M.I.A. - Arular
Critic Score
Based on 22 reviews
2005 Ratings: #6 / 512
User Score
2005 Rank: #63
Liked by 189 people
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CRITIC REVIEWS

100
AllMusic

The one key definite about Arular is that it's the best kind of pop album imaginable.

100
SPIN
If this is the sound of revolution, we're ready to posse up.
100
NOW Magazine
This highly anticipated debut album is so incredibly addictive that I'm literally hitting the play button again the second it ends.
91
Entertainment Weekly
This buzzworthy debut album by Sri Lankan refugee M.I.A., a.k.a. Maya Arulpragasam, is as instantly infectious as it is hard to pin down.
90
Tiny Mix Tapes

It's still too early to tell what the final fate of this little slice of brilliance will be. If she never crosses that bridge to pop success though, we'll always have a home for her on this side.

90
PopMatters
It’s an accessible album, but one containing challenging contrasts.
90
Gigwise
Missing In Action? No way – MIA has seen all the action and in ‘Arular’ she has an exemplary record to prove it.
86
Pitchfork

The closest thing to a truism about Arular is that it's a taut, invigorating distillation of the world's most thrilling music; a celebration of contradictions and aural globalization that recasts the tag "world music" as the ultimate in communicative pop rather than a symbol of condescending piety.

86
Coke Machine Glow

Arular beats out most everything I’ve heard this year in terms of creativity, energy, dance-ability and fun. It’s catchy, original in its mix of styles, and signals the entrance of an impressive talent onto the hip-hop scene.

80
The Irish Times
A great, inventive leap forward that could yet land her in any one of a dozen different places.
80
Q Magazine
M.I.A.'s style mag-cool pop-rap doesn't have the substance to carry the dark subtext of the title.
80
The Independent
Maya Arulpragasam, aka MIA, is a perfect example of Britain's mongrel musical culture, the way that our various styles and genres can't help but overlap, collide and interbreed, in a manner unimaginable in the strictly segregated American music scene.
80
Mojo

Arular's irresistible blend of crafty refugee chic and subversive digital skipping rhymes will do very nicely for the moment.

80
Uncut
M.I.A.'s vivid debut already sounds like a booty-shaking milestone to rank alongside The Streets and Dizzee Rascal.
80
The Guardian
M.I.A. are shrapnel-sharp dance music that demands to be heard.
80
Slant Magazine

Arular is a head-turning, head-bopping album that defies even that sweeping genre.

80
Rolling Stone

M.I.A.’s long-awaited full-length debut, Arular, is every bit as stunning as “Galang”: weird, playful, unclassifiable, sexy, brilliantly addictive.

80
No Ripcord

Arular is a fantastic amalgamation of dozens of styles, too many to be classified by one, perhaps even deserving of a whole new genre.

70
Paste
It’s not the mind-blowing masterpiece the critics are so dizzily carping about, but as a milepost of the current state of world electronica it remains strong throughout.
70
NME
There is a fatal flaw with 'Arular' which means it never makes the step up from 'solid debut' to all-time classic. MIA clears her throat, grabs your attention: and then has nothing to say.
nino21321312312
100

Her debut album and already she shows all of the potential in her style.

Arular is a trippy listen with the tone of genre blending such as Funk Brasileiro or Tamborzão.
The production competently uses the potential of these genres creating a fun and complex instrumental.
M.I.A.'s performance as always is extremely catchy and with a lot of political topics that can be interpreted.

Overall every track on this album is catchy creative and unique.

redbded
NR

8.5 - Amazing

I’ll start this like the Kala review.

This shit BANGS. Why didn’t I listen to this sooner?

My friend has been obsessed with this album over the past few months. He wanted to check out most of Fantano’s albums he featured on Classic Week, and this is the one he fell in love with the most. He’d talk about it a lot, with his discord profile picture becoming MIA as well. A month ago, I tried Kala, an album that really introduced me to the artist, and it was ... read more

Milosummers
100

Summer Listening Series: #18
I was intrigued by the album cover to listen to this album. I really like it and I think it’s kinda a perfect representation of the album. A bit of everything, everywhere but it just works. Each track has got a mix of layers percussion and electronic instruments, and no matter what she does with them it just seems to work perfectly. My only issue with this album is I found some of the hooks a bit annoying after a while.
Favourite track: Amazon

totallynotdaisy
96

M.I.A.'s debut record is actually quite amazing. I love her unique and personal sound that is unmatchable by any other.

Webzib
75

Really fun still sounds unique and cool all around. Sorta forgot stuff but the production was a but much sometimes or boring aswell as vocals.

80

Arular is a lot more enjoyable when the context becomes clear. Absolute banger.

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Track List

1Banana (Skit)
0:36
77
2Pull Up the People
3:45
79
3Bucky Done Gun
3:46
85
4Sunshowers
3:16
81
5Fire, Fire
3:27
79
6Dash the Curry (Skit)
0:40
77
7Amazon
4:16
79
8Bingo
3:12
79
9Hombre
4:02
79
10One for the Head (Skit)
0:29
76
1110 Dollar
4:01
85
12U.R.A.Q.T.
2:55
76
13Galang
3:33
84
14M.I.A
3:27
77
Total Length: 41 minutes
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