“Bring the Noize” with M.I.A. featuring holy-cows, coconuts & idol worship!

M.I.A. has spent her career being different. She drops the official video for “Bring The Noize”, an introductionto her upcoming album “Matangi”. Bring The Noize is another over the top, sensational, genre-bending, Hindu-touting, politically-flavored video. Love it or hate it, you’re definitely going to watch it more that once.

Matangi, M.I.A.’s real name, is actually a Hindu word from Mathangi, meaning goddess of music and word. Setting the stage for “Matangi”, the video for “Bring the Noize,” uses familiar symbols of Hinduism that are less familiar to Western audiences. It starts with devotional singing, chopped and screwed into the noisy beat, and looped around images of sacred cows; breaking coconuts; the OM symbol in brilliant colors; ritual “washing” from holy fire (with smoke machines, natch). She dances, bejeweled around rows of mostly male worshipers, who have removed their shoes and dressed all in white.

There’s a holy purpose in all the topis, turbans, and the wild Western spin on traditional fashion: in the words from her Facebook page,

“GODDESS OF WORD BITCHES IMA KEEP IT BANGING.”

“Bring The Noize” introduces M.I.A as a goddess-among-men in style, as an icon of worship. It’s at least an intriguing watch, playing with cultural unfamiliarity within familiar fashion and art. Whether she’s empowering or entirely full of sh*t, M.I.A. as a female, Tamil-descended Hindu-practicing Desi music artist knows what it is to be marginalized, and busts that experience open in an exciting, fun song.

“Matangi” is due some time this fall. Watch the video below. Do you like it?