I think people have often become especially sensitive lately, partly because of the award resentment, and perhaps partly because TSOM is a major breakout for Carrie into an unfamiliar area and there is expectation of some increase in negative sniping.
Carrie, though is a musician, and music is an art form. There is no "best", because music appeals to a myriad of human responses in a myriad of ways. You will never get universal agreement on what responses people have to the work of Carrie, or of any other artist. Random comparisons of two people, especially in a one line name drop, are always going to produce disagreement. Fan rivalry is always likely to produce a lot more heat than light. It sems to be part of the culture, and social media and celebrity journalism both feed on it, and encourage its growth.
In my view, the main danger to an artist if her fan base gets a reputation for hyper-sensitivity and excessive rivalry is that it can create an impression that that artist is even seen by her own fans as relatively weak and insecure. In that sense, what fans intend as defensive loyalty can come to be seen by others as over-reaction that suggests an underlying nervousness. Loyalty is a good quality, and an artist is lucky to have it - but a balance is sometimes hard to strike.
