associate rap with violence when rap can be poetic and non violent
I swear, M.I.A looks different with every photo I see of her
And yet, she doesn't age
Kanye samples her line “Swagga like us” from this song for Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, & T. I.
"No one on the corner has swagger like us"🔥🔥🔥 I remember when that first came out
How do u sample a line
@@fromwoods703 You find the original track, then you download it to your computer and highlight the part that you want to edit, split the track and cut the line that you sampled and paste it into your own original song. But if you sampling a line or a song from another artist, make sure you ask for their permission. Hope this helps.
It's T.I.'s song feat Kanye, Jay and Wayne.
It's on his album Paper Trail
Yes he did !! And I love that song !! And that’s T.I.s song not Kanye’s haha 😂
MIA is so dope. I firmly believe that if she’d broken out in 2020, her work would be better received by westerners. They weren’t ready for her greatness.
Tell me about it, she’d run the industrial/experimental hip hop scene
The White Left =/= Westerners
Ty. It's like assuming Karl Marx was Russian because Russians were communist. No and Germany is not only laughing but thanking people making assumptions about their actions. Don't blame the actions of government on their people.
@@lukesutton4135 sir this is a Wendy’s
@@lukesutton4135 oh no, anyways-
@@lukesutton4135 chile, anyway so
Diplo went CRAZY on the paper planes beat. Top tier
90 like
But like...wasnt he already very popular before paper planes?
@@jamue kinda, they worked together in the beggining of her carreer
They dated too lol
@ilovepancakeswithjam he is a genius. he is always at it
as someone in an immigrant family who is still struggling to not get deported, this song holds a special place to my heart
In conclusion M.i.a was woke before it was trendy
Dumbest comment of the year award
@@columbusohio72 you
Woke? She was only talking about what happened which any Brit knew honestly about which was happening at the time and now even
@@irrelevance3859 her music isn’t just for Britain
@@joshuajamessara When did I say that? Quote me.
MIA was definitely ahead of her time
For the criminals' you mean
Was she really? I guess everyone who makes a hit is ahead of their time huh?
Like 2 decades ahead
@@replynotificationsdisabled I think she was genuinely ahead of her time the people who are ahead of their time are the people who make timeless hits because they still work decades in the future. A lot of the music MIA made she could make today and it would received possibly better
Yes, read history of LTTE, srilanka and India...
Her father was LTTE member which was recognised as terrorist group by India & Srilanka, for fighting for their rights.
One of the most beautiful things about MIA's album is that 'Kala' based on how you pronounce it can mean "art" or "black/brown"
omg that's amazing
Yeah, I was called “kaloo” as a kid by racists in south pakistan. It means black, or dark even.
Nowadays kaala has a negative meaning attached to it even though it just refers to a skin colour. Light skin is regarded as the beauty standard in India and many other countries. ('Kaala' literally means 'black' in Hindi. It's also used to refer to dark skin colour. On the other hand, 'Kala' means 'art')
@@meeraanil6083 kala literally means black (as in the colour) in Hindi at least .
@@kirenjohn it also means art like the OP said
she is like one of the most underrated artists ever. god she is so cool
I’ve always found her dope AF and was upset that she was treated like that
"Its modern art, it can mean whatever you want it to mean, until... someone like Middle8 makes you think it means something else."
-Middle8 (a very humble man)
lol. But in all honesty his editing alone deserves immense praise
@@DD-hu7ix 100% agree, this kind of editing takes so freaking long to make. His efort and his creativity make his content so enjoyable and it feels so professional.
Post-modern* 7:10
Hello random person, if you're seeing this, I want you to see that these two songs are basically identical. "Paper Planes" by M.I.A. and "You Need to Calm Down" by Taylor Swift. This link will take you to my video on it, it's just a mix, nothing more, nothing less. And skip to 1:39 in my video as well.
I just thought it would be interesting.
ua-cam.com/video/iehFarygd4M/v-deo.html
@@eye_man Np mate I'm interested.
I miss MIA. She's one hell of an artist. Her music inspired me so many times. she showed the world that there is so many cultures and perspectives
wait did something happen to her?
@@maybehere_ nah, I just mean I miss the times she was more active in music and I ve been playing her on repeat and so on
@@GueriliaWOT she released this song last month: ua-cam.com/video/37FSONm_c2w/v-deo.html she's released an album roughly every 3 years since 2005
She went crazy on Travis Scott's track and I don't even like Travis like that!
