Ireland’s CMAT is already making her mark on 2021 and is today back with the excellent video for her critically acclaimed single “I Don’t Really Care For You.” Dubbed “the queen of modern pop ballads”, The Line Of Best Fit go further writing “inspired by the sounds of American country singer Charley Pride and Swedish pop icons ABBA, Dublin artist CMAT’s latest offering is a charmingly relatable rumination on swallowing your pride and acknowledging your faults in a past relationship.”
The rising pop star tells us the song is about “Realising you were ultimately the bigger dickhead in a relationship.” she continues “I was thinking about how superiority always insists upon itself. Good people will always think they were doing the right thing in the moment, even if their actions are terrible. I try really hard to be a good person, but I still end up being a big bully sometimes. If you ever find yourself saying something along the lines of, ‘I would love him IF…’ or ‘I would stay with you IF…’ then… you’re probably being a dickhead.’ She continues, “Musically, I went to my producer Oli with the vague concept of, ‘What if this song was ABBA doing a spaghetti western soundtrack?’ and he just knocked it out of the park. I was also listening to loads of Charley Pride around that time – and the backing vocals in the pre-chorus are directly inspired by him. Rest In peace king!”
The video was directed by Ellis Dohertty produced by TIny Ark and CMAT shares “The director Eilís approached me some time ago to make a music video, and I really wanted it to be for ‘I Don’t Really Care For You’ because I knew she would be able to capture the high energy mood of the song, and also we are into the same old, niche and ugly design stuff. Visual references for this video range anywhere from the film Five Easy Pieces, to a BTS music video, and the dream sequence was inspired by a Nestle ad from the 1980’s. The choreographer, Nick, made my dreams come true. I was like, ‘I want to dance like Blackpink, but I have absolutely no technical ability whatsoever.’ I think that much is evident in the video but we pulled it off!”
CMAT is the stage name of Dublin-based Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson. She burst onto the scene in April 2020 with the release of her debut single “Another Day (KFC).” following it up with “Rodney” in June, before the release of her signature song, “I Wanna Be A Cowboy, Baby!” in late September. Tomorrow see the release of the Diet Baby 12″, which compiles her 2020 singles and “I Don’t Really Care For You” on one gloriously tacky pink 12″ vinyl. Available directly from the artist, the initial 500 run sold out in a few days, so CMAT has graciously made more available.
Her work to date exemplifies CMAT’s penchant for crafting humorous songs about serious topics; her succinct, sharp words tell tales of fast food shop breakdowns and kitchen sink dramas; needling former lovers while mainlining Diet Coke; laying bare specific childhood disappointments over a stupidly catchy chorus, forcing you to do a double-take while an optimistic sax solo breezes in: ‘Did she really say that?’ They are informed by her schooling in the works of Dolly Parton, Charli XCX, Loretta Lynn and Cate Le Bon followed, alongside copious research into RuPaul’s Drag Race, music TV of the 70s and 80s, the life and works of Anna Nicole Smith, Dublin’s drag scene and celebrity socialites London/LA between 1999 and 2009, all resulting in CMAT: an alternative pop star for an alternate universe.
After being announced as part of The Great Escape’s First Fifty in 2021, her debut live shows in Dublin and London – taking place in October and November of this year – sold out within hours. More live dates to follow.
