Beyoncé's recent song 'Formation' saw the singer at her most political yet, addressing issues surrounding her heritage and the Black Lives Matter movement.

But now MIA has claimed that the singer's statement is nothing new and has questioned when people are going to start speaking out about Syrian, Muslim and Pakistani lives.

"It's interesting that in America the problem you're allowed to talk about is Black Lives Matter," she told ES Magazine.

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"It's not a new thing to me - it's what Lauryn Hill was saying in the 1990s, or Public Enemy in the 1980s. Is Beyoncé or Kendrick Lamar going to say Muslim Lives Matter? Or Syrian Lives Matter? Or this kid in Pakistan matters? That's a more interesting question.

"And you cannot ask it on a song that's on Apple, you cannot ask it on an American TV programme, you cannot create a tag on Twitter, Michelle Obama isn't going to hump you back."

MIA has focused on the refugee crisis in her own music and moved from Sri Lanka when she was a child during the island's Civil War.

ES Magazine

The musician also said she's surprised that she's still alive, considering her beginnings.

"I feel like I should have died a long time ago," she said. "I'm surprised I'm still alive, to be honest. I came from war. When I was growing up I didn't really think I'd live beyond about 25. I never thought I would be old enough to drive or have a house or raise a child. Having to do it is really difficult."

MIA has never been one to shy away from controversy during her music career.

In her 2010 music video for 'Born Free', the London-born star depicted genocide against red haired people, which she filmed and released without her record label knowing.

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The powerful visual was initially banned on YouTube in the UK and US due to its violent portrayal of military force, but it was ultimately lauded by critics for its representation of oppression and political turmoil.

Then two years later in 2012, MIA was praised once again for her 'Bad Girls' music video.

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The visual put drag racing and drifting into the hands of Arabic women, who are traditionally not allowed to drive in some Middle Eastern cultures.

MIA's full interview appears in this week's issue of ES Magazine, which is out today.

Meanwhile, Beyoncé will air a mysterious hour-long special on HBO this Saturday (April 23) titled Lemonade.

Fans have speculated that the TV show will launch her sixth solo album, ahead of her Formation world tour starting in Miami on April 27.

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