If there's one thing I've realized about M.I.A. so far, it's that she definitely dances to the beat of her own drum. Though the chameleon-like beauty has proven her ability to constantly reinvent her look and her sound, one thing always remains constant--her refusal to follow the norm. She stays true to form with her latest two videos, "XXXO" and "Illy Girl."

Although "XXXO" sounds more like a pop tune heard on Z100, it's all M.I.A., who slithers around singing about not being who people want her to be. Lots of close-ups of her glossy, red-stained lips adds to the video's sensual feel.



The dizzying visuals for "Illy Girl" fit the song perfectly, as the camera dances to the pounding electro beat of the song. Whereas the video for "XXXO" is ripe with flowery animation and a sexed-up version of the controversial artist, this video adopts a much simpler approach, replacing all the fanciness with just a shot of a solitary M.I.A. running down the middle of a deserted road. Even though I like this song better than "XXXO," it was hard to make it through to the end without feeling like I popped one too many bottles, then spun around in circles. Peep both sides of M.I.A. and see if you can make it through both.