Arular

Arular
Studio album by M.I.A.
Released	22 March 2005 (2005-03-22)
Recorded	Mid-2003 – 2004; West London
Genre	World[1][2] hip hop[3] dancehall[4] dance[1]
Length	38:06
Label	XL Interscope
Producer	Paul Byrne Diplo KW Griff Richard X Switch Anthony Whiting Wizard
M.I.A. chronology
Piracy Funds Terrorism Volume 1 (2004) Arular (2005) Kala (2007)
Singles from Arular
"Galang" Released: 2003 "Sunshowers" Released: 5 July 2004 "Bucky Done Gun" Released: 11 July 2005

Arular is the debut studio album by British recording artist M.I.A. It was released on 22 March 2005 in the United States, and one month later in the United Kingdom, with a slightly different track listing. In 2004, the album's release was preceded by two singles and a mixtape. M.I.A. wrote or co-wrote all the songs on the album, while collaborators included Justine Frischmann, Switch, Diplo, Richard X, Ant Whiting and Greg "Wizard" Fleming.

The album's title is the political code name used by her father, Arul Pragasam, during his involvement with Sri Lankan Tamil militant groups, and themes of conflict and revolution feature heavily in the lyrics and artwork. Musically, the album incorporates styles that range from hip hop and electroclash to dancehall, baile funk, and punk. M.I.A. created the basic backing tracks using a Roland MC-505 sequencer/drum machine given to her by long-time friend Frischmann.

Arular was lauded by critics for its blending of styles and integration of political lyrics into dance tunes. It was nominated for the Mercury Prize in 2005 and was included in the 2005 edition of the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. Although it only reached number 98 on the UK Albums Chart and number 190 on the US Billboard 200, several publications named it as one of the best albums of the year. By early 2010, the album had sold 190,000 copies in the US, Arular spawned the singles "Sunshowers", "Bucky Done Gun" and "Galang", which was released twice.