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CMAT (musician)

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CMAT
CMAT onstage at Wide Awake 2025, wearing sunglasses, an orange shirt and a tie
CMAT performing in 2025
Background information
Birth nameCiara Mary-Alice Thompson
Born (1996-02-23) 23 February 1996 (age 29)
OriginCounty Meath, Ireland
Genres
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • musician
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • guitar
Years active2017 (2017)–present
Labels
Websitecmatbaby.com

Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson (born 23 February 1996), known professionally as CMAT (/ˈsiːmæt/, SEE-mat), is an Irish singer, songwriter, and musician.[1] The Guardian wrote of her music, "Her songs are mournful yet accessible, emotionally literate and cleverly crafted, but, crucially, with a huge sense of humour..."[2] Her third album, Euro-Country, will be released on 29 August 2025.

Early life

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CMAT was born on 23 February 1996 in Dublin, and moved with her family to Clonee and Dunboyne in County Meath as a child.[3] She returned to Dublin to study at Trinity College Dublin,[4] but later dropped out and moved to Denmark for three months to attend a songwriting camp.[5]

Career

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CMAT in 2022

CMAT, who had aspirations to become a professional musician from a young age, relocated to Manchester, England, to pursue a career in music with her then boyfriend, performing together as Bad Sea.[6][7][1][8] She has since described their relationship as toxic and isolating, and she stopped pursuing a music career, living a partying lifestyle.[8] She attended an in-person listening session at a London studio with the English electropop singer Charli XCX, who advised CMAT to reimagine her approach.[9]

Breaking up with her boyfriend and returning to Ireland, she began self-releasing her music online to considerable attention and received radio play from RTÉ Radio 1 and BBC Radio 6 Music.[10][11][12][13] Her debut studio album If My Wife New I'd Be Dead was released in February 2022. Metacritic, which aggregates review scores, gives the album a score of 85 based on 9 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[14] Hot Press magazine wrote that the album was "undoubtedly one of the most thrilling Irish pop debuts of the century".[15] In a four-star review, DIY wrote, "If My Wife New... feels like a more well-rounded, modern proposition than one solely indebted to the oldest style going could suggest."[16] The album entered the Irish Albums Chart at number one.[17] In June 2022, she released a single called "Peter Bogdanovich", which came with a music video which featured CMAT dressing as the late director.[18][19] On 19 August 2022, "Peter Bogdanovich"[20] charted at number 20 on the Irish Homegrown Top 20.[21] In March 2023, If My Wife New I'd Be Dead won the Choice Music Prize for Irish Album of the Year.[22]

In June 2023, CMAT announced her next studio album, Crazymad, for Me,[23] which was released in October 2023. Like her previous album, this album debuted at number one on the Irish Albums Chart.[24] Her album was later nominated for the Best Album Ivor Novello Award on Thursday 23 May 2024.[25]

CMAT has been noted for her large fanbase among Irish LGBTQ+ people,[26][27] once telling an NME interviewer "I'm making music for the girls and the gays, and that's it."[28]

In May 2024, the BBC were forced to disable comments on a video on its Instagram page of CMAT's performance at the Radio 1 Big Weekend festival, following a spate of comments labelled "fat-shaming."[29] Later that month, CMAT pulled out of a performance at that summer's Latitude Festival due to the festival's sponsorship by Barclays, and the company's financial involvement in the Gaza war.[30]

On 25 March 2025, CMAT announced her third studio album Euro-Country, in which she also released the album's lead single "Running/Planning".[31][32] She describes the album as the "type of loss, pain and lack of community that she feels that are suffering from under modern capital isolation" and the "best thing she has ever made".[33] On 7 May 2025, the album's second single "Take a Sexy Picture of Me" was released.[34]

Personal life

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CMAT is bisexual and has been described as a "bisexual icon".[35][36]

TV Appearances

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Caption text
Show Performance Year
The Graham Norton Show CMAT performed "Stay For Something" from her album "CrazyMad, For Me" and chatted with other guests. 2023
Later... with Jools Holland erformed "Running/Planning" and "Take A Sexy Picture Of Me" from her upcoming album EURO-COUNTRY. 2025
Jools Holland's Hootenanny CMAT performed "Have Fun" from her album "CrazyMad, For Me" and a rendition of "Without You". 2024

Discography

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Studio albums

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List of studio albums, with selected details and chart positions
Title Details Peak chart positions
IRE
[37] 		SCO
[37] 		UK
[37]
If My Wife New I'd Be Dead
  • Released: 25 February 2022
  • Label: CMATBaby / AWAL
  • Formats: CD, cassette, digital download, streaming, vinyl
 1 — —
Crazymad, for Me
  • Released: 13 October 2023
  • Label: CMATBaby / AWAL
  • Formats: CD, cassette, digital download, streaming, vinyl
 1 14 25
Euro-Country
  • Scheduled release: 29 August 2025
  • Label: CMATBaby / AWAL
  • Formats: CD, cassette, digital download, streaming, vinyl
 To be released
"—" denotes album did not chart in that territory.

