CMAT Just Said What Most Pop Stars Won’t

When CMAT won Best Album at the Ivor Novello Awards, she used her acceptance speech to challenge fellow artists to stop “sitting on the fence” as fascism and far-right politics continue to rise across Britain and Ireland.It was a speech that immediately made headlines. But this episode isn’t really about one speech.It’s about the role artists play during moments of political and social tension.From Euro-Country and its examination of post-Celtic Tiger Ireland, to her support of drag culture at the Choice Music Prize, CMAT’s intervention at the Ivors didn’t come from nowhere. It was the latest expression of ideas that have been present throughout her work for years.This episode explores the speech itself, the atmosphere in which it was delivered, and a bigger question that sits at the heart of modern music culture