Gunshots As Music In a Pop Song? The M.I.A. "Paper Planes" Controversy

This falls in the category of missing the point of the song as do most attempts at censorship. "Paper Planes," the breakthrough pop smash by British artist of Sri Lankan descent M.I.A., incorporates the sound of gunshots in the chorus to help underline the points being made in the song about images of immigrants. However, in various contexts, nervous TV censors decided that the gunshots were disturbing enough that they should not be heard by home audiences.

Last September when M.I.A. performed on the Late Show with David Letterman, the gunshots were replaced with popping sounds. Video of her performance shows M.I.A. obviously a bit disturbed with the selected sound. MTV's version of the "Paper Planes" video released last December also significantly altered the sounds including getting rid of the sound of gun cocking. This edited version of the sound of the video is the one still present on MTV's web site. Ironically, an explanation of the specific reasons for editing out gunshot sounds has not been forthcoming.

So...as "Paper Planes" heads into the US top 30, are we sensitive enough that the sounds of guns don't belong in a pop song? The shots are not gratuitous, and, in this listener's view, an essential part of the artistic expression in "Paper Planes." Check out the original version of the "Paper Planes" video below complete with gun shots and gun cocking.

Watch "Paper Planes."

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