I-am-Rock

It’s been a dramatic, breakout year in the life of our favorite Sir Lankan agit-pop siren, and you could look at “Paper Planes” as a microcosm for all that madness. Before the ‘breakout’ — #9 Album, #4 Hottie — there was the ‘breakup,’ with producer and bf Diplo … but not before the couple memorably duetted on a nascent version of “Paper Planes” in one of the most adorably hip home videos we’ve seen all year. Fast forward months and take the track to Letterman for a live performance, wherein CBS replaced the percussive gunshots for some other weak popping noise, resulting in a pretty awkward nationally televised performance and a very pissed Arulpragasam (she complained to us shortly thereafter at ACL). And now, this. Via MayaSpace:

SO THEY TRIED TO SHUT ME DOWN AGAIN. I MADE THE PAPER PLANES VIDEO. I MADE IT HOW THEY WANTED. NO VIOLENCE. AMBIGUOUS. MTV - FRIENDLY. NOW TODAY, I CHECK YOUTUBE AND SEE THE LEAKED MTV PAPER PLANES VIDEO UP FOR THE FIRST TIME. I CLICKED ON IT AND OUT COMES THIS FUCKED UP MESS WITH DOUBLE-TRACKED BULLSHIT MESS

WHO THE THE FUCK IS DOING THIS TO ME?????

THE VIDEO WAS SABOTAGED FOR WHATEVER REASON AND IM DISAPPOINTED THAT MTV HAS HAD SUCH A MAJOR ROLE IN THIS. THE BLOGGERS WHO ARE LAZY ENOUGH TO FOLLOW THE MTV LINK AND POST UP AND COMMENT ON THE SOUND WHEN THAT HASNT BEEN COMPROMISED AND THE GUNSHOT ARENT REPLACED AND EDITED MAKES ME SAD. I DID FIGHT FOR THE SOUND , BECAUSE PUTTING MEANINGS IN YOUR VIDEOS, IN MY OPINION IS A DYING ART. I CAN FILM MY SELF ANYWHERE ANYTIME AND LET YOU KNOW THE TRUTH , BUT THE SONG IS WHAT I WANTED TO PRESERVE IN THIS CASE.But it’s all better now — the MTV version has been DMCA’s off YouTube, and the real, guns ‘n’ cash registers M.I.A.-approved iteration is here for your enjoyment. After all that build-up, the video’s really just eh, but look it is Maya’s day, so we shall celebrate. Vid and full MySpace vent session after the jump.

[Photo from ACL '07]

Fonte: Stereogum