Three years after Matangi in 2013, hip hop veteran MIA has come back with a 12 track release entitled AIM that both entertains and conveys socially relevant messages.

MIA is the stage name of UK via Sri Lankan rapper Mathangi “Maya” Arulpragasam, whose innovative style and original lyrics have entertained for over a decade.

With AIM, MIA delivers tracks that range from addictive to disappointingly safe. Clever arrangements and unexpected lyrics caused me to play certain tracks on repeat while I routinely ignored others that sounded like they could have come from any generic hip-hop artist.

After listening to AIM, it became even more apparent to me that MIA is at her best when challenging what is acceptable in hip-hop and music in general.

The very first track on the album,  “Borders,” offers a commentary on the refugee crisis through an interesting lense being that MIA herself is a refugee. Sonically, the track is safe, there aren’t many moments when I was surprised about the way her voice would interact with the beat,  however, lyrically this song is the strongest on the album. Repetitive phrases and words were admittedly irritating on the first listen but on the second or third her views of the subject can be truly appreciated.

Each time that I listen to the song “Visa,” MIA is able to hold my attention from beginning to end with an ironic  interpretation of immigration, legal or otherwise. On this track politically incorrect references of Mexicans and cheap Toyota corollas are being used to mock Americans’ view of who is and who isn’t an immigrant. The song’s message, despite its importance, can be overshadowed by the urgent beat that adds to the song’s appeal.

In addition to admiring the presence of socially relevant messages that aren’t seen in today’s artists I also enjoy the fact that MIA pays homage to her Sri Lankan roots many times throughout the album. The lyrics and beat on “Ali R U OK?” As well as the sampling present on “Swords” represent a culture that is marginalized in the realm of hip-hop and modern society as a whole.

Featured artists on the album don’t seem out of place when working with MIA, as many in the past have. Ex- One Direction member ZAYN appears on the track “Freedun,” delivering calm distant chorus that work well in balancing out MIA’s colorful lyrics of her own.

As for songs that fall short, “Survivor” and “Foreign Friend” stand out as the worst tracks on the album. Weak wordplay and mundane instrumentals that would feel at home on a Drake or Kid Cudi album combine to create songs that genuinely disappoint, something I don’t expect on an MIA album.

A weakness that MIA maintains throughout the album is a weak and unnecessary attempt at singing. Flat vocals ruin a number of songs that would have been enjoyable if the lyrics hadn’t been delivered by means of singing.

When I look at the whole of MIA’s career it becomes hard for me to deny that this is a step back for her, AIM cannot rival the addictive beats that were present on Matangi in 2013 or the unapologetic personality that I heard on Arular in 2007. However, AIM’s strengths outweigh its weaknesses, on this album MIA proves that she’s still relevant even a decade into her career.   The song “Survivor” comes to mind when talking about unnecessary vocals, on this track MIA isn’t able to convince me that she has any ability to sing. Even when she does choose to deliver the lyrics by rapping she continues to fall flat despite having the experience she does in this medium.