M.I.A thinks the music industry has become "narrow and corporate".

M.I.A

M.I.A

The 42-year rapper has hit out at the current landscape of the music business, suggesting that there is a lack of room for creativity and individuality.

She explained: "Music has become so narrow and corporate. To be a famous singer, you can go to Brit School, you can go on 'X-Factor', or maybe you are born into it.

"It's not like bands often meet at school now and have a community spirit. I think music has become catalogue fodder, a corporate thing that when we bring Artificial Intelligence into it, for example, using holograms for tours, the human aspect is going to disappear even further."

The musician - who is of Sri Lankan Tamil origin - revealed that she simply followed the advice of other people as she pursued her career within the entertainment industry.

Speaking to the BBC, M.I.A - who previously dated American DJ Diplo - recalled: "When I came as a refugee to England everyone said 'become a pop star, that's the best thing you can do, that's 'it', so I did that. Then they said, 'move to Beverly Hills and marry a prince and be Cinderella' and I did that too.

"I have been constantly trying to find what 'it' is in my life and I think now it's just making work. I just like working. That's always what I've done.

"All the consequences of that - all the flak I've taken over the years - they've taught me about society and that feeds into the work I make."


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