Irish singer-songwriter CMAT has issued a poignant response to the wave of vitriolic, body-shaming commentary that followed her recent appearance at BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend.
Taking to Instagram this past Thursday (May 28), the artist—born Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson—stated she felt compelled to speak out after encountering a surge of abuse directed at her physical appearance following her performance in Sunderland, England, on May 24.
“It is profoundly exhausting to continually address the hostile treatment I receive because of my body,” Thompson wrote. “I would prefer to move past this, but the harassment is intensifying in tandem with my growing public profile.”
She further clarified that her appearance is not a calculated statement or a rebellious aesthetic. “I am not intentionally curating this look as some form of punk-rock defiance. I simply possess a body—one that I’ve struggled to change, despite the societal pressure to conform and avoid such cruelty. I don’t get the luxury of choosing to be brave; I am forced to endure this scrutiny.”
To contextualize her frustration, Thompson cited a recent essay from Front Row Feels, which articulates a broader industry problem regarding the objectification of musicians. The piece suggests that the public often rejects the reality of a evolving human in favor of a “static, consumable product” that remains visually and emotionally accessible at all times. This sentiment resonates with the ongoing struggles faced by other artists, including Ariana Grande, Lizzo, Bebe Rexha, and Cynthia Erivo.
CMAT has significantly reduced her social media presence in light of these incidents. Notably, this is not the first time she has faced such hostility; in 2024, the BBC was forced to disable comments on a clip of her performance at the Luton Big Weekend due to similar toxicity.
Reflecting on her career, she expressed both gratitude and grief: “I am incredibly happy and thankful to have achieved my dreams after years of relentless hard work—that feeling is unparalleled. Yet, that joy is increasingly marred by the realization that my success would be ‘easier’ to enjoy if I fit the industry’s narrow standards for thinness.”
The post has garnered significant support from the music community. Fellow artist Olivia Dean stood in solidarity with her, while Brandi Carlile offered a spirited defense: “It’s been a while since I was in a bar fight, but I’d happily start one over CMAT.”
CMAT’s recent album, Euro-Country, which features the track “Take A Sexy Picture of Me”—a song directly addressing body image—recently earned the top prize at the Ivor Novello Awards on May 21.