Singles

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  • "Another Day (KFC)" (2020)
  • "Rodney" (2020)
  • "I Wanna Be a Cowboy, Baby!" (2020)
  • "Uncomfortable Christmas" (2020)
  • "I Don't Really Care for You" (2021)
  • "2 Wrecked 2 Care" (2021)
  • "No More Virgos" (2021)
  • "Lonely" (2022)
  • "Every Bottle (Is My Boyfriend)" (2022)
  • "Communion (Country Version)" (2022)
  • Mayday (2023)
  • "Whatever's Inconvenient" (2023)
  • "Have Fun!" (2023)
  • "Where Are Your Kids Tonight?" featuring John Grant (2023)
  • "Stay for Something" (2023)
  • "Aw, Shoot!" (2024)
  • "Running/Planning" (2025)
  • "Take a Sexy Picture of Me" (2025)

Awards and nominations

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Award Year Nominated Work Award Result Ref.
Choice Music Prize 2022 If My Wife New I'd Be Dead Album of the Year Won [38]
Choice Music Prize 2023 Crazymad, For Me Album of the Year Nominated [39]
Choice Music Prize 2023 Stay For Something Song of the Year Nominated [40]
Choice Music Prize 2023 Herself Artist of the Year Nominated [41]
BBC Sound of... 2023 Herself Sound of 2024 Nominated [42]
Brit Awards 2024 Herself International Artist of the Year Nominated [43]
Ivor Novello Award 2024 Crazymad, For Me Best Album Nominated [25]
Mercury Prize 2024 Crazymad, For Me Best Album Nominated [44]