@@xxXitakegabbiesXxx right?! Sad though when i read the comments on that MV, people are close minded and shitting on it when MIA has been in the game long time haha at least we can appreciate her art!
We had MIA at our studio not too long back, she is an absolulte gem and a v nice person. I'm glad she's still getting the recognition she deserves.
I can’t get over how good the animations in this are. Top notch.
Y’all remember when she was performing right before she was about to give birth in that polkadot outfit? THAT was badass.
Ladybug!
Wait, she was performing and went to labor?!
@@PropagandaMinister after she finished her performance at the 2009 Grammys she went into labor and had her son
Yesss!
That would be stupid
She's such an inspiration for us Sri Lankan Tamils, the fact that she brought some international attention to our struggle is already amazing, and they way she carried herself and her music were just top notch. All time talent for sure
@@ajasen 100% agree with you brother
@@ajasen #45 was a non-interventionist and a mild reformer. Sorely missed, just 40 days into this new mess.
Too bad you’re so sad about something that you are so obviously oblivious to.
Maybe you’ll feel better if you cry. Or look into policy records, and educate yourselfBut, prolly no , huh?
@@ajasen I respect your civil response. I was being kind of a brat now that I find how truly passionate, intelligent and informed you are. Please accept my apology.
I’m truly sorry for Sri Lanka, it is very disturbing what happens there.
@@ajasen you too Hope. Thanks!
How’s the situation for Sri Lankan Tamils now? Is there still tension or not really?
I remember when M.I.A flipped the bird during her super bowl performance.
We've all been sleeping on this Genius
Not to mention shes a college grad in Journalism from a British university, makes her own clothes, and created most of her own beats from her first album from a beat box she acquired. I saw her performing in Houston in the late 2000s, a great show. Rye Rye opened... another underrated female artist.
Her first album was also heavily produced/co-written by diplo. You here a strong influence of miami bass which is what diplo was spinning predominately during his sets at the time.
Also… the video saying no one had heard of diplo when kala was released… what?!?
Rated accurately. Being female has nothing to do with it.
@benjaminollis7621 they don't understand reality
I gotta give Middle8 a lot of credit, most of the music discussed in these videos have really expanded my music taste and have become some my favorite bands. King Gizzard would still be under my radar if not for these videos, and they’re my favorite band of all time
Same brother. Middle 8 is a complete fuckin chad
Middle 8 introduced me to Animal Collective and they're one of my favorite bands now
King Gizzard is definitely a band
@@mangolollipop_ very accurate
Yup very much the same for me.
I still have Paper Planes on my driving playlist. It's so damn catchy.
My middle school would let the students choose what music to play on a boombox while we did school work. About half the class liked rock and alternative, and the other half liked pop and we were always fighting over which one to play. But for some reason Paper Planes was a song both crowds loved and we'd play it all the time as a compromise when one side was sick of the others music.
I heard this song for the first time in a gym and didn't hear enough of the lyrics to be able to identify it. Had it stuck in my head for years until I was in a taxi with a friend and it came on and immediately started shouting "what is this?!". He knew and later I learned the main musical hook was from The Clash. That's my dumb story, now back to the video haha.
Woo Robby is here? Keep your ankles braced well in your hiking boots! :)
Download _Soundhound_ to your smart phone. At _American Eagle_ at your local mall or _Walmart_ and hear a kick song you never heard before? Open the app and hold it up to the ceiling speaker and it will more than likely find that song.
Heard this back in 08 sometime. You couldn't go anywhere without hearing it for a long ass time. The radio overplayed this to the point nobody could stand it anymore. Heard it recently & I can't believe I got back into it.
You should make a video talking about her album MAYA. It was a very overlooked album when it first released but has been a strong influence in succeeding artists/genres. It feels more relevant now than it did 10 years ago. Basically the beta for Death Grips and hyperpop.
I had this exact video in mind. She was the precursor to the new wave of experimental hip hop - preceding Yeezus and Death Grips
@@Middle8 I completely agree. The album is legendary.
@@Middle8 She clearly had the footage needed for Death Grips to make their music.
@@Middle8 make a video about Nadia oh - Colours. It’s proto pc music and also the boyband that Ryder ripps created call HDBOYZ. Both projects ahead of their time for creating internet age music with pc music / hyperpop themes, instrumentals, and vocals.
@@Middle8 Make this, this is what Maya wanted originally her documentary to focus on. That album is so overlooked.
