Yesterday, we told you M.I.A was about to release an exclusive audio-visual project. The six-minute video has now been released through Apple Music and it’s epic, to say the very least. It contains extraordinary visuals, as well as a new song Swords that will be featured on her new album Matahdatah.

In her self-directed short film, M.I.A allows us to take a trip to both West Africa and India for a colourful, thrilling adventure in Matahdatah Scroll 01 Broader Than a Border. It opens with a group of young girls holding their swords in a circle, balancing some flowers in the middle. The sounds of slashing swords harmonise in the background as they lift their swords in union, causing flower petals to launch into the air and fall on the floor. The badass vibe continues as the song begins and they start to dance, yielding their swords. The video contains pole twirling atop of horses, M.I.A meditating, symbols made of fire, beautiful landscapes and so much more.

The amazing new song has an incredible India-inspired medley that sets the scene for what we are about to see. “My new song ‘Swords’ was filmed in a Temple in India and we recorded the clang of the metal to make the beat at the same time as shooting these incredible girls,” M.I.A says in a statement.

One of her songs from her previous album Matangi is also featured for the part of the video that was shot in Africa. “‘Warriors’ was shot in Cote d’Ivoire with a guy I saw in a YouTube video doing the most incredible dancing. I tracked down that exact guy, flew out there and played him the ‘Warriors’ track. He did his thing for me. He is a spiritual warrior and communicates through dancing. It’s a lifelong commitment for him to be the designated spiritual body that channels that dance.”

She previously voiced concerns about the issue of cultural appropriation, which is something she has had to deal with after it featured Muslim women in Bad Girls who were described as “video decor”. Azealia Banks told her the choice was all hers.

The good news is, it sounds like there’s more to come. “There’s 10 more of these countries coming and I haven’t chased where to go yet, so who knows where this project will take me.”

This video is a must-see, so please check it out. You can also re-watch Bad Girls down below.

For what is now the second time, London rapper M.I.A has come under question regarding the appropriation of another culture in her music videos. However, this time, there isn’t actually a video to scrutinise – or at least, not one that anyone outside her label has seen. Yesterday, MIA (Mathangi Arulpragasam,) took to Twitter to express her frustration with the situation, stating that her record label had pulled her video from release simply because it was “shot in Africa”.

No stranger to controversy, M.I.A has a track record of pissing people off – but also (and certainly more importantly) for getting them to think. Flipping off the crowd at the Superbowl and being denied entry into the US aside, she’s always made use of politically charged content (both lyrically and visually) and has been known to go for the shock factor. Her music videos are where all these thing culminate. Born Free saw what was basically the genocide of male redheads, while Bad Girls sparked a controversy all its own.

Following its release, questions arose surrounding the appropriateness of M.I.A’s video for Bad Girls. On one hand, it seemed be a particularly of feminist piece commentary about women in Saudi Araba (with particular reference to the driving ban enforced). However, on the other, the video appeared to perpetuate stereotypes of the Arab world. Also, the video wasn’t even shot in Saudi Arabia, but rather, in Morocco.

Fast forward to 2015 and it looks as though M.I.A’s label (Interscope) isn’t taking any chances, having pulled her video before it’s even been released. There is little to no information on the song itself, but it is said to have taken two years to track down the dancer the video showcases in a one-take shot set. Yesterday, M.I.A took to Twitter to express her frustration with the situation and also to prompt an important, much needed discussion, with Azealia Banks having since joined the conversation.

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Whether or not M.I.A is guilty of cultural appropriation here is (obliviously) not a comment one can make without actually seeing the video. However, there is certainly a difference between celebration and appropriation, and the description of the video makes it seem a far cry from the Taylor Swifts, Katy Perrys and Iggy Azealea‘s (and hey, maybe even the M.I.As of 2012) of the world.

Friday means one thing and one thing only here at Howl & Echoes – playlist day! We have spent all week compiling this week’s best releases and narrowing it down to just 10 songs we think you need to hear. This week, there’s a lot going on. We’ve got Canberra’s Safia, the tragically beautiful track from Szymon, and a Cyril Hahn take on a Caribou classic, as well as a bit of hip hop from JayCee, MIA, Bon Voyage, and another Notorious BIG mashup. In between all that you can be taken away to a dreamier place with Genghar or Sofi de la Torre, and get down to an amazing cover by Winter Islands. Enjoy!

