The tongue-in-cheek “international pop superstar” CMAT is back with “Running/Planning” – a largely unexpected new single, unless you’re a rabid fan with a subscription to the artist’s Substack (me).
Some background: CMAT (full name Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson) is an Irish singer-songwriter with a penchant for pop, country, and all the campness that lies therein–she makes country music “without the ‘o'”. Renowned for her lyrical humour, Dublin’s princess has received nothing but critical acclaim since her debut, If My Wife New I’d Be Dead (2022), reached number one on the Irish Albums Chart.
Now, she returns with “Running/Planning”, which I’d place firmly on the “sad” axis of the CMAT Musical Universe spectrum. A loud and urgent banger on the trials and tribulations of Female Societal Pressure, it’s a triumph, including its lyrically fascinating bridge of “the foot and mouth, Diana’s gone” – what the hell, sure!
A key tenet of CMAT is that her lyrics often defy Genius.com in their sheer absurdity and personality – you must take from them whatever meaning you take from them. But rest assured, whatever meaning this is shall be fun, empowering, or devastating. The CMAT roulette!
“CMAT, Brooklyn, March 2022 2 (cropped)” by Collin Knopp-Schwyn is licensed under CC BY 4.0.