Paper Planes (M.I.A. song)

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Untitled

"Paper Planes" is the third single from M.I.A.'s second album Kala. It is written by Mathangi "Maya" Arulpragasam, Diplo, Joe Strummer and Mick Jones. The song was released on February 11, 2008.

Song information

It features a guitar riff sample from the song "Straight to Hell" by The Clash.[1] The song placed number 17 on the Triple J Hottest 100 of 2007. "Paper Planes" is played in the theatrical trailer for the film Pineapple Express starring Seth Rogen and James Franco.[2][3] The song has been covered by Rihanna and as the song "Tengazako" by Esau Mwamwaya.[4]

The song has been getting significant pop radio airplay and already getting some alternative radio airplay in the United States as of August 5.

Music video

File:MIA PaperPlanesVid.jpg
M.I.A. in the Paper Planes music video

A music video for the song was directed by Bernard Gourley.[5] Its planned premiere on TRL was December 17, 2007,[6] but it was made available on MTV's website two days earlier.[7]

This video is shot in the Bedford Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn. It was originally planned to be shot in a factory on the border of Ecuador, but was not due to M.I.A.'s time constraints while touring the U.S.[8]

In the video, several paper planes fly over New York City. M.I.A. appears as an immigrant who sells sandwiches from a van to several other New Yorkers. At the sound of the gunshots, quick shots of street signs, people, and restaurant signs appear. Mike D and Adrock of the Beastie Boys and Afrikan Boy make cameo appearances in the video. Paper Planes has peaked at #1 on MuchOnDemand's Daily Ten.

Remix EP

A remix of the song featuring tour mates Rye Rye and Afrikan Boy was uploaded to M.I.A.'s MySpace and another remix featuring Bun B and Rich Boy has also circulated. On February 11, 2008, an EP containing remixes of "Paper Planes," titled Paper Planes - Homeland Security Remixes was released digitally on 7digital. This included the above remixes, as well as a remix by DFA, Scottie B, and a remix of the Kala track "Bamboo Banga" by DJ Eli. On February 12, 2008, the EP was made available for digital download on iTunes in the US. The tracklisting differed slightly, with the Bamboo Banga remix replaced with a remix of "Paper Planes" by Adrock. A physical 12" vinyl release of the EP was released on March 24 2008.

Controversy

M.I.A. performed a censored version of the song on the Late Show with David Letterman on September 21, 2007. The song's gunshots were replaced with ambiguous "popping" sounds, which left her visibly surprised during the performance.

The version released by MTV in December and the version uploaded to M.I.A.'s YouTube account differ greatly. In the MTV version, M.I.A.'s vocals are doubled, the gun sounds are replaced with the same ambiguous popping sounds, the gun cocking sound is replaced with a cash register sound, and the word weed is removed. Following general fan disapproval of the leaked MTV version of the video, M.I.A. stated in a MySpace blog entry on December 16, 2007 that MTV's decision to change the sound disappointed and angered her; she felt that the video she had recorded for the song was already much more safe and mainstream than her regular videos.[8] She said "To the bloggers who are lazy enough to follow the MTV link and post up and comment on the sound when that hasn't been compromised...makes me sad...the song is what I wanted to preserve in this case."[8] She also referenced the Late Show performance, stating that what she had originally heard and agreed to in a sound check to replace the gunshot sounds was different from what was played at the taping.[8] M.I.A.'s two previous singles "Galang" and "Sunshowers" also faced censorship controversies with MTV upon release.

Sri Lankan rapper Delon accused M.I.A of promoting the aims of the Sri Lankan separatist by using images of the tiger and discussing violence in her lyrics in a YouTube video, in which he rapped over Paper Planes while showing graphic images of violence connected to the Tamil Tigers. M.I.A, however, denied the allegations claiming that her music is the voice of civilian refugee. She further claimed that she was not willing to discuss with someone who is looking for self-promotion.[9][10]

Track listings and formats

Charts

The song "Paper Planes" charted soon after its release, on charts in the U.S. and Canada. In early to mid June, the song charted on the Chilean and Belgian singles charts. Its use in trailers for the film Pineapple Express prompted the track to rebound on the US charts in July 2008, entering the Billboard Hot 100 chart for the first time, at position 55, with 42,000 downloads. It then jumped from 36 to 16, then to 5 (its current position as of August 14, 2008), to become the singer's first Billboard Hot 100 top 5, which of course is her biggest hit to date.[13] It continues gathering additional airplay on Mainstream, Pop, and Alternative stations.

Chart (2008) Peak
Position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[14] 5
U.S. Billboard Pop 100[14] 16
U.S. Billboard Hot Modern Rock[14] 28
U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Singles Sales[15] 1
U.S. Billboard Pop 100 Airplay[16] 58
U.S. Billboard Hot Digital Songs[17] 2
Canadian Hot 100[18] 28
Chilean Singles Chart[19] 33
Belgian Singles Chart[20] 18
Italy Radio Deejay 50 Songs 8
United World Chart 34

References

  1. ^ Alex Wagner (2008-08-07). "Life in Exile". The Fader. Retrieved 2007-10-20.
  2. ^ "Pineapple Express: Theatrical trailer". Internet Movie Database. Amazon.com. Retrieved 2008-07-10.
  3. ^ Jonathan Foerster (2008-06-12). "We've got the soundtrack to your summer". Naples Daily News. E. W. Scripps Company. Retrieved 2008-07-10.
  4. ^ "Esau Mwamwaya, "Tengazako" (MIA's "Paper Planes")". The Fader. 2007-08-06. Retrieved 2008-07-10.
  5. ^ ""Video Static: Music Video News: Immigrant Films"". BOOKED: M.I.A. - Bernard Gourley, director. Retrieved 2007-10-20.
  6. ^ Tour Dates And News
  7. ^ Music Video. MTV.
  8. ^ a b c d blog.myspace.com/mia. "PAPER PLANES VIDEO" (2007-12-16). Retrieved on 2007-12-17.
  9. ^ [1]
  10. ^ [Singer MIA denies terror support
  11. ^ M.I.A. • Paper Planes - Homeland Security Remixes. 7Digital.
  12. ^ M.I.A. • Paper Planes - Homeland Security Remixes. XL Recordings. Retrieved 2008-03-03
  13. ^ http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/charts/chart_display.jsp?g=Singles&f=The+Billboard+Hot+100
  14. ^ a b c Billboard.com - Artist Chart History - M.I.A.
  15. ^ Billboard- Updated Album Charts from the most Trusted Music Magazine
  16. ^ [2]
  17. ^ http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/charts/chart_display.jsp?g=Singles&f=Hot+Digital+Songs
  18. ^ Billboard Canadian Hot 100 - Paper Planes
  19. ^ Chilean Singles Chart. Issue date: July 5, 2008. Retrieved on June 24, 2008.
  20. ^ Ultratop (Belgian Singles Chart) M.I.A. - PAPER PLANES. Issue date June 14, 2008.
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