Music

M.I.A. samples The Lion King's 'The Circle of Life'

by Jesse Locke

M.I.A. has never shied away from iconic source material, with her 2007 hit “Paper Planes” sampling The Clash’s “Straight To Hell” and “Bamboo Banga” reconstructing The Modern Lovers’ “Roadrunner”. Now, she’s released a new tune flipping something that may be familiar to childhood memories of anyone who grew up in the 1990s:

M.I.A. delivered the border-crossing bangers “MIA OLA” and “Foreign Friend” together as a 1-2 punch. The first song samples the Elton John, Tim Rice, and Carmen Twillie composition. It might be without the permission of The Walt Disney Company because she’s also asked “pirates” to share it wherever they can before the track is shut down. “MIA OLA” and “Foreign Friend” are currently available as a free download in the SoundCloud player below.