music
December 18, 2025
The 50 best albums of 2025: No 2
Furiously angry and uproariously witty, the Irish singer’s third album was a high-water mark for pop, inspiring a TikTok dance craze and a triumphant set at Glastonbury
TL;DR
- CMAT experienced a severe mental breakdown, including hallucinations, during the writing and recording of her third album, Euro-Country.
- Despite the difficult creation process, Euro-Country is characterized as a supremely assured work where CMAT's songwriting has reached a new peak.
- The album moves beyond CMAT's debut country-infused style into territory touching on jazz, alt-rock, and pop.
- Euro-Country masterfully addresses serious topics such as body-shaming, mental health, and Irish identity with a light, witty touch and catchy melodies.
- The album critically examined the human cost of the 2008 financial crisis in Ireland and even sparked a viral TikTok dance craze.
- CMAT views Euro-Country as "the most important album I’ve made" and a symbolic "breaking up with an old version of myself."
- The album is considered a high-water mark in CMAT's career and in pop music for 2025, representing the power of forging a unique identity.
Continue reading the original article