Though M.I.A.'s CMJ showcase is technically tonight at Terminal 5, her show Thursday night showed why she is growing into one of music's most important new artists. Her 75-minute set was a potent mix of world beats and truly populist politics that was made even more thrilling because of its simplicity. Though fans of "Arular" and her new "Kala" album have come to expect the African and Eastern rhythms in her music, M.I.A. also threw in some new wave influences that drove the crowd wild, ending "$20" with New Order's "Blue Monday" and "$10" with Eurythmics' "Sweet Dreams." Perhaps most surprising was the injection of Lil Mama's "Lip Gloss" into her hit "Galang" -- true signs M.I.A. can please the crowd as well as move it.