Her music is more important now than ever. ❤️
This song sooo much more meaning than just being awesome, lyrically amazing. Missing her lots, she's soo underrated. Hopefully she comes back in a blast!
I’ve heard this song but I’ve never really thought of where it came from or what it means and hearing about this women being far ahead of the times bringing up issues and stereotypes that America often doesn’t address out of discomfort and prejudice in catchy song is awesome! Thank you for making this video definitely a new fan of this channel and M.I.A!
I actually enjoyed the song more like a guilty pleasure because it was too simple and straightforward, and nothing I could associate with personally. But this make it not a guilty pleasure now that I know the history. Thanks Middle8. Great work.
Stereotypes are usually true
M.I.A. is one of the artists that shaped my music taste. I love the eclectic, risky, experimental and globalized aesthetic that her music has... She's amazing and sadly underrated.
have you heard magdalene by fka twigs? you'll love it if you like experimental musical. Home with you is my favourite track
I've loved this song for so many years, and never really appreciated what it was about. Of course, I've listened to it so many times that I picked up on these themes, I just didn't understand what I was picking up on. I knew there was something deeper. Thanks for the flashlight on this, friend.
While Paper Planes is probably her best song, Arular is the superior album, in my opinion.
I actually agree. Bops on both, but Arular is a more consistently enjoyable record.
What about Borders? That's an amazing song. Tbh all her songs are fantastic.
I'd say she took more of a risk with Kala, and it worked. To me it's a better album.
I totally agree!!!!
@@TimesNuRoman Kala was life changing.. and yes.. i did like Paper Planes.. she had so many other songs on there that i thought were overlooked..
MIA has always been WAY ahead of the curve. I remember having to search out her video "Born Free" long before everyone went crazy over "This is America" (not a knock to Childish Gambino, but that MIA is so much more of an inspiration than society gives her credit for)
I agree to this
Frank Furtado, I'm so impressed by your video and the Paper Planes explanation. I didn't know anything about M.I.A. except this song until I did a quick Google search - right before I found this video. And you hit on all the major points I read about too! Awesome work!
Brilliantly done video.. Just brilliant.. Great explanation. Beautiful work... Thank you.
It feels like as we get further and further away from the 2000s the more and more M.I.A.’s status as one of the best of the era gets cemented and I love seeing the gradual increase in appreciation for her.
I've heard of her music before but didn't know that her music is that deep. I'll start listening to her more.
I'm surprised she doesn't get enough recognition in hip-hop.
Dude I’m here like Wtffff So dope. I never broke apart the song like this.
Super sick.
They blackballed her
Lol everyone fucked with paper planes Wayne jest and others got remix’s on it
She wasn't talkin bout being on her back or knees an doin over the top shit so it was no need 4 her n I'm just being honest not h8n or anything
I remember when I first heard it as a kid I was amazed at how cool it sounded and melody she did was infectious
Dude that was awesome! So informative. I would have never thought that music had such meaning or drama behind it.
Wow. It's amazing what kind of story can exist behind some well known song. Thank you for bringing this to our attention.
Trash Theory did a video on this 4 months or so ago
"Making music in any country that was anti American" Australia has always been Milhouse to Americas Bart Simpson
India's bollywood is inspired from Hollywood ffs
@@Red4350 what ? Do u even know Bollywood as a term was popularised by westerns we Indians never called it Bollywood.
And Indian movie industry has been around since 1913 developed completely independently.
But yes india is not anti American at all or anti any country we are too fucked up to hate anyone except ourselves lmao
keep telling yourself that american
May Allah Bless You yosemite sam. Death to America. Yalalalalalala! ptooey! US Flag burn emoji
We ain't all Milhouse...you can't speak for an entire continent sorry.
Loved the editing and topic on this one
So iconic. Notice how no one in the industry represents reality anymore, especially during this period when it matters the most. She’s a legend!
Talented, brilliant, incredible, amazing, show stopping, spectacular, never the same, totally unique, completely not ever been done before, unafraid to reference or not reference, put it in a blender, shit on it, vomit on it, eat it, give birth to it
I miss MIA music.
