CMAT: National Delight

      **Cover Feature CMAT: A National Treasure**

      If lime green is deemed the color of 2024, then royal blue is undoubtedly set to signify 2025—this hue has become emblematic of CMAT and her groundbreaking third album, 'EURO-COUNTRY.' As she reflects on her long-awaited success, she contemplates her recent rise to pop stardom, the intricacies of Irish identity, and a notable recent theft…

      Just last month, the world was rocked by the shocking daylight heist at the Louvre, a robbery that stirred the nation and intrigued people far beyond the crime scene. Yet, just three days earlier, an even bigger theft occurred at Newcastle’s Utilita Arena. “CMAT was ROBBED,” exclaims Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson, the sparkle in her eyes rivaled only by the sparkle of her dental gems. “I love Sam so much, but I was absolutely robbed. I can't pretend that’s not what I think, because it is.” The injustice she refers to is the 2025 Mercury Prize Album of the Year, the most esteemed award in British and Irish alternative music, given this year to Sam Fender for his admirable third album, 'People Watching'. “Sam’s album is fantastic,” she continues, “but he even said himself - ‘it’s not even [his] best record!’ I truly believed mine was the best among the nominees.” She laughs (as do we—it's hard not to in her presence), but you can tell she’s quite serious. “What genuinely upset me is that I feel like I might never win the Mercury Prize now, because, if I’m brutally honest, I really believe I won't ever create a better album than 'EURO-COUNTRY'.” But wait—this isn’t the first time we’ve heard this. During our previous conversation for the August 2023 cover story, she made a similar claim: that her second album, 'Crazymad, For Me'—also nominated for the Mercury Prize—was “probably going to be the best album I ever make.” However, while sitting at last year’s ceremony, she suddenly felt an impulse not to win for that record. As she puts it: “I had a sense that I could make something better.”

      It’s refreshing to encounter an artist who is so openly and ambitiously optimistic about their future, readily accepting their success. Where others might be coy, Ciara knows she deserves recognition. “I have to believe that,” she agrees, “because if you don’t think that, then you’re in the wrong line of work. If you don’t believe it, you’re crazy to pursue any of this.” And irrespective of the Mercury Prize, 2025 has proven that CMAT is undeniably the artist to support. With 'EURO-COUNTRY'—her third album released back in August—she has successfully transitioned from cult favorite to genuine pop star. Certainly, she was already on that trajectory: both her 2022 debut, 'If My Wife Knew I’d Be Dead', and 'Crazymad, For Me' are remarkable collections showcasing intelligent, heartfelt songwriting. However, this album is undeniably her finest work to date, exemplifying her hybrid sound, encapsulating a multifaceted view of contemporary Ireland, and establishing a standard for what modern pop can achieve. (Though, if anyone can surpass it, it’s her).

      “There’s a distinct difference between CMAT and the Ciara seated before us at this Hackney pub with an untouched Lucky Saint. Ciara occasionally speaks of CMAT in the third person and is abstaining from alcohol, concerned about falling ill before her (rescheduled) UK tour. Nevertheless, Ciara arrives in a puff-sleeved, pink floral Barbour coat (“The Tories might actually be onto something with these”), adorned with an Elvis badge gifted by Harry Hill (created by his wife, naturally), enthusiastically discussing the interior trends of Alan Carr’s townhouse (she’s hired the same designer to refresh her new place). Whether onstage or off, she exudes fabulousness. However, it’s important to note she hasn't always been “the people’s mess.”

      “It’s utterly mental,” she reflects, contemplating her rapid rise from a small-town dreamer to the self-proclaimed “Dunboyne Diana.” “My life changed overnight when I signed my first record deal. I spent nearly a decade telling everyone I would become a famous pop star, but no one believed me as I worked in [the Irish supermarket] SuperValu. My family are all nurses; we’re ordinary people, and I think everyone thought I was completely delusional. Then I signed the deal and thought, ‘Oh my God, at last, I’m justified.’” Ciara was 25 when she was signed by AWAL. She continues, “Since then, it’s been four years of my life devoted entirely to being