M.I.A., Robot

M.I.A. has never been afraid to tackle pertinent problems in society head-on with her music, and with the latest track in her oeuvre, Popular, the rapper expertly targets influencer culture.

Brilliantly visualising the artist's agenda with wit and willful weirdness, Arnaud Bresson's promo conjures a humanoid "influencer-bot-in-training", named M.A.I., that needs to be schooled up by her human counterpart.

Leaning into the uncanny with a disturbing emotionless mask, the film sees all attempts at learning fail, with M.I.A. finally dispatching her doppelganger through judicious use of a water pistol.