Photo: WENN.com
MIA has spoken out again about her infamous middle finger gesture during her appearance at the 2012 Superbowl, saying it was simply a yogic meditative gesture.
The 'Bring The Noize' rapper previously announced the gesture was a "display of female empowerment" in the face of "powerful corporation dick shaking" after it emerged the NFL were launching a $1.5 million lawsuit against the star for breaching her contract and sullying the family-friendly reputation of the Superbowl half time shows.
Watch the video for MIA's 'Bring The Noize' below:
However, MIA has now told NPR that the middle finger was actually a meditative salute, specifically meaning 'Matangi' - a tantric Hindu goddess. And, of course, the name of MIA's just-released album.
"In America, you have gang signs, and people throw up initials and that," she explained. "Well, 5,000 years ago there was a thing called mudra, which is your sitting position when you do yoga or you're meditating or praying or whatever."
She continued: "There's not a lot of them that are named after gods goddesses, but the middle finger is specifically named Matangi - the Matangi mudra."
However, it seems MIA, real name Maya Arulpragasam, isn't quite believing her own efforts to convince, as when NPR asked: "So you were not giving America the middle finger? This was the Matangi symbol?", to which Arulpragasam laughingly replies: "Yes. Do you like that? It's good, isn't it??".
MIA released her fourth studio album, Matangi, on Monday.
