Galang (song)

"Galang"
"Galang"
Single by M.I.A.
from the album Arular
Released	2003 (limited edition); 25 October 2004 (Australia release); 1 November 2004 (UK re-release); 11 October 2005 ("Galang '05")
Recorded	2003
Genre	Dancehall; worldbeat; electronic;
Length	3:35
Label	XL Recordings; Interscope; Showbiz;
Songwriter(s)	Maya Arulpragasam; Justine Frischmann; Steve Mackey; Ross Orton;
Producer(s)	M.I.A.;
M.I.A. singles chronology

"Galang" is the debut single by British musician M.I.A. from her debut album Arular. It was released in 2003 on Showbiz Records which pressed 500 vinyl copies, gaining immediate international recognition via radio airplay, fashion shows, club rotations and internet filesharing. "Galang" was re-released on 1 November 2004 via XL Recordings as the second single from the album released by the label and was released for a third time as "Galang '05" on 11 October 2005 by the label and in the US by Interscope Records. It is written by Maya "M.I.A." Arulpragasam, Justine Frischmann, Ross Orton and Steve Mackey. It first appeared on M.I.A.'s six song demo tape in 2003, then on her official Myspace account on 9 June 2004 and was later reworked slightly by Orton and Mackey who received production credit for the song. "Galang" was the second song M.I.A. wrote on her Roland MC-505, intending for the piece to be performed by Frischmann's band Elastica. Inspired by her experiences and observations of life in London, M.I.A. wrote the song to encourage her friends in the band to continue to make music. However, after cowriting the song, Frischmann convinced M.I.A. to record "Galang" herself, complimenting the piece's lyrical narrative and music direction.

Musically, "Galang" is a dance-oriented midtempo song, combining elements of dancehall, electro, jungle, and world music. M.I.A.'s voice is heard in a whooping chant-like rap over polyrhythmic Roland MC-505 arrangements of beats, drums, claps and synths along the song's bassline. The word 'galang' comes from Caribbean slang word for 'go along', in the sense of 'behave'. The lyrics of the song are ambiguous, and could be interpreted differently by listeners, containing hidden innuendo to cannabis use, sex, and violence and references to songs such as "London Calling" and "Purple Haze". The song comments on a weed smoking young character in London, caught in street battles, paranoid and harassed by police while looking for work in the city. "Galang" was a major critical success amongst contemporary and older critics, who frequently hail its sound and lyrics as novel, reflective and ahead of their time. It charted in the UK and Canada and reached number 11 on the US Billboard Hot Dance Singles Sales.

The song's accompanying music video, directed by Ruben Fleischer and art directed by M.I.A. portrays the singer in several costumes roaming and dancing amidst stencils of her single artwork and images from her 2001 Alternative Turner Prize nominated exhibition, animated in the background. With the video, scholars note that multiple M.I.A.s appear against a backdrop of militaristic animated graffiti, utilising symbolism of urban Britain and war, tiger imagery and Tamil script stencils. The video was given vitality by the bold use of day-glo colour and her distinct design technique in the art, her costumes and music, triggering the new rave revolution upon its release. "Galang" appeared on several publications' lists of the best song of the year, decade and of all time. The song's rapid international propagation through radio, fashion shows and the internet along with "Sunshowers" made it one of the first viral phenomena in the modern age, and affirmed M.I.A as one of the first popstars of the digital age.

"Galang" has been covered by jazz pianist Vijay Iyer and is officially remixed by Serj Tankian and Dave Kelly, both appearing on the B-side of its 2005 reedition. The song has appeared in the feature film Pride and Glory, a commercial for Honda Civic and the television series Sherlock and Entourage. M.I.A. performed the song on Sen kväll med Luuk and Late Night with Conan O'Brien and performs the song on her concert tours, first on her Arular Tour and most recently the /\/\ /\ Y /\ Tour where it was well appreciated by fans. Hailed as one of M.I.A.'s defining tracks, her persona in the song has influenced numerous artists worldwide, led to M.I.A.'s acceptance by a generation who emulated her music, style and fashion, and cemented her position as a global indie music cultural icon.