Latest news with #CMAT
Extra.ie
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Extra.ie
Fans thrilled as CMAT announces intimate Ireland tour
CMAT has unveiled a string of record store gigs in Ireland and the UK to toast her forthcoming album EURO-COUNTRY. The Irish popstar will perform in-store shows at HMV in Belfast on 28th August and Golden Discs in Dublin on 29th August, before heading to UK record stores in Liverpool, London, Brighton and more. See below for the full list of dates. 28/08 – HMV, Belfast 29/08 – Golden Discs, Dublin 30/08 – Rough Trade, Nottingham 31/08 – Jacaranda, Liverpool 01/09 – Rough Trade East, London 02/09 – Banquet, Kingston 03/09 – Resident, Brighton 04/09 – Rough Trade, Bristol Tickets for the record store gigs go on sale this Friday, June 20, at 10 am and will be available for purchase here. Since announcing her third studio effort EURO-COUNTRY in March, CMAT has gone on to release two singles from the album, 'Running/Planning' and 'Take a Sexy Picture Of Me', with the latter going viral on TikTok with a dance by Sam Morris that has been affectionately called 'the woke macarena'. View this post on Instagram A post shared by cmat (@cmatbaby) This Thursday, CMAT will release the third EURO-COUNTRY taster, 'The Jamie Oliver Petrol Station', before performing at the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury next week on 27th June. EURO-COUNTRY is out on 29th August. The album is available to pre-order and pre-save here. To celebrate the album, CMAT will also embark on an international tour, which kicks off in Los Angeles on September 8 and concludes with an already sold-out show at Dublin's 3Arena on December 5. See here for the full list of live dates
Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
I went to Primavera Sound — 1 artist stood out and it wasn't Charli XCX
Thousands of music fans descended upon Barcelona last week for the long-awaited 2025 edition of the festival, and for me, there was one musician that truly outshone the rest Festival season 2025 has well and truly kicked off, with Glastonbury, TRNSMT and All Points East just a few weeks away. And while these UK festivals all have their own unique merits, you really can't beat a festival abroad. Primavera Sound, which is held in Barcelona at the beginning of June every year, absolutely pulled it out of the bag with its line-up. The organisers always seem to know exactly what the people want, and this was especially true this time around, with Charli XCX, Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan headlining those three nights at Parc Del Forum. It's a great time to be a pop fan, with these women and so many more artists consistently producing really great music. One such musician absolutely stole the show for me at Primavera, and I am very excited to see – and hear – a lot more of her in the coming months. Ciara Mary Alice Thompson, known professionally as CMAT, was the first act that we saw at Primavera Sound 2025 - and was undoubtedly one of, if not, the best of the weekend. Hailing from Dublin, the 29-year-old singer had the audience in an absolute chokehold for the entire set. She's been releasing music for a few years now, and dropped her first album, If My Wife New I'd Be Dead, back in 2022. However, you'd be forgiven for thinking she has decades of performing experience under her belt. Funny, charming and capable of writing some of the most poignant lyrics I've ever heard, it's no surprise that people have coined the term 'Summer of CMAT' thanks to her immense success at the moment. If you've been on TikTok recently then you've probably heard her smash hit, Take A Sexy Picture Of Me, and at least once attempted the dance that goes alongside the catchy clip. Created by social media star Sam Morris, the dance is affectionately known as the 'Woke Macarena', with CMAT and her fans breaking out the moves during every live performance of the song. But it's got a deep and sincere meaning too. The song was penned following a summer of touring and festival appearances in 2024, after which CMAT was criticised for her appearance by online trolls. "With the internet, every woman is now in the public eye. And no matter who you are, or what you look like, somebody will take umbrage with the fact that you even exist, and there's no escaping it," CMAT previously explained in a chat with NME. ''Take a Sexy Picture of Me' was born out of that, because I held back for so long; not out of frustration or sadness for myself, because I AM in the public eye, but I realised it's actually like this for every woman. "It's all women, all the time. That song is me calling out anyone who criticised my weight or how I looked… and it's one of the best songs I've ever made." And her fans seem to agree. It fitted perfectly into the setlist of tunes she played at the festival, such as the clever and witty I Don't Really Care For You and gut-wrenching finisher, Stay For Something. She set the bar incredibly high for the festival, and I only wish she'd been on the main stage so more people could have enjoyed the set. CMAT will play at Glastonbury this year, and she's also heading out on tour in autumn of this year for the Euro-Country Tour, named after her album set to be released in August.