References

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  1. ^ a b Deming, Mark (2020). "CMAT Biography on AllMusic". allmusic.com. AllMusic. Archived from the original on 13 March 2022. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
  2. ^ Hutchinson, Kate (15 January 2022). "One to watch: CMAT". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 12 March 2022. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
  3. ^ "Meath country star Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson to headline Slane Otherside Festival". Meath Chronicle. 26 January 2023. Archived from the original on 10 February 2023. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  4. ^ "Album review: CMAT – If My Wife New I'd Be Dead | The Point Of Everything". Archived from the original on 16 June 2022. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  5. ^ "CMAT on the advice she got from Charli XCX, and why 'authenticity' is over-rated". Irish Examiner. 14 February 2022. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  6. ^ O'Neill, Lauren (4 March 2022). "CMAT If My Wife New I'd Be Dead Album Interview". i. Archived from the original on 12 March 2022. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
  7. ^ Clayton Lea, Tony (4 March 2022). "CMAT interview: 'I'm not where I thought I'd be when I was 18. I thought I'd be Ariana Grande or someone like that . . . but I'm much happier where I am now'". Business Post. Archived from the original on 4 March 2022. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
  8. ^ a b Kheraj, Alim (13 July 2023). "'All the saddest people I've met are the funniest': CMAT on making bone-achingly funny pop out of misery". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 13 July 2023. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  9. ^ Rogers, Becky (10 October 2020). "CMAT Dublin cowgirl turning shitposting into Americana bangers". NME. Archived from the original on 12 March 2022. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
  10. ^ Fitzgerald, Eric (10 March 2022). "CMAT brimming with confidence and verve". Limerick Post. Archived from the original on 12 March 2022. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
  11. ^ Murphy, Lauren (7 June 2020). "Meet Cmat, the snack and roll star of Another Day (KFC)". The Times. Archived from the original on 12 March 2022. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
  12. ^ "CMAT". rte.ie. RTÉ. 15 July 2020. Archived from the original on 12 March 2022. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
  13. ^ "Friday Free For All". BBC. 5 March 2021. Archived from the original on 12 March 2022. Retrieved 12 March 2022.,
  14. ^ "If My Wife new I'd Be Dead". metacritic.com. Metacritic. Archived from the original on 12 March 2022. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
  15. ^ O'Toole, Lucy (4 March 2022). "Album Review CMAT If My Wife New I'd Be Dead". Hot Press. Archived from the original on 12 March 2022. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
  16. ^ Wright, Lisa (4 March 2022). "Cmat If My Wife New I'd Be Dead Review". DIY. Archived from the original on 7 March 2022. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
  17. ^ "Yeehaw! CMAT flies to Irish No. 1 with her debut album". rte.ie. RTÉ. 11 March 2022. Archived from the original on 12 March 2022. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
  18. ^ "WATCH: CMAT – 'Peter Bogdanovich'". 15 June 2022. Archived from the original on 27 June 2022. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  19. ^ "CMAT dresses as 'Peter Bogdanovich' in new music video". 15 June 2022. Archived from the original on 19 August 2022. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  20. ^ "CMAT has shared a new video for 'Peter Bogdanovich' | Dork". 15 June 2022. Archived from the original on 19 August 2022. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  21. ^ "Irish Homegrown Top 20 | Official Charts Company". Official Charts. Archived from the original on 19 August 2022. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  22. ^ Hillard, Mark (9 March 2023). "Choice Music Prize: CMAT's If My Wife New I'd Be Dead wins album of the year". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 12 March 2023. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
  23. ^ Reilly, Nick (1 June 2023). "CMAT announces new album 'Crazymad, for me', shares lead single". Rolling Stone UK. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  24. ^ Newsdesk, The Hot Press. "CMAT's Crazymad, for Me debuts at no.1 on Irish Charts, The Mary Wallopers Irish Rock n Roll reaches no.2". Hot Press. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  25. ^ a b Taylor, Mark (23 April 2024). "Nominations announced for The Ivors with Amazon Music 2024". The Ivors Academy. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
  26. ^ Kiberd, Roisin (12 October 2023). "CMAT Makes Country Music Sad, Smart and Strange". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  27. ^ "From Lil Nas X to CMAT - Four queer hits you need to listen to". GCN. 29 March 2021. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  28. ^ Rogers, Becky (13 October 2020). "CMAT: Dublin cowgirl turning shitposting into Americana bangers". NME. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  29. ^ Savage, Mark (30 May 2024). "CMAT attacks 'fat shaming' comments on BBC video". BBC News. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
  30. ^ Savage, Mark (30 May 2024). "CMAT pulls out of Latitude over its Barclays links". BBC News. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
  31. ^ Chelosky, Danielle (25 March 2025). "CMAT Announces New Album Euro-Country: Hear "Running/Planning"". Stereogum. Retrieved 9 April 2025.
  32. ^ Jones, Damian (25 March 2025). "CMAT announces new album 'Euro-Country' with new single 'Running/Planning' and huge UK and European tour". NME. Retrieved 23 April 2025.
  33. ^ Pickens, Alfie (26 March 2025). "CMAT announces second album 'Euro-Country' and 2025 tour". contactmusic.com. Retrieved 23 April 2025.
  34. ^ Dunworth, Liberty (8 May 2025). "CMAT "calls out anyone who criticised my weight or how I looked" on empowering new single 'Take A Sexy Picture Of Me'". NME.com. Retrieved 5 June 2025.
  35. ^ Kiberd, Roisin (12 October 2023). "CMAT Makes Country Music Sad, Smart and Strange". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 13 October 2023. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
  36. ^ Duncan, Charlie (30 May 2024). "Bisexual icon CMAT blasts cruel body-shamers: 'Didn't realise it was illegal to have a huge ass'". PinkNews. Retrieved 10 June 2024.
  37. ^ a b c "CMAT full Official Chart history". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 11 June 2025.
  38. ^ "Choice Music prize 2022". The Irish Times. 2022. Archived from the original on 12 March 2023. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
  39. ^ "Choice Music Prize: album shortlist announced and Song of the Year public vote opens this Friday". limerickpost.ie. 11 January 2024. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
  40. ^ "Shortlist announced for RTÉ Choice Music Prize Irish Song of the Year 2023". limerickleader.ie. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
  41. ^ "2023 Irish Artist of the Year". choicemusicprize.ie. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
  42. ^ Savage, Mark (4 December 2023). "BBC Sound of 2024: Tyla, Last Dinner Party and Kenya Grace tipped for success". Retrieved 15 January 2024.
  43. ^ "BRITs nominations 2024". Official Charts Company. 2024. Archived from the original on 25 January 2024. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  44. ^ "2024 Mercury Prize 'Albums of the Year' revealed". Mercury Prize. 25 July 2024. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
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