M.I.A. - Arular

Arular is the debut studio album by British musician M.I.A., originally released in March 2005 via XL Recordings.

M.I.A. (an initialism for both "Missing in Action" and "Missing in Acton"), is a British rapper, record producer, and singer. Her music combines elements of alternative, dance, electronic, hip hop and world music, with electronic instruments and samples.

M.I.A. wrote or co-wrote all the songs on Arular, 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.

Arular spawned the singles "Sunshowers", "Bucky Done Gun" and "Galang".

This double album 2LP record set is a 2023 reissue on black vinyl housed in a gatefold sleeve, pressed in Europe via XL Recordings.