MIA is MIA
I’m waiting for her to surprise drop something
She's actually dropping a new album soon soo... Stay tuned and hyped
i read your comment and thought of gotye because he is too someone i am waiting for him to drop music and i look to the right and i see you have already covered a video on him and its being recommendedhaha
what do you mean you miss her music? she released this song last month: ua-cam.com/video/37FSONm_c2w/v-deo.html
Dude, you may not post often, but the quality is always worth the wait - and it makes it all the sweeter when the next one comes out. I love these videos - keep it up man, you're absolutely smashing it
Thank you for making this and highlighting it
thank you for this amazing explanation. I always wondered. The song is off putting to me, only because I'm sensitive to gunshot sounds, but it's good to know why she used the sound. Love her!!!!
This is gonna blow up like The Pumped Up Kicks one.
that diplo guy seemed chill, i hope he makes it big.
THIS BLEW ME AWAY! I need more music history from you
I actually both MIA’s first two albums as CD’s in either 2008or 9 and enjoyed both of them and thought they were unique and sounded like nothing else out at that time definitely a unique artist 👍🏽
MIA is the most famous unknown absolute musical and intellectual genius. She's the type of artist who's lyrics will be studied 100 years ago.
Lmao her music isn’t that deep. You can barley understand what she is saying in that song
@@joshrodriguez4154 ok bae
@@Nunocesarsa 🤣🤣
The "most famous unknown"? Oxymorons are cool! You forgot a hyphen, Brojangles.
Her lyrics will be studied 100 y ago? Lmao
The Clash!! "The Only Band That Matters"
RIP Joe Strummer.
The cash register noises is because they own all of the gas stations
This was such an excellent explanation. Thank you.
Thank you. This is UA-cam at its very best. I feel educated and am experiencing that lovely feeling where music that I hadn't really listened to before now sounds rich and exciting.
I really liked the video editing, especially the subtle movement / misregistration on the graphic layers.
Such an iconic track... the Clash sample and its perfect alignment of message still gives me goosebumps!
awesome, i love her even more now. i was 15 wen this came out and loved how MTV, VH1 and every other channel would play t every two songs, and then her black and white lit performance at the grammy's the following year was legendary to me! then it turned out she'd been in labour the whle time, my mind was blown in collab with
Excellent analysis Bro, really appreciate intellectual clarity...as it has become a rarity 🙃
As always. Interesting and entertaining. Always learn something new. Your dictation and choice of words that flow seamless from your mouth are a pleasure to listen to.
WONDERFUL song and meaning.
wow now i get chills everytime i hear it,,,the creativity is crazy
I remember hearing Papers Planes for the first at Burning Man. I listened to the album on repet hundreds of times, the track with Timbaland was the only one that wasn't awesome! I have also watched the video for Bad Girls countless times it is one of my all time favorite music videos. I knew the story behind the album back then, it is such a powerful collection of talent. Thanks for the memories.
Such a beautiful and unique song. I enjoyed this break down. She was dead right about america. She had us bopping to a song because it had the word money in it. Meanwhile she’s talking about how hateful we are. It also shows how low vibrational some of us are. America needs to do better. Immigrants are not the enemy.
True we dance to the melancholy songs like its our job
The ADOS know this all too well 🙃
America definitely has a LOT of work to do but the issues regarding immigration, drugs, socioeconomic classes, etc. addressed in Paper Planes, occurs in MANY countries other than the US. The US simply force feeds their beliefs down everyone else’s throats because they think they’re right.
But Italy, UK, France, Jordan, etc etc etc all attempt to stifle immigration and give immigrants a bad name. Class issues are in EVERY country. Racism is EVERY where.
People are this issue AND the solution.
MIA is just good in general.
chaotic good!
even her verse in franchise was good, people have no taste nowadays. I’m glad she’s back to mainstream :)
Yes, and so was Santigold.
One of my favorite songs ever, I forget sometimes that it was co-produced by Diplo, figures if you look at all of his music now, it's really not surprising
Good stuff, as always. Thanks.
Wow, I just gained so much more appreciation for MIA, I grew up with my mom and sister listening to Kala and always enjoyed it's experimental natural but never knew how meaningful it really is. I listen to 20 dollar, Come Around, and Jimmy to this day ❤️
“Paper Planes” was used in the Michael Moore film “Capitalism: a love story.”
Proper breakdown Middle8! Well done.
I can’t believe I’m listening to this I am so in agreement with you! I just became a Middle School Choir Teacherin half the kids don’t want to sing. I used MIA as a teaching point about the perception of minorities as a way to connect with a lot of low socioeconomic kids that have very traumatic lives. It is really ringing a bell with them and now you are giving at the justice of “art“ which is what I am starting off my class with teaching about the “art“ of fine arts. Thank you so much for this. I will be sharing it with my students!