1. Safia – Counting Sheep

This track is a bit strange, as is to be expected with Safia. Dramatic, dynamic and infectious, these three guys know how to make a good dance track, and Counting Sheep is no exception! Following along similar lines from their eerie Paranoia, Ghosts & Other Sounds, this track is a little spooky but so groovy and fun it doesn’t matter!

2. Szymon – Golden

This is a special track. Szymon wrote a series of tracks in his bedroom in 2008, but it wasn’t until his tragic loss in his battle with depression that they were to see the light of day. Eloper Music and his family joined forces to release his beautiful songs, and so they should. Golden is lovely, smooth and definitely deserves your time.

3. JayCee – Vibe

This is one of the smoothest hip hop tracks I’ve heard in a while.The sparse, relaxed production allows the lyrics to take centrestage, with the beautiful vocals of Naomi Lee paired with the chilled out rhymes of JayCee. This has sunny afternoons written all over it.

4. Gengahr – Haunter

Gengahr have just supported Alt-J and Wolf Alice, so already you know they must be good. Haunter is a beautifully delicate track; hazy and emotive with fragile vocals and acoustic guitars. Keep an eye out for these guys, as they continue to capture hearts at SXSW, then support Circa Waves and The Strokes – definitely ones to watch!

5. Sofi de la Torre – That Isn’t You

Alternative R&B is quickly becoming one of the most popular genres in music at the moment, meaning it takes something extra special to standout. Spanish singer-songwriter Sofi de la Torre is exactly this. That Isn’t You is lifted from her forthcoming EP out next month, and I cannot wait for that to drop. This sultry, emotional track features powerful production full of skittering percussion, swirling lasers, whistles and swelling synths. Sublime.

6. Winter Islands – Don’t Let Go (En Vogue Rework)

This En Vogue track is definitely a guilty pleasure/go to karaoke tune for me, so to hear it reworked by Winter Islands in such a way makes me very happy indeed! They’ve made it explosive, with booming drums and soaring guitars, as well as vocals delivered with almost as much passion as me during my karaoke performance.

7. Caribou – Second Chance (Cyril Hahn Edit)

Caribou had one of the most critically acclaimed releases of 2014, with each track on his Our Love album an example of bar raising electronica. It takes a brave soul to step up to the plate to remix this legend, but Cyril Hahn took it upon himself, and spun Second Chance into a slowed down and more soulful, sweeping number. He’s definitely done it justice.

8. Bon Voyage – Booshie

This track is so much fun. Lots of bass, cheeky lyrics and light synths make for a seriously contagious track from this fresh new three piece. “Booshie” is to consider oneself to be above everyone else, and if Bon Voyage are making tracks like this I would say that belief is justified. I’ve had “She way too good for that” stuck in my head for two days now.

9. MIA – CanSeeCanDo

I fucking love MIA, and I’m so glad she is back to her good old angry as hell self. CanSeeCanDo marks the return of her politically charged dance tracks, where her messages of global politics are thinly veiled by immediately likeable and accessible dance music. There was a brief stage where, with the release of her 2013 release Matangi, she was told her music was too dark. This surprise track was accompanied by the SoundCloud description, “DEMOCRACY CONVERSATIONS ! TAMILS ARE STILL WAITING! AND NO MY BEATS ARE NOT BETTER WITHOUT MY POLITICX” so it’s safe to say she’s back, and ready to tear the world a new one!

10. Terry Urban – Who Shot Papi (Prod. Chi Duly) Notorious B.I.G x FKA twigs mashup

We’ve covered the first release of this mashup series, as well as the whole damn album Terry Urban dropped this week, so this track is included merely as an indicator of what has been on repeat for me for the past 5 days. Who would have thought Papi Pacify would be so well suited to Who Shot Ya? The whole album is a dream I didn’t know I’d had come true, and this little number is a definite stand out.