Daily Record
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Glastonbury fans recommend 'biggest up and comers' on line-up this year
Glastonbury Festival will take place in June, with the likes of The 1975, Neil Young, and Olivia Rodrigo set to perform on the Pyramid Stage, but there are plenty more acts to see Music fans have recommended some of the "biggest up and comers" gracing this year's Glastonbury Festival line-up. Alongside headliners The 1975, Neil Young, and Olivia Rodrigo on the Pyramid Stage, Worthy Farm is set to showcase a plethora of talents across its many stages. Seasoned Glasto-goers are recommending a wander from the main stage to witness the 'up and coming' stars of future festivals. A thread on the r/GlastonburyFestival Reddit asked: "Who are this year's biggest up and comers?" A consensus formed in the comments as numerous respondents championed one band in particular, who will be playing the festival this year. The most upvoted response reads: "Wunderhorse." Recognised for their supporting slot on Sam Fender's recent UK tour, Jacob Slater's ensemble has experienced a surge in recognition ever since. One Redditor proposed catching Antony Szmierek live, with another backing this guidance and reminiscing over his previous electrifying performance at the West Holts stage. That enthusiast shared: "Saw him in the West Holts bar last year and it was a vibe. I've seen him a few times elsewhere, the mixing can sometimes be a bit hit or miss. Would recommend!". Fat Dog received nods, singled out by one forum user as "one of the best live acts". They've also had the opportunity to warm up crowds for Yard Act during a gig at Millennium Square in Leeds. One festival-goer recounted their previous experience, writing: "I saw them last year. They were one of the best live acts I've seen in a long time. Whole crowd jumping around as one... and they played at 13:00, while everyone was mostly sober." Another attendee offered insights on potential highlights for this year's festival. They wrote: "Rachel Chinouriri has already grown so much in the last year and I think she will continue to get bigger. "I also think Alessi Rose will also start making headlines in the next couple of years, funny enough Rachel had the second slot on the other stage on Sunday last year so very similar to Alessi this year. And of course Westside Cowboy who won the emerging talent competition. "Then there are people like CMAT who have been growing at a steady rate and Inhaler are doing well as well." CMAT, a name that kept cropping up among festival enthusiasts, earned praise from someone who felt their Pyramid Stage billing was well-earned. They wrote: "I was really pleased to see CMAT is on the Pyramid stage this year. I saw her at Woodsies in 2023. She's great live. Really happy for her." Surprisingly, Lambrini Girls, the punk rock outfit from Brighton, wasn't as prominent on the lineup as one would expect. A dedicated fan expressed their disappointment, writing: "I was certain Lambrini Girls would be in a higher spot, after playing three (?) times last year and their album release I feel like they've blown up, but maybe I'm just in a bubble and they're more niche than I thought."
Indian Express
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
What is the ‘woke' Macarena? And what makes it ‘woke'?
Sam Morris has had videos blow up on TikTok before, but he still didn't expect this to happen. In the weeks since he posted choreography to a snippet of the song 'Take a Sexy Picture of Me' by Irish singer CMAT, the dance he created has emerged as a full-fledged trend. Creators are using the moves on social media, and crowds are performing them at CMAT's concerts. 'It's not my first, first rodeo, but I wasn't expecting it,' said Morris, 37, a writer and content creator based in Brighton, England. The actual dance is simple and straightforward. Following along with the words of CMAT's song, ('I did the butcher / I did the baker / I did the home and the family maker / I did schoolgirl fantasies,') Morris's dance has participants miming chopping and baking on their way, hopefully, to TikTok fame. The dance kicked around for several weeks, but took on new relevance when it was given a catchy (and, for some, confusing) nickname: the Woke Macarena. CMAT, an emerging star, released 'Take a Sexy Picture of Me' last month. She said on social media that she wrote the song, which is about the different phases you go through as a young woman, after receiving a flood of 'nasty comments' on her physical appearance. Morris's dance made the song a TikTok hit, with scores of people attempting to recreate it in their own videos, many of which had captions with proclamations about how this will be a 'CMAT summer.' Reached by email, CMAT, whose full name is Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson, said when she first saw the dance, she thought Morris may have misunderstood the song's message about how a woman contorts herself in various ways to gain acceptance. 'I thought it was a great dance, and I also thought it was hilariously incongruous with the message of the song,' CMAT said, adding later, 'I think he's getting the song and doubling down on the irony of bodily performance.' Whether or not the dance slightly missed the message of the song, it has taken hold of creators and celebrities alike, with people like Julia Fox, Lola Young and Noah Cyrus giving it their best effort. CMAT has done it as well, calling it a 'hee hee ha ha' moment. A post shared by cmat (@cmatbaby) There's no clear answer as to how the dance got its catchy nickname, with its reference to a 1990s dance craze, beyond a steadfast belief that it was first called that on the social platform X. But Morris, and some of the creators who have emulated his dance, have their own theories as to why it has stuck. 'What CMAT sings about is very much like strong female empowerment, so that and then a clearly very gay man creating a dance for it — it's giving woke,' Morris said. Katherine Pfost, a 33-year-old in New York City who made a video doing the dance, said she thinks the woke label stems from the lyrics of the song itself, which focus on the struggle of the female experience. And the use of Macarena is a nod to the simplicity of the choreography. 'I think people probably gave it that name because it's an easy dance to do, like the 'Macarena,' and the song has that same earworm type of quality, and then the lyrics are very powerful,' Pfost said. Jessica Chisnall, 24, who lives in England and did a video of the dance before it was given a name, said she thinks calling it 'woke' may have originally come from a place of negativity, but it has now been embraced by the people dancing along. 'I've seen people from all walks of life doing the dance, and it's really nice that men, women, nonbinary people can all relate to the song and do the dance,' Chisnall said. Despite gaining traction on TikTok, CMAT said she didn't think the dance alone would change her career, although it may lead to other opportunities down the road. 'I don't necessarily think that my song being famous equates to me being famous because of the extremely, extraordinarily ephemeral nature of something like TikTok,' she said. Morris, who loves the message of the song, said when creating the choreography he was conscious of the fact that he's a man and that the song is from a woman's perspective. 'I'm just happy to be involved,' he said. 'I'm happy to just be here.' Whether it can have the lasting power of the original Macarena remains to be seen. Pfost said she thinks the fact that the dance doesn't match up perfectly with the message of the song is a strength, not a weakness. 'There is something to be said for taking a song or a message like that and making it joyful and fun and distilling it down to an easy-to-do dance that's fun for people to do,' she said. 'I think that gives it more reach and more power.'
Extra.ie
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Extra.ie
Charli XCX at Malahide: Who could be doing the iconic Apple Dance as Brat Summer reaches Dublin?
Charli XCX makes her return to Dublin this summer, with 20,000 brats heading to Malahide castle. Following the release and cultural phenomenon that was her Brat album, one of the biggest moments from the album has been the mega-viral 'Apple dance' — which sees people from all walks of life, including celebrities, being broadcast on the big screen during her tours to dance to the chorus of the tune. Charli XCX will be bringing Brat summer and her iconic Apple dance to Malahide Castle on June 17. Pic:With celebs such as Chappell Roan, Jenna Ortega and Clairo all thinking the apple's rotten right to the core, who could be blasted on the big screens next Tuesday (June 17) when Brat summer reaches Dublin? CMAT has a history with Charli, having previously gotten artistic advice from her — and even has a viral dance of her own with her new single. Pic: GMCD I feel that this is the most likely one, given her and Charli's history together and CMAT's new own 'Apple' dance for her latest single Take A Sexy Picture of Me. While both Ciara Mary Alice Thompson (yes, that's where CMAT's name comes from!) and Charli are set to play Glastonbury the week after her Malahide gig, it's very possible that CMAT could make a surprise appearance at Charli's concert. I mean, it makes sense. Pic: David Fisher/Shutterstock Another (semi) straight answer, I feel that Dublin's favourite twins will be in Malahide regardless of whether they'll be doing the dance. The lads recently revealed that miss Charli was 'their biggest fan' during their heyday, both John and Edward are very likely to be in attendance at the gig. Will they be on hand to steal the show on Tuesday? Who knows. While he doesn't like the 'extraordinarily explicit' lyrics of Guess, perhaps Joe would enjoy Apple and the corresponding dance? Pic: RTÉ After a woman called in to Liveline to complain about the 'appalling' lyrics of Guess, a bonus track on 'Brat and it's the same but there's three more songs so it's not' (and breathe), Joe Duffy got an earful of just what Charli wants you to do with the underwear she's wearing. While we doubt Joe will be doing any dances to Guess, with lyrics he's described as 'extraordinarily explicit,' who knows? Maybe some young RTÉ intern has been secretly teaching him the dance for this very moment. @mhealyrae Having a #BRAT day in the Dáil 😂 #fyp #foryou #healyrae #Kerry #charlixcx #apple ♬ original sound – Michael Healy-Rae T.D. You laugh, but he actually knows the dance. Remember what I just said about someone at RTÉ teaching Joe Duffy the dance? Well, some staffer in Michael Healy Rae's office did exactly that; with him doing the dance on TikTok. Could this be how he announces a potential Presidential run? Because why the hell not? Pic: RTE He's been too quiet lately… surely this is how he makes a comeback.
