Who Is Iyah May? Singer Loses Contract Over ‘Karmageddon’ Song

Singer Iyah May has emerged as the new darling of the political right after her latest track, “Karmageddon,” became a viral hit on social media. The Australian musician, whose stage name is usually stylized in lowercase, has garnered a wave of attention after stating in Instagram posts that her management dropped her because she refused to change certain lyrics in the song. In the song, May rails against “big pharma,” a “man-made virus,” “cancel culture,” and a war that she brands “genocide.” Erasing any doubt about the lyrical targets, May’s website describes the track as “addressing the pandemic narrative, corruption within political, pharmaceutical, and health institutions, the Israel-Palestine conflict, violence against women and the social chaos that has swept through the world in the past few years.” Australian singer-songwriter Iyah May is pictured in the video for her new track “Karmageddon.” The track has garnered much attention in recent weeks. Australian singer-songwriter Iyah May is pictured in the video for her new track “Karmageddon.” The track has garnered much attention in recent weeks. Iyah May/Instagram “While Karmageddon has sparked significant conversation and controversy, Iyah has stood her ground,” the website shares. “She refused to compromise her vision when asked to change a key lyric line, leading to the end of her contract with her manager. She chose to walk away from her record label and now, fully independent, Iyah continues to carve her own path as an artist.” The track has caught the attention of those on the right, with Ryan Fournier, a political activist and chair of Students for Trump, this week sharing a clip of the song on X, formerly Twitter. “Meet Iyah May,” he captioned the video. “She is an Australian based singer who just lost a contract with her management company because she refused to change these lyrics. It’s amazing!” Newsweek has contacted May via social media for comment. Meet Iyