Australian singer and doctor, Iyah May, has stirred the pot with her provocative song Karmageddon, which addresses the political divide in society, corporate greed and public apathy. The song’s socially critical lyrics led to her manager leaving her after she refused to make changes.
Iyah May, born Marguerite Clark in 1990 in Cairns, Queensland, Australia, initially pursued a career in medicine and trained as a doctor. Music entered the picture while she was a medical student in New York, where a meeting with rapper Shaggy led to her performing with him. This inspired her to focus on music instead of a medical career, as reported by ProtectNFM.
At the same time, as the coronavirus crisis was in full bloom, May went back to work full-time as an emergency room doctor, putting her music on hold for a while.
“Man-made virus”
In 2024, she released the song Karmageddon, which criticizes social issues such as political corruption, abortion, the Israel-Palestine conflict, corporate greed, media manipulation and cancel culture. It places a strong emphasis on the influence of big pharmaceutical companies and their role in shaping public health narratives, with the text mentioning, among other things, “man made viruses” in reference to the companies.
“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”, reads part of the chorus.
May says that her background as a doctor, and in particular her experiences working on the frontline during the coronavirus crisis, have greatly influenced her song lyrics. She highlights issues she witnessed first-hand as a doctor, such as inequalities in healthcare and social exploitation.
“Fuelled by my own despair over a divided world and deceitful corporations, I channelled my frustration into Karmageddon. My career as a doctor has been greatly impacted, and I was affected on a deep and personal level”, May says of the song on her website.
Despite the dark tone of Karmageddon, May describes the song as “a message of hope and unity” where art can be a way to inspire and even heal. Karmageddon is a call to confront social divisions and to unite. At the time of writing, the song has received 1.5 million views on YouTube since its release in December.
Manager wanted to change the song
Karmageddon has received a lot of attention, with both appreciation for the song’s straightforward content and backlash. May’s manager wanted her to change the lyrics because of its “controversial” content but May chose to stand up for her song instead, leading her manager to terminate her contract, reports Where is the Buzz.
“I wish this story wasn’t true but it is”, May wrote in a post on social media. “My manager didn’t agree with the lyrics in my song and refused to work with me and support me until I changed the lyrics. So I said, ‘bye’”.
While artists often believe that it is difficult to succeed without the support of a management team, May has found that she has received more attention since. Fans have rallied around the artist, sharing the song widely and celebrating its unapologetic honesty.
“I’m not the only one feeling this way”, May wrote in another post.
May continues to forge her own path as a fully independent artist and has hinted that there is an upcoming EP on the way in 2025, but not given much detail around it. However, it seems that for the time being, she has put her medical career on the back burner and is now planning to make a full commitment to music again.
