Mia, also known as Pom Pom Squad, is an artist and songwriter who is originally from Florida, but now lives in NYC. Her new project, “Hate it Here” is an EP that gives on honest take on navigating relationships, the concept of home, and youth.

The move from her home to NYC definitely influenced her tape, and Mia went back to Florida for the summer of 2016. During that time she was able to decompress and deal with the move, “I wrote the whole thing in the summer after my first year living in NYC and I was just completely left in the dust by how much living in the city takes out of you.  You can’t really think — you kind of just go…When I went back home, I laid in my old bedroom for weeks just sort of processing what had happened. I finally had some time to from some semi-intelligent thoughts and that’s how I wrote ‘Hate it Here’ .”

In the visual, which just dropped, Pom Pom Squad teases the album creating three different colored scenes – all with different themes. One feels angelic and innocent, another is red and white and teases Valentine’s day and love. In Mia’s eyes, the visuals, collaborating with artists of other mediums, and how it’s going to look and sound when she performs it live is all salient to the success of her new project.

Mia’s authenticity is obvious in the music, which makes it a scary project to release in many ways, “It’s hard releasing something and just sort of letting the human tides sweep it up and do what they will with it,”. In being honest and upfront about both the highs and lows of her last year, and interpersonally reflecting, this project feels ballsy to release; on another side of the same coin, how real she is on this tape is what makes it so powerful and beautiful.

She also speaks to her inspiration, “Basically the EP is about liminal space, discontentment, and the idea that no matter where we are in life, we always find a way to ruin it for ourselves.” In sticking with the theme of artists being honest this year – looking at individuals like Kid Cudi and Frank Ocean – one can see how vulnerability is so moving and salient to positive change. Pom Pom Squad’s tape is taking a risk – and we can’t wait to hear it.

Photo Credits to Kamau Wainaina and Visual Credits to Georgia Krause

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Emerging from what seems to be another brief hiatus, MIA shares a brand new record titled, “Borders” that touches on politics, brutality, the privileged and more. Known for her rebel spirit and talking about what she wants when she wants on pop-friendly production, Maya remains true to her thought-provoking tactics to inform and enlighten her audience. Not sure if this is an official single from her forthcoming album Matahdatah, but if it is we’re ready for more.

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MIA is no longer missing in action in her high energy track “Can See Can Do.” The three minute track is EDM-infused, but’s it more than just a dance track. MIA stays true to her style by finding ways to insert deep innuendos while still being fun with it. Listen to the track below.

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M.I.A. is bringing it on her new track “Baby,” which is apparently an authorized leak.

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Either way, the William Orbit-produced song is dope. See for yourself.

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Baltimore’s own Blaqstarr, the man behind sounds for both Rye Rye and MIA, has released his track “She Is Love”. It’s a fun summertime jam that *should* give him the mainstream attention he deserves.

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