| ... what? |

// M.I.A. //

// /\/\ /\ Y /\ //

1.0 out of 5

When it comes to the arts, I appreciate direction and a semblance of structure. Music can still be enjoyable when it's chaotic, so long as I still have a sense of what's going on. In the past, M.I.A. found a way to blend all of her styles and make it work. As you can see from the rating above, she missed the mark. Large.

Perhaps more famous for her outlandish persona and politicking ways than her actual music, M.I.A. has never shied away from the fine line between brilliance and weirdness. She got away with it on Arular and Kala, but this time it feels different. People (ie. media) discovered that she loves running her yap, so they started asking her about all kinds of stuff just to get a soundbyte out of her. And get a soundbyte, they do.

But when you run your mouth and generally act like a little bitch, your music better back it up. For example, look at what Kanye has been able to sustain in his career: total asshole, but a) he usually apologizes after, and b) the dude makes incredible music, only like ALL THE TIME. Then look at Amy Winehouse. Back in Black was so good that it kept her afloat for an amazingly long time. But people are demanding, and all they want to know at the end of the day is: "What have you done for me lately?" As M.I.A. might soon discover, no one is exempt from this reality. If you turn out global winners like "Paper Planes", people couldn't care less about all the other drivel pouring out of your mouth. Unfortunately, /\/\ /\ Y /\ is sorely lacking in any songs with reasonable replay value. So then, the blinders are off, and people will rub the sleep from their eyes and see M.I.A. for what she really is today: over-exposed and over-hyped.

I've listening through the album, and picked out the best of the worst. "XXXO", the first single released, is listenable but hardly worth recommending to your friends. "Steppin Up" has a cool thing going on lyrically, but the power tool effects are distracting and wear on you very quickly. The rest of the album is a faceless jumble with a question mark on it. It's loud and kind of offensive to the ears.

Summary: In the beginning, I tried really hard to get into this. The truth is, there isn't much to get into. It's shallow and lacking anything worth getting attached to. There are few, if any, redeeming qualities to /\/\ /\ Y /\. It's all over the place, and the listener is never afforded an opportunity to absorb what's going on. It's a lesson in stacking shit on shit. You're better off listening back on Kala and remembering what it sounded like when all the stars aligned for M.I.A. Is it too early to tag her as a one hit wonder?

Bonus fodder material:




... if one M.I.A. ain't doin it, why would we want 12?