Irish pop sensation CMAT has secured the number two spot in the definitive list of the best albums of 2025 with her critically adored third record, Euro-Country. The album marks a creative high point for the artist, born Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson, following a period of intense personal struggle during its creation in New York.
A Breakdown in the Big Apple
The journey to Euro-Country was far from smooth. Following the success of her 2023 Mercury-nominated album Crazymad, for Me—which she personally deemed unsatisfactory—Thompson retreated to New York to write and record. The process took a severe toll on her mental health, culminating in what she describes as a terrifying breakdown. The singer began hallucinating, believing her apartment was infested with insects, only to be told by a doctor that she was suffering from stress-induced hives. She has since likened the album's recording to being trapped in "a toxic relationship."
A Triumphant and Witty Masterpiece
Despite its fraught origins, Euro-Country emerges as a supremely confident and expansive work. It boldly moves beyond the country-infused sound of her 2022 debut, If My Wife New I’d Be Dead, weaving in elements of jazz, raging alt-rock, and soul-kissed pop. The album's genius lies in its blend of poignant emotion, furious anger, and uproarious wit. Tracks like The Jamie Oliver Petrol Station and Lord, Let That Tesla Crash showcase her unique, self-referential humour and razor-sharp lyrical talent, cementing the feeling that this music could only come from CMAT.
Thompson initially feared the album's socio-political themes—tackling body-shaming, mental health, Irish identity, and late-stage capitalism—might be seen as "incredibly cringe." However, her fears were unfounded. The album is a masterclass in addressing weighty topics with a light, melodic touch, ensuring the message lands without ever feeling like a lecture. The title track alone manages to juxtapose references to mythical Irish hero Cú Chulainn and reality TV star Kerry Katona, all while interrogating the human cost of Ireland's 2008 financial crisis.
From TikTok to the Glastonbury Stage
Euro-Country's impact was immediate and widespread. It inspired a viral TikTok dance craze, promoted by figures like Chicken Shop Date host Amelia Dimoldenberg and actor Julia Fox. Its crowning moment, however, was a triumphant, joyously chaotic performance at the 2025 Glastonbury Festival, which felt like a celebratory explosion of the album's spirit.
CMAT has called this album "the most important" she has made, representing a breakup with an old version of herself. While she questions whether such a punishing creative process is sustainable, Euro-Country stands as a definitive high-water mark not only in her career but for pop music in 2025. It is the triumphant work of a truly inimitable artist, proving the power of a unique voice in an often homogenised industry.