That was a great analysis! Loved watching it.
ONE OF THE MOST UNDERRATED ARTISTS OF ALL TIME. Super talented ❤️ wish that she got more recognization past paper planes. Biggest fan till this day 🤗❤️🤞🏾
I appreciate a lot of old songs like this now more so when I can better understand what's being presented, it's like finding a crumpled dollar in your couch & it being a hundred dollar bill.
always loved this tune.. learned some new stuff today
Not only is this an excellent era-defining song, but the album it came from is solid from beginning to end.
I still remember the first time I heard it, in college, in 2008. It sounded SO FRESH. Sonically and texturally it sounded like nothing else I'd ever heard. Weird and catchy and abrasive and aggressive and simple and utterly effective.
Makes me nostalgic to thing back on that time. Every college house party I went to played this album at some point. Such good times....
She still the dopest... hope she puts out more in the future. "No one on the corner got swagger like us" flyest shit so fly it got put on the biggest rap song by the biggest rap lords on one track.
Perfectly said! Great job. I love Maya for always expressing truth and reality in her music. She is a voice for so many. The US is so bothered by how truthful and real she is. It’s sad but they’ve blacklisted and censored her. She’s the realist. 🔥🔥👏🏽
Well articulated. I think for more context, one can also look at the cultural impact that this song had on the industry, as you very rightly said - it was ahead of its time. Its been sampled by JayZ and Kanye as well. Its still one of the most recognisable hooks in music, total banger
Its quite sad that a lot of people think of MIA as a one hit wonder.
Agree for the most part but she herself sampled both the entire melody from the clash and the hook's flow from wreckx n effects. It was a catchy tune but most older hip hop and punk fans will immediately recognize that it sampled two classic songs.
omg this so is even more legendary after watching this!
such an incredible and unique artist .. one of the best to come out of the uk
Wow that's like god wanted them two to make a track together. That combat jack song having the same meaning behind their song as what she was dealing with is beyond coincidental.
I love her for years now! She’s the definition of creativity honestly
M.I.A. is what you get when you squeeze all of the political turmoil of the 2000s into an artist. Like how a gangsta speaks for the hood in their albums, she speaks for her rebels.
An album or even a song can be an experience, a door into one’s world, one’s mind. That’s probably the best thing about music. You’d get the texture better into audio that way.
One of my favorite MIA songs is XXXO. I can't believe it never got main stream attention, it's such good song with a nice melody and her voice in it is just amazing.
Been blazing sunshowers since it dropped won’t ever stop. Her sound is so amazing. There’s a neat mashup with push it by salt n pepa w/ sunshowers it has a fun broke down creepy carnival vibe that is ❤️🔥
Wow... this was unexpected.. but thanks for the look into a song
Never thought that paper planes had so much meaning behind it thanks for the video
Great content. Thanks!
Diplo was known just less so. Great video! I had no idea that M.I.A. has Tamil roots and lived amongst war. I always enjoyed a few of her songs including Paper Planes which led me here, but I have a greater appreciation and respect for her now. Thanks for researching and making this video. 😊
Love this song and love her. I’ve always enjoyed her music, definitely eclectic compared to what else is out there. Keep up the fight M.I.A ✊🏼
THIS IS WHY BROOKLYN TOOK TO PAPERPLANES. WHERE MOST WEST INDIAN/ CARIBBEAN IMMIGRANTS LIVE. TRUST ME IT WAS PLAYED THAT YEAR DURING THE WEST INDIAN DAY PARADE
Im from camden but its diverse lil pockets of the world like bk an newark like we grew up on this song
@@23_doesnt_care factz
Such a awesome era... This song was definitely the soundtrack to our lives. Thank you m.i.a.
two great, great albums, that me personally I just really liked the sound (the music) + the attitude .. but yea 100% true. Thank you, GREAT video history and culture and all. I didn't know half of this! (esp just which countries all those tracks were a shout out to)
Is it just me or is middle8's voice soo soothing
A fantastic song, layered and abstract yet premier in its perception.
I heard it first in FarCry3 game back in 2012 and still love it so much.
wow those editing & research skillz!!!
I've got Kala on vinyl. It's such a damn good album.
EDIT: 4:15 Haha, I've got Combat Rock on vinyl too!