Sometimes it pays to be bad. Seems like British recording artist M.I.A. is always flipping someone off.  Her latest cry of bad girl BADNESS at this year’s Super Bowl, where her middle finger made more of a stir than even her performance.

It was no surprise here at E.O.F. when that illicit middle finger jumped to attention at the end of her verse for Madonna’s single, “Give Me All Your Luvin”, that featured her with fellow female hip-hop star, Nicki Minaj.

After all, M.I.A. has been paving the way for “bad girls” everywhere for nearly a decade now. Did nobody listen to her rap during the song: “I’mma say this once, yeah, I don’t give a shit” ?!!

For nearly a decade now she’s been conquering the landscape for bad girls everywhere.

A little swag, a pop of colour- trust M.I.A. to get it done.

It had been a while since she had exploded on the scene with her dynamic sound. A cool mix of afro, indo, elctro, alternative, and hip hop sound- she is definitely one of the true artists of the past ten years, who also  gives a distinct new definition to “World Music”.

More than that, M.I.A. is a constant activist. From genocide in Sri Lanka, to Palestine, and even African Americans in the U.S., M.I.A. is not one to sit idly on the sidelines as the world shatters before her feet. Not just that, but M.I.A. is a warrior of free speech, and an enemy to censorship and oppression. We’re dealing with a woman of power and action, and is that so bad?

With her latest music video “Bad Girls”, M.I.A furthers her frontier as a woman of power and action. The video transforms the rubble and ruin of the desert into a rapper’s paradise.

Rebel women in animal printed silks, vivacious neon, and drag racing desert gangsters. While the song is called “Bad Girls” it’s really about EMPOWERMENT and LIBERTY.

“Bad Girls” are not as much Bad, as they are Free.

All around the world it seems women are taking action into their own hands.

With 55% of the workforce in America being female, and the recent uprisings in the Middle East by women’s rights activists, it seems more and more ladies are grabbing destiny by the balls, and are not afraid to fight for it!

For so long, women’s roles have been dedicated to cleaning the house and caring for the family, and more and more these roles are being switched or lost altogether.

Living in North America it is easy for us to forget the unique advantage we have over our predecessors; things like microwaves, electric irons, food processors, toasters, vacuums, dishwashers, washing machines, television, computers, and cell phones have made our world a much easier place, and have contributed a hundred-fold to the advances in our society towards women’s rights.

However, the concept of “freedom” extends far beyond the idea of voting or going to work. While women have gained so many freedoms, women in nations such as Egypt and Iraq are fighting for their everyday rights and liberties.

Recently Aliaa Magda Elmahdy, a 20 year old media student drop-out from Cairo, posted nude pictures of herself on a personal blog in “screams against a society of violence, racism, sexism, sexual harassment and hypocrisy”- her bold action, in a country that deeply frowns against nudity of any sort, has started an outrage amongst both liberals and conservatives who do not know what to make of her actions. (for more)

Many fundamentalists accused her of being “mentally sick” and urged for her arrest. Others, agree that while her actions sudden, the immediacy of her art and message are powerful and signifying change all over the Middle East.

As Aliaa boldly stated on her blog to all naysayers:

“Hide all art books and smash naked archaeological statues…Then take off your clothes and look at yourselves in the mirror, then burn your body that you so despise to get rid of your sexual complexes forever, before subjecting me to your bigoted insults or denying my freedom of expression.”

Fiesty. Looks like a little M.I.A. has seeped into her.

While M.I.A. surely isn’t the first “Bad Girl” to hit the scene, we have to salute the Rebel Queen for defending the things that should value most: human life, liberty, freedom of expression, and love. Sometimes you have to be ‘bad’ to get your point across.

Living in such a noisy society,  it’s easy to get lost in the chaos.  So take it on yourself to ask what matters most to you, and to a better tomorrow. Then flip the bird, and promise you’ll fight for it! You are Supersonic! Like Uranium!

Enjoy the pictures. They are a collection of things we really thought brought out the best ideas of M.I.A.’s ultra-wicked new music video. Visit her site for more details.

Sincerely,
-The Eye x

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