M.I.A. takes on the refugee crisis in provocative new music video for 'Borders'

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m.i.a borders

M.I.A

M.I.A. takes on the global refugee crisis with a self-directed video for her recently released single, "Borders."

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The new video features M.I.A. joining refugees as they climb barbed-wire fences, wade in the water, and cram together on small boats.

At one point, bodies on the fence spell out "life."

Lyrics in the chorus ask some pointed questions, though she never repeats the same one twice. Some include: "Borders, what's up with that? Identities, what's up with that? Your privilege, what's up with that? Freedom, what's up with that?"

The song will appear on M.I.A.'s fifth album, "Matahdatah." No release date has been announced yet.

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M.I.A tweeted a link to the video this morning, along with a dedication to her Uncle Bala, who she said was "one of the first Tamil migrant [sic] to come to the UK in the 60s."

Watch the full music video on Apple Music below:

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