An Australian pop singer and medical doctor says she parted ways with her manager and label after refusing to change the lyrics to a new song that has gone viral.
Iyah May’s “Karmageddon” is a social commentary on recent events impacting Western societies like COVID-19, cancel culture, Big Pharma and vaccine mandates, as well as the ongoing divide between left and right.
May, whose legal name is Marguerite Clark, grew up in tropical North Queensland and is now based in Sydney. During the pandemic, she worked as a medical doctor.
According to May, her manager requested that she change lyrics in her song in order to continue working together.
The song’s chorus features the lyrics: “Man made virus watch the millions die, biggest profit of their lives, here’s inflation that’s your prize, this is Karmageddon.
“Turn on the news and eat their lies, Kim or Kanye pick a side, cancel culture what a vibe, this is Karmageddon.”
Reflecting on the Current World
May said the song reflected her own “helplessness” of the current world.“Fuelled by my own despair over a divided world and deceitful corporations, I channelled my frustration into Karmageddon,” May said in a statement.
“My career as a doctor has been greatly impacted, and I was affected on a deep and personal level.
“For a long time, I felt isolated with my opinions. This song reflects the helplessness many of us feel in these dark times.”
May said she was now working with a small team behind her music and producers.
“Thank you to everyone supporting my song ‘Karmageddon,’” she said.
“As some of you might know I am now an independent artist after I lost my manager because I didn’t change the lyrics of this song, and also left my label.
“Your support means the world.”
May also claimed her song had been “shadow banned” by Facebook because it mentions COVID.
It has, she says, still managed to trend with millions watching snippets of the song on X.
“It’s been a journey to get this song out there and there were people who tried to stop this from happening,” she said.
“It’s crazy how crazy speaking truth can make people.
“Since when is so much of the world desensitised to lies and so agitated by truth.”
May said that while some had disagreed with the song, there had been support as well.
“At first I thought dropping this song would bring me a lot of hate and backlash, and although there has been some controversy including the loss of my music manager, there has been an overwhelming amount of support from people all over the world,” she said.
“To me this shows that so many of us have felt unseen, excluded, confused and disheartened during the last few years.
“I hear you, I see you and you’re not alone.”