M.I.A. – MAYA aka /\/\ /\ Y /\
M.I.A.'s MAYA aka /\/\ /\ Y /\ is due July 13th and will also be available in a 2 disc vinyl release. Interesting cover though it looks a bit unfinished.
I tell you, certain labels and/or publicists definitely have their Wikipedia game on. The MAYA Wikipedia entry even has a section titled "Promotion":
Several tracks from the album were made available online prior to its release. In January 2010, M.I.A. posted a video clip on Twitter, which featured a new song but revealed no information about it other than the heading "Theres space for ol dat I see" (sic).[29] The following day her publicist confirmed that the track was entitled "Space Odyssey" and had been produced in collaboration with Rusko in protest at a travel piece about Sri Lanka printed in The New York Times.[30] The track listing released in April suggests that the track will appear on the new album under the revised title "Space".[26]
At the end of April the track "Born Free" was released as a download, and a video to accompany the song, directed by Romain Gavras, was released.[31] The video provoked controversy due to its violent content.[13][32] Two weeks later, another new song, "XXXO", which Entertainment Weekly described as the "first official single" from her forthcoming album, was released online.[33] In mid-June the track "Steppin' Up" was played by Zane Lowe on BBC Radio 1 and a remix of "XXXO" featuring Jay-Z was posted online.[34] Both tracks were made available on iTunes the following week.[35][36] Two weeks later, "Teqkilla" became the fourth track from the album to be released on iTunes,[37][38] and "Tell Me Why" became the fifth on 6 July.[39]
M.I.A. will promote the album with a headline performance at The Big Chill in August 2010.
The new album was publicised during Jay-Z's performance at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in April, when a blimp flew across the venue announcing that M.I.A.'s new album would be released on 29 June 2010.[40] Although M.I.A. has not announced a tour to support the album, she will headline the HARD festivals in New York and Los Angeles in July, the Underage Festival in London and The Big Chill in Herefordshire in August, and perform at the Austin City Limits Music Festival two months later.
What would really scare me would be if the above excerpt from Wikipedia WASN'T written by a publicist or similar entity!
Available on iTunes:
M.I.A.
Related ProHipHop Coverage:
NY Times Reporter Hunts M.I.A. But Skewers Self
Janet Hansen: Giving Daft Punk, MIA and Kanye That Laser Look [Motherboard Interview]
