It’s an exciting weekend in Los Angeles. PopShift Holi is tomorrow and the Oscars are on Sunday, both stacked with South Asian talent this year. We also continue our Women’s History Month celebrations by highlighting some dope women artists.

— Rosh

M.I.A., the Original “Bad Girl”

When Mathangi Arulpragasm started self-producing her eclectic blend of world and electronic music as M.I.A., she had no idea those sounds would go on to influence the cultural and musical landscapes today, nearly two decades after her debut album.

M.I.A. broke social boundaries with her politically charged lyrics, largely inspired by her family’s long involvement in Tamil resistance movements against the Sri Lankan government. Especially in the early 2000s, it was groundbreaking to see a South Asian woman boldly speaking out against political systems.

Who can forget the 2007 global hit "Paper Planes," with its almost 600M Spotify streams? Its themes of immigration and violence struck a chord with audiences worldwide and was featured across award-winning films, shows, and commercials. The song was also sampled by Jay-Z and TI in “Swagga Like Us.”

Even if you think you’re unfamiliar with M.I.A.’s work, you’ve heard, or at least seen, its influence. The impact of her unique sound, which fuses traditional instruments like tabla and dhol with hip-hop and electronic beats, has been incorporated by numerous artists today.

This is in addition to her visually stunning aesthetics. M.I.A.’s Grammy nominated music video for her provocative single, “Bad Girls,” was revolutionary and lauded by critics for its production value and concept. Heralded for its creative feminist statement, the video portrays women in the niqab driving cars, an act strictly prohibited for women in Saudi Arabia, where the video is presumably set. Since then, we’ve seen numerous artists credit M.I.A. for their own intentionally curated videos.

M.I.A. just released her sixth studio album, “MATA,” in October, following the success of her 2020 single with Travis Scott, “Franchise.”

WatchList: J. Maya and Her Innovative Lyrics

If ancient Greek poets made R&B music, we have a feeling it would sound like J. Maya.

Janani Krishnan-Jha, aka J. Maya, is a Harvard graduate and international pun champion. Her talent for clever lyricism has earned her instant praise. Leaning heavily on puns and wordplay, J.Maya’s lyrics relate the woes of modern dating to ancient Greek myths. Her song “Achilles Heel” has over 13M streams.

While her latest EP, “Poetic License,” doesn’t reference as many historical stories, she still experiments with language, bending it to create engaging musical narratives.

Lyrics such as “What's a nine-letter word for how you feel?/There's a 'U' and 'I' together, but it's missing a few letters/Is it misguided or disguised as something real?” have multiple hidden meanings, creating an opportunity for fans to decipher her message. This particular song, “Sunday Crossword,” is an actual crossword that listeners can solve.

@j.mayamusic

watching her try to decipher the crossword in her head was quite the time 🥲🧩🕺 (also, “sunday crossword” drops this thursday at midnight!!!... See more

You’ll have to listen to her lyrics carefully if you want to catch all of the intricate puns and references she makes throughout. If you need some clues, you can watch her PopShift Subtxt below.

FINAL CHANCE: POPSHIFT HOLI is Tomorrow in Downtown LA

POPSHIFT HOLI, presented by Toyota, will take place on March 11 in Downtown Los Angeles. Come through for music performances by AJ WAVY, KHANVICT, PDNY, RAAGINDER, and SANJOY. 

• What to Wear: All White

• When: March 11 2:00 PM - 8:00 PM PST

• Where: 802 Mateo Street Los Angeles, CA 90021

South Asian Talent at the Oscars on Sunday

What is nominated?

• “All That Breathes” for Best Documentary Feature

• “The Elephant Whisperers” for Best Documentary Short Film

• “Stranger at the Gate” for Best Documentary Short Film

• “Naatu Naatu” for Best Original Song (from “RRR;” Music by M.M. Keeravaani; Lyrics by Chandrabose)

• “All Quiet on the Western Front” for Best Visual Effects (Kamil Jafar as SFX Supervisor)

What are some moments we can look forward to?

• Lilly Singh is co-hosting the “Countdown to the Oscars.”

• Deepika Padukone and Riz Ahmed are presenting awards.

• The live performance of “Naatu Naatu” will will feature singers Rahul Sipligunj and Kaala Bhairava.

@nickjonas

Let’s get it! ”Maan Meri Jaan (Afterlife)” with King is out now!

New Music Releases

• Nick Jonas released a track “Mann Meri Jaan” with King, a remix of King’s original.

• Raf Saperra released his debut mixtape “Ruff Around The Edges.”

• Sanj released a new track “Too Much Noise.”

Other Notable News

• Raveena is on the Outside Lands lineup.

• Tesher is competing in the Family Feud Canada celebrity special.

• Hasan Minhaj is starring in “The Riddler: Secrets in the Dark,” a new DC podcast series by Spotify.

• Priyanka Chopra Jonas is starring in a new Amazon Prime original series “Citadel.”

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Written by Saumya Monga and Roshni Rekha
Edited by Raghu Alla and Roshni Rekha