It’s been tough to keep track of M.I.A.’s own personal Undulating Curve of Shifting Expectations, but, generally, the trajectory can be broken down into three distinct recent phases: Trufflegate; a post-Trufflegate backlash to the backlash; and the latest period, one we’ll now clumsily refer to as a quiet wait-and-see approach to the fact that Maya is palling around with Swizz Beatz. So while the world waits for whatever the next proper project is, here’s more proof (following “Bad Girls,” from the Vicki Leekx mixtape) that M.I.A. can still pull bangers out the back pocket. This one’s called “C.T.F.O.” — as in, Chill the Fuck Out — and comes via French producer and Ed Banger signee Sebastian’s imminent debut, Total. So is it a blunt message to the haters? Or just good, solid life advice?
