if you want fun, complete with big vocals over big beats, Gaga is superior; essentially Iovine's second attempt at Madonna 2.0 after Mya flamed out, and with no end in sight.

if you want entertaining raps accompanied by futuristic walls of sound, Nicki Minaj is superior; making a legitimate case for being the second Wayne protege to eclipse Wayne's starpower. Her upside is bigger than Mya's ever was, and she hasn't even figured out who she is yet.

and, of course, if you like when your stars are actually every bit as qualified for the praise that's heaped upon them, then Beyonce is the original CGI-free Empire Strikes Back compared to Mya's Phantom Menace.


MIA is cut from the same cloth as Kid Cudi, Odd Future, Lana Del Ray, Smith Westerns, that being an act that simply would not have broken through if it weren't for the internet and the hipster-driven blogosphere that's risen to prominence over the last 10 or so years. There's so little substance there it's mind numbing. Now, conversely, that same blogosphere has been hugely influential in breaking acts like Arcade Fire, the Black Keys, and Mumford and Sons. But MIA is not of this ilk.