CMAT: 'Nashville hates my f****** guts'
CMAT says Nashville is offended by her take on country music.
CMAT admits Nashville "hates my f****** guts".
The 29-year-old Irish singer - whose real name is Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson - has released her third LP Euro-Country today (29.08.25), and has described feeling like an "intruder" in the country capital.
In an interview with Vogue, she said: "Isn’t it interesting that I have a terrible time in Nashville?
"[The] country music establishment in Nashville hates my f****** guts.”
The star, known for her sharp, witty lyrics, suggested that Nashville often misinterprets her take on country.
She explained: “People assume I’m just taking the p*** — that I use country music elements as a joke or novelty, rather than recognising them as a deeply rooted and meaningful part of my songwriting.”
CMAT - who wowed with her set at the world-famous Glastonbury Festival this June - added that her working-class roots are very much aligned with the origins of country music.
Cmat is killing it at #Glastonbury2025 pic.twitter.com/LcxdrRX3DM
— Cheaper Than Therapy (@CheaperTherapyy) June 27, 2025
She said: “This is a genre that inherently allows voiceless people to come to the front.
“That’s why it’s amazing and that’s why we’ll always have an appeal, and it’s why people will always want to listen to it.”
When it comes to her own style, CMAT - who is known for her blend of relatively upbeat song titles and emotionally tough lyrics - recently explained that she has been "miscategorised" because of her "silly" fashion choices and sense of humour.
She told Mojo magazine: "My sensibilities are towards the kitchen sink. Country music makes small things really big and big things really small.
"People go, 'All country songs at the same', but I find the more everyday you go, the more laser-focused you can on the topic.
"Do you know Gary Stewart's She's Actin' Single (I'm Drinkin' Doubles)? Obviously an amazing song title. Easily one of the most devastating songs I'll ever hear."
