Over 8 months after its initial release as a video/single, M.I.A. "Paper Planes" has gone from something far too hot for corporate America — with a chorus punctuated by gunshots and lyrics about killing hostages and dealing drugs — to a #1 hit on MTV TRL. Surely helped along by its inclusion in the Pineapple Express marketing campaign — but, in typical stoner logic, omitted from the movie itself — it's an unexpected triumph and vindication for a song that's utterly undeniable [One listen should lodge at least one or two hooks in your head and possibly compel you to act all terrorist tough in your mommy's SUV or at daddy's pool]. As far as what happened with the initial controversy over M.I.A. refusing to allow a version to air without the song's gunshots, well, that seems to be have been brushed aside in the spirit of the "all I wanna do is take your money" chorus. Sometimes subversion requires a wee bit of compromise. --> watch "Paper Planes" (original edit) or the gunshot-redacted version at MTV.com (or, read the original Video Static review of the video from back in December 2007)
M.I.A. "Paper Planes" (Interscope)
Bernard Gourley, director/editor | Maryann Tanedo , producer | Immigrant Film, production co | Robin Frank Management, rep | Joe Maswell, DP | Baked Goods, vfx
