#102 M.I.A., "Paper Planes"

I fly like paper, get high like planes
If you catch me at the border I got visas in my name
If you come around here, I make 'em all day
I get one down in a second if you wait

I never thought I'd love an M.I.A. song as much as I love the hazy summery "Paper Planes," but in a year in which M.I.A. could get a bigger hit in the U.S. than in the U.K.--assisted mainly by the song's perfect placement in the trailers for Seth Rogen and James Franco-featuring stoner flick Pineapple Express--anything became possible. A Clash-sampling song, "Paper Planes" may feature the politically and socially conscious lyrics expected of M.I.A., but she could have been singing just about anything and still got a hit out of this, as long as she kept the "All I wanna do is [triple gun shot] and [cash register sound]" part and the same lyrical flow. That's not to say you shouldn't listen to the lyrics, but let's face it, the majority of the people who downloaded this probably don't spend a moment thinking about them--the fact that the song can be appreciated whether you do or not, though, is a crossover pop accomplishment for M.I.A.

Find it on: Kala