MIA. (alternate spelling: Mia.) is a German rock/pop band from Berlin. MIA. originally formed in 1997 when TV host Sarah Kuttner introduced schoolmates Mieze and Andy Ross to Robert Schütze and Ingo Puls. They took on Hannes Schulze as drummer and one year later the band, then called Me in Affairs signed a contract with independent music label R.O.T. - Respect or Tolerate. They soon abbreviated their band name to MIA., but now claim the letters do no longer stand just for Me in Affairs, but also for things like "Musik ist Alles" ("Music is everything") and that there is no such thing as a "correct" translation of their name. In 1999 the band released its first single "Sugar My Skin" on major label BMG, but due to artistical differences the members soon asked to be released from that contract. In 2001 they followed up with their second single Factory City via Sony Music. At the same time Gunnar Spies replaced Hannes Schulze, who had left the group due to private reasons. Afterwards MIA. released their debut album Hieb und Stichfest, which saw moderate success in Germany. 2003 saw the band being heavily criticized for their song Was es ist, released on an EP of the same title. The lyrics featured romantic references to Germany and the colors of the German flag, topics that due to Germany's violent history, many political leftists are uncomfortable with. MIA. claim the song meant to provoke a discussion about Germany as a home and as a place to change and design. Furthermore, they consider themselves politically on the left. In 2004 the band went on with its second album Stille Post. The longplayer spwaned three singles, including Hungriges Herz, which was chosen for the German pre-selection of the Eurovision Song Contest and reached #24 on the official Singles Chart. The album simultaneously peaked at #13 on the Album 100 and was eventually certified with gold. Lately MIA. released their single Tanz Der Moleküle, which entered the German charts at #19 to become the band's most succesful single so far. Their third album Zirkus was released July 21, 2006. It reached #2 on the Album Top 100 and is the most successful album so far. 4 more singles were released In 2008 MIA. released the first single of their new album Willkommen im Club, coming up September 5, 2008, Mein Freund, which reached #15 on the Single Top 100, becoming the new band's most succesful single. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.