M.I.A. is facing a wave of criticism online after revealing she’s an anti-vaxxer as the world grapples with the new coronavirus pandemic.
On Wednesday, the British rapper, born Mathangi Arulpragasam, took to Twitter, saying she’d rather “choose death” over “the vaccine or chip.” The comment came as researchers around the world work to develop a vaccination against COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, which has killed more than 22,000 people as of March 25. “If I have to choose the vaccine or chip I’m gonna choose death — YALA,” she wrote, referencing her own 2013 hit, Y.A.L.A, which stands for You Always Live Again. “Have a healthy life,” M.I.A.