Popular consensus on the unpronounceable /\/\/\Y/\, is that it, um, sucked. We're not going to go into a whole thing about snap judgments and how maybe more time should be given to more difficult records before trumpeting from the mountains that they are terrible and mark the end of a short, exciting career for an exciting artist. But also: doesn't MIA deserve our time and analysis? She gave us two great, game-changing albums and a mixtape that blew open a whole lot of doors. What should /\/\/\Y/\ have been? Kala Part Two? When all the smoke really and truly clears, and we're past hating on /\/\/\Y/\ and then past its critical reappraisal, we're going to be left with an album that maybe isn't what we wanted and ended up suffering for it, and that is a lot more exciting than having a retread of something that's already been done. Over the holidays MIA released a new mixtape—on New Year's actually. This could potentially be the time when the least people ever are on the internet. The night when everyone tries desperately to be out and doing something fun. It's basically a terrible move to release anything that day, but she did it. Maybe it'll get glossed over, resigned to some blog posts and an obligatory mention on everyone's website, or maybe it'll foster more discussion. It's a little over thirty minutes and completely free.
Download: MIA, ViCKi LEEKX Mixtape
