- Jimmy (song)
Infobox Single
Name = Jimmy
Caption =
Artist = M.I.A.
from Album = Kala
A-side =
B-side =
Released = flagicon|Japan July 2007
flagicon|UKOctober 1 2007
Genre = Dance, Disco
Length = 3:29
Label =Interscope XL Recordings
Writer = Maya Arulpragasam, Switch, Bappi Lahiri
Producer = Maya Arulpragasam, Switch
Certification =
Last single = "Boyz" (2007)
This single = "Jimmy" (2007)
Next single = "Paper Planes" (2007)"Jimmy" is the second single from experimental electronica rap artist M.I.A.'s second album "Kala" (2007), and her first single from the album inJapan . [cite web | title= "Beggars Web JAPAN"| url=http://news.beggarsjapan.com/| date=2007 -07-27 | accessdate=2007-07-31] The song was written and produced byMaya Arulpragasam and Switch and released in late July, 2007."Jimmy" is a cover of the song "Jimmy Jimmy Jimmy Aaja" sung by
Parvati Khan inHindi from the 1982Bollywood movie "Disco Dancer ", written byBappi Lahiri . "Jimmy" features different orchestration and beats from the previous version, and original English lyrics written by Arulpragasam. M.I.A. performed the track onBBC Radio 1 's Big Weekend in 2007.The single was released in the UK on October 1 in CD single, 7" and 12" formats.In February 2008 the single began to gain traction on the US dance charts, peaking at #28 after five weeks on the chart.
Background
M.I.A. explained that "Jimmy Jimmy Aaja" was a track she used to dance to when she was a child. "My mum used to hire me out when I was a kid as a party buffer. It was my track that I used to do my routine to. I had a little
tape recorder , and a cloak and a cardboard cut out guitar, and that was my joint."cite web | title= "M.I.A. - Fact Magazine"| url= http://www.factmagazine.co.uk/da/56068 | work = FACTmagazine | accessdate=2007-07-30Dead link|date=September 2008] Describing the recording and writing processes, she revealed that she had already recorded the strings and other parts of the song in India, but initially didn't attempt to do "Jimmy" when she was with co-producer Switch, explaining "I had to be drunk enough to be that disco. It all came together that week." Arulpragasam wrote the song about an invitation she received from the journalist Ben Anderson while working inLiberia , to meet him whilst covering a genocide tour.cite web | title= "Staus Ain't Hood interviews M.I.A."| url= http://www.villagevoice.com/blogs/statusainthood/archives/2007/07/status_aint_hoo_28.php | work = The Village Voice | accessdate=2007-08-27] The 70's disco-pop style of the song stands in marked contrast with other songs on "Kala.""Jimmy" has been covered by the indie pop band
Of Montreal .Music video
The music video for "Jimmy" was directed by childhood friend
Nezar Khammal . [ [http://www.colonelblimp.com/directors/nez/ Colonel Blimp - Directors - Nez ] ] It premiered in Japan in July [cite web | title= "SPACE SHOWER MUSIC VIDEO SEARCH (M.I.A. - Jimmy)"| url=http://www.spaceshowertv.com/search/detail.cgi?mu=0062324&ch=0| date=2007 -07-31 | accessdate=2007-08-01] , and was premiered elsewhere around the world in August, the month of her second album release "Kala". The music video features M.I.A. dancing with a golden crown on her head, with eleven dancers dressed in yellow in an Indian fashion, all dancing a variation of the Thousand Hand Bodhisattva. Occasionally the video cuts to show M.I.A. dancing by herself and two other girls in a different style of clothing against a white backdrop.The video has received some airplay on
MuchMusic in Canada.A slightly different version of the music video, using the Dan Carey Radio Mix of the song, was used to promote "Jimmy" in the UK and in Italy.
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
