M.I.A. Turns in New Album; Has Visa Troubles

M.I.A. is finished with her new album, but its release date is uncertain.

On Monday (May 2), the British-born superstar said she finalized her upcoming fifth album Matahdatah, but couldn’t guarantee that it will be heard. “I am handing my last LP in to my American label this week,” she tweeted. “It’ll be up to them if its released. I don’t have visa 4 states to promote or spk!”

Not having a visa could impact her in other ways, of course. And M.I.A. is fully aware of that.

“Can’t tour the US without a visa- might have to start writing songs 4 Dj Khaled and Selene Gomez to get heard,” she joked.

https://twitter.com/MIAuniverse/status/727212460013408257

https://twitter.com/MIAuniverse/status/727218993296187392

The H&M spokeswoman has had visa troubles in the past. In 2013, for instance, Rolling Stone reported that M.I.A. couldn’t renew her U.S. visa because her “paperwork was insufficient.” This helped inspire her Kala effort.

“Suddenly, I was this citizen of the Other World,” she said. “Someone completely threatening and disgusting who, you know, might blow up the Super Bowl. ‘Oh no, she said the word ‘P.L.O.’ in a song!’ So [Kala] became about being an outsider voice.”

She has since returned to the U.S., but her visa troubles continue.

Matahdatah marks the follow-up to 2013’s Matangi, which debuted at No. 23 on the Billboard 200.