M.I.A's new album, Matangi, is streaming online on YouTube and on iTunes, ahead of its official release on Nov. 5.

The forthcoming record has been a long time coming for the artist. It's been over three years since her last release, Maya, in 2010. The Paper Planes singer explained the reason for the delay during a recent interview with Billboard.

"I was confused by who to make music for, what to make music for," she said.

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It seems like the artist also wanted to take the time to reconsider her creative process so as to avert getting stuck in some form of artistic stasis. 

"It was becoming really saturated and predictable," she said. "I wanted to break out of it."

The 38-year-old also discussed the theme of the album and her attempt to discover a new sound. M.I.A found her groove and sought inspiration in a Hindu goddess, Matangi.

"Suddenly it was like, 'OK, I'm going to make this album for Matangi,'" she said. "I found a whole new way of looking at [music] -- somebody saying it's so important they made a goddess for it who protected the meaning of music, the frequencies, the sonics. To learn about that and take it out of the context I'm in, it was pretty dope. It's making music without treating it as a business or as a game or as a competition."

The singer also explained that the sound is "a bit emo in places," which is new for her. 

"I developed a little emo side. Didn't think it was possible, did you?" she told the publication.

The first single off of the album is Come Walk With Me. The song has a playful vigor about it, but the lyrics suggest otherwise: "There is nothing that can touch me now. You can't even break me down... It's cool, takes two. I'm going to still f*** with you."

Watch the video for Come Walk With Me:

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