M.I.A. "Paper Planes"

Nothing gets young people fired up like a song that's a middle finger to The Man, and in the summer of 2008, "Paper Planes" could be heard from pretty much every radio controlled by a teenager or 20-something.

The lyrics are about M.I.A.'s displeasure with Americans' perception of migrant workers, but the message could get lost behind its rather stripped-down arrangement and the ultra-catchy chorus, featuring some of the best-timed sound effects in a song you'll ever hear.

On first listen, it might come across as a girl-power song, but it's more of a power-to-the-people song.

A career boundary-pusher, M.I.A. gained enough notoriety from "Paper Planes" and its album, Kala, Madonna invited her to perform during her Super Bowl XLVI halftime show. At the end of her routine in what is widely considered one of the best halftime shows ever, M.I.A. flipped-off the camera, leading to one of the NFL's weirdest legal entanglements.

Location: Michigan, USA

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