I went to Primavera Sound — 1 artist stood out and it wasn't Charli XCX
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.
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