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Tell Me Why (M.I.A. song)

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"Tell Me Why"
Single by M.I.A.
from the album Maya
Released6 July 2010 (2010-07-06)
Recorded10 November 2009 (2009-11-10)
Genre
Length4:10
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Diplo
M.I.A. singles chronology
"Teqkilla"
(2010) 		"Tell Me Why"
(2010) 		"It Takes a Muscle"
(2010)

"Tell Me Why" is a song by British recording artist M.I.A. from her third studio album, Maya (2010). It was written by Maya "M.I.A." Arulpragasam, and Diplo, and production was handled by the latter.[1] The song was recorded at Red Bull Studios in Santa Monica, California on Diplo's birthday in 2009.[2] The producer admitted that "Tell Me Why" is his favorite song on the album, likening the track's sound to Wall of Sound and Motown.[3] The song incorporates elements of Sarah Lancaster's "The Last Words of Copernicus" as performed by the Alabama Sacred Harp Singers.[4] It was released worldwide as a digital download, under license to XL Recordings and N.E.E.T. Recordings, on 6 July 2010, as the fifth single from the album. No music video was made for the single, and M.I.A. has never performed it live.

Critical reception

[edit]

The track was met with mixed reviews from music critics. While some called it an "absolute beauty"[5] with a "super slick" production,[6] others were very critical towards the use of Auto-Tune.[7][8] Rap-Up and AllMusic picked the song as one of their highlights on the album.[9][10]

Track listing

[edit]
Digital download[11]
  1. "Tell Me Why" – 4:10

Release history

[edit]
Region Date Format Label
Worldwide 6 July 2010 Digital download, streaming XL Recordings, N.E.E.T. Recordings

References

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  1. ^ Maya (deluxe edition liner notes). M.I.A. N.E.E.T Recordings. 2010. XLCD497X.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  2. ^ Lynn Hirschberg (25 May 2010). "M.I.A.'s Agitprop Pop - NYTimes.com". www.nytimes.com. Retrieved 10 August 2016.
  3. ^ James Montgomery (23 March 2010). "M.I.A.'s New Album Is 'Weird' And 'Heavy,' Says Diplo - MTV". www.mtv.com. Archived from the original on 11 August 2016. Retrieved 10 August 2016.
  4. ^ Chris Tinkham (22 March 2012). "Bruce Springsteen: Wrecking Ball (Columbia) | Under the Radar - Music Magazine". www.undertheradarmag.com. Retrieved 10 August 2016.
  5. ^ "Track by Track: M.I.A.'s // / Y / - FACT Magazine: Music News, New Music". www.factmag.com. 23 June 2010. Retrieved 4 August 2016.
  6. ^ Dave Ruby Howe (8 July 2010). "M.I.A - // / Y /". fasterlouder.junkee.com. Archived from the original on 22 August 2016. Retrieved 10 August 2016.
  7. ^ Emily Bick (13 July 2010). "The Quietus | Reviews | MIA". thequietus.com. Retrieved 3 August 2016.
  8. ^ Matthew Perpetua (12 July 2010). "M.I.A.: / \ / \ / \ Y / \ Album Review | Pitchfork". pitchfork.com. Retrieved 3 August 2016.
  9. ^ "Review Roundup: M.I.A. – '/\/\/\Y/\' | Rap-Up". www.rap-up.com. 13 July 2010. Retrieved 10 August 2016.
  10. ^ Andy Kellman. "MAYA - M.I.A. | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". www.allmusic.com. Retrieved 10 August 2016.
  11. ^ "Tell Me Why - Single". iTunes. 6 July 2010. Retrieved 22 July 2016.
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