M.I.A.

Mathangi "Maya" Arulpragasam (Tamil:┬áÓ««Ó«¥Ó«ñÓ«[]Ó»ìÓ«[]Ó«┐ 'Ó««Ó«¥Ó«»Ó«¥' Ó«[]Ó«░Ó»üÓ«│Ó»ìÓ«¬Ó«┐Ó«░Ó«[]Ó«¥Ó«[]Ó««Ó»ì, M─ütaß╣[]ki 'M─üy─ü' Aruß©Àpirak─ücam┬á?; born 18 July 1975), better known by her stage name M.I.A. (both a play on her name and abbreviation for Missing in Act(i)on), is a British singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer, painter and director of Sri Lankan Tamil descent. Her compositions combine elements of hip hop, electronica, dance, alternative and world music. M.I.A. began her career in 2000 as a visual artist, filmmaker and designer in West London before beginning her recording career in 2002. Since rising to prominence in early 2004 for her singles "Sunshowers" and "Galang", charting in the UK and Canada and reaching number eleven on the Billboard Hot Dance Singles Sales in the United States of America, she has been nominated for an Academy Award, two Grammy Awards and the Mercury Prize. She released her debut album Arular in 2005 and second album Kala in 2007 to wide critical acclaim. Her debut album charted in Norway, Belgium, Sweden, Japan and the USA, where it reached number 16 on the Billboard Top Independent Album Chart and number 3 on the Dance/Electronic Albums Chart. Kala was certified silver in the United Kingdom and gold in Canada and the United States, where it topped the Dance/Electronic Albums Chart. It also charted in several countries across Europe, in Japan and Australia. The album's first single "Boyz" reached the top ten in Canada and on the Billboard Hot Dance Singles Sales in 2007, eight places higher than "Galang", becoming her first top-ten charting single. The single "Paper Planes" achieved much commercial success, peaking in the top twenty worldwide and number four on the Billboard Hot 100. "Paper Planes" has been certified Gold in New Zealand and three times platinum in Canada and the US where, as of November 2011, it is ranked the 59th most downloaded song in the digital era. It has become her label XL Recordings best selling single to date. M.I.A.'s third album Maya...