Who is ready for her new album, Euro-Country?
BY CALYPSO LLOYD-DAVIES, IMAGE BY RAPH_PH VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
Irish singer CMAT has been all over the festival scene this summer. From her music going viral on social media to her political activism on stage, we’ve got all you need to know about this brilliantly wacky queer icon.
Who is CMAT?
The 29-year-old uses the acronymic stage name, CMAT, representing her full name Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson. She spent most of her childhood in and around Dublin, including her studies at Trinity College Dublin, before dropping out to focus on her music in Denmark. Now living in East London, CMAT has been busy touring, gigging and putting out new music that her ever-growing fan base can’t get enough of!
Rise to fame
CMAT’s popularity has grown as she has graced the stage this year supporting indie artist Sam Fender on his tour. Meanwhile, she has taken social media by storm, with her single Take A Sexy Picture Of Me sparking a new TikTok dance craze. In an interview, CMAT revealed that it was a pep-talk from queer icon, ally and huge inspiration of CMAT’s, Charli-XCX, that jump-started her music career and changed everything.
Why is she so iconic?
CMAT is known for her style and energy, being, in the best way possible, eccentric, wacky and a little crazy. Her uniqueness shines in her music too, blending alternative, indie, country and pop music together to produce incredible eclectic tunes full of humour and honesty. The singer uses her platform for change, fighting for Irish freedom, trans rights and spreading awareness about the genocide in Palestine. Just last year, CMAT pulled out of Latitude festival, in light of the festival’s sponsorship having ties to Israel, and continued her support at Glastonbury 2025, finishing her set powerfully with a “free Palestine” chant.
A bisexual superstar
CMAT tells NME she is doing it for “the gays and the girls, that’s it”. The openly bisexual artist has been described as a “bisexual icon” and speaks openly about her first queer experience in Camden, describing it as a “10 out of 10”. From calling her gigs “Big Gay live shows” to revealing all her fans are either Irish or lesbians, CMAT has taken the queer community by storm, and we’re not mad about it.
What’s next?
This Friday (29 August) sees the release of CMAT’s new album Euro-Country, including already-loved hit singles and many new tracks. The star, speaking on the title, reveals: “It means three things to me: it’s the kind of country music I make; the fact that Ireland is a European country run by the euro; and that capitalism is one of the worst things to ever happen to us.” The album will include themes of Irish heritage and history, as well as the pressures to settle down and body-shaming that the artist has faced in the spotlight. Wherever the new music may take us, it’s sure to include that same flair that CMAT always delivers.
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