Underneath M.I.A.’s tough exterior, there’s a soft side. The Sri Lankan rabble-rouser goes glam as an Iranian princess dripping in gold in the long-awaited video for “XXXO,” the first single from her third album /\/\/\Y/\.
While she may have her beefs with the Internet, love prevails in the glossy clip co-directed by Hype Williams and M.I.A. YouTube windows, iChat conversations, and animated graphics including leopards, swans, unicorns, and roses pop up on the screen, but Maya’s most famous asset—her mouth—remains the center of attention.