Irish singer CMAT reports she is still experiencing online abuse stemming from fat-shaming comments made about her appearance at a festival last year, prompting her to write a single in response.
Speaking with BBC News at Glastonbury, the 29-year-old revealed the severity of the online harassment has led her to remove TikTok from her phone.
The singer, whose real name is Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson, shared these details following her Friday afternoon performance on the Pyramid stage, where her powerful vocals and dynamic stage presence captivated the festival audience.
A significant crowd of fans joined in dancing to her single “Take A Sexy Picture Of Me,” a direct response to last year’s fat-shaming incident that subsequently went viral on TikTok.
Prior to performing the song, CMAT addressed the abuse she says she received the previous year.
“Lots of people would come and film us on their phone. The comments section was filled with very nasty comments about my physical appearance,” she stated.
The crowd responded with boos, and many attendees voiced their support, shouting affirmations such as “you’re stunning” back to her.
Following her set, in a backstage interview, she confirmed the persistence of online abuse.
“Oh yeah. Oh yeah. Oh yeah. I’m not allowed to really have TikTok on my phone or anything,” she disclosed.
“Every day, people will leave terrible terrible comments under my TikToks and posts and stuff.”
“But they have their full face and full name attached to it. They’re just saying terrible things knowing that they’re backing it up with their online footprints.”
She conceded that to some extent, “we’ve all actually done it” due to the widespread “desensitisation” towards online posting.
“I think a lot of people do it unaware that people are actually reading this stuff,” she commented.
“Take A Sexy Picture Of Me,” the second single from her forthcoming album “Euro Country,” explores the challenges women face in the public eye.
The track opens with CMAT recounting her attempts to wax her legs at age nine and how the pressure to be attractive has led to “a horrible time of late.”
The lyrics are juxtaposed with upbeat hooks and the tongue-in-cheek proposal of having someone “take a sexy picture.”
CMAT expressed mixed feelings regarding the song’s reception.
“It’s just sad that so many people are like, yeah relatable, totally get you, really relate to this song about ageing out of commercial attraction and people being mean to me about my physical appearance,” she lamented.
“It’s a double-edged sword, like I don’t know if it’s good that so many people relate to it but I’m glad that it’s there.”
She also conveyed her appreciation for the dance routine created to accompany the song.
“I think it’s doubling down on the ridiculousness of the situation, and I like that if you are someone who has related to the song in some way, you are able to physically manifest how you relate to it.”
CMAT’s performance on the Pyramid Stage evoked laughter, tears, and dancing among fans as she delivered a series of her hit songs.
Speaking a few hours later, she conveyed that she was still “in shock” at the reaction to her set.
“It’s taken my entire life [to get to Pyramid Stage],” she said. “It’s constantly grafting.”
“I also begged Emily Eavis,” she added, referring to the festival’s organiser.
CMAT concluded her set with a memorable moment, parting the crowd and engaging with fans as everyone passionately sang the lyrics I just can’t do it from the song “Stay for Something.”
Despite it being only Friday, this performance is already shaping up to be one of the defining moments of Glastonbury 2025.
Artists invest significant effort in reaching the Pyramid Stage, and the stage itself can be pivotal in elevating artists’ careers. CMAT’s performance felt like a prime example of this phenomenon.
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