It’s been six year since M.I.A. released her fifth studio LP AIM, which originally contained 12 songs and collaborations alongside Blaqstarr, Skrillex, Zayn, Polow da Don, and more. Some months after its initial release, a deluxe edition of AIM brought forth five additional tracks, including Diplo‘s remix of the standout “Bird Song.” Since then, the British star has continued to deliver loose cuts for fans to enjoy, including “P.O.W.A.,” “Damascus,” “Goals,” “ISIS,” “Reload,” “CTRL,” and “Babylon” — she also contributed to songs like N.E.R.D‘s “Kites,” Belly’s “Immigrant,” Cadenza’s “Up Inna,” and Travis Scott’s “FRANCHISE.”
Last week, M.I.A. returned with another new single titled “The One,” which sees production from T-Minus, Rex Kudo, Charlie Handsome, and Heavy Mellow. The track mainly sees her opening up about her spiritual beliefs:
“Head for the gate, art in the Tate, I’m the thing that sons imitate, you can’t stop the fate, stop the weight, lock away, deny the debate relevant to the day, when you’re tryna find the one, why do you need reminding? No matter how you look at it, it’s me you keep findin’, tryna find the one, what you’re seekin’ ain’t hidin’, tryna find the one, it’s me you keep findin’…”
In a recent interview with Zane Lowe, M.I.A. further explained the meaning behind “The One”:
“I guess [“The One”] is just about sticking to what you are and the truth. I think, at the end of the day, that is also what this record is about to me, is still trying to find truth. In a way, it’s kind of rebellious, because everybody’s expecting me to put out that really havoc … Everyone’s expecting that, but it’s not, that’s not what it is. It’s about the battle of the ego versus you finding yourself and you finding the spiritual leader.”
Press play on the music video for “The One” below. The song is expected to appear on M.I.A.‘s forthcoming album MATA.