/\/\/\Y/\ (XL/Interscope)

Release Date: July 13
The Skinny: M.I.A. managed to make pretty much everyone have an opinion on /\/\/\Y/\ thanks to an incendiary video for "Born Free," which featured a little kid's blown-out brains and some severed limbs floating slowly across the frame (among other things). So how will all that transfer to an album that promises to be significant, in one way or another, for an artist at a musical crossroads? There's a lot riding on album No. 3 for M.I.A., who has evolved greatly in terms of style and scale since breaking out in 2004. And there are precious few pop stars with such a strong claim to utter unpredictability. Her companions on the new release include original cohort Diplo, as well as Switch, Blaqstarr, Rusko, and the dude from Sleigh Bells. And the sound, as teased by advance singles like "Born Free" and "XXXO," leaves room for thrashing punk and concussive club stuff.
Fast Fact: One year ago this June, M.I.A. was the subject of a Seattle Weekly article by Nirvana's Krist Novoselic that managed to cinch Sri Lanka and Yugoslavia together in totally surprising ways.WATCH: M.I.A., "Born Free"

M.I.A, Born Free from ROMAIN-GAVRAS on Vimeo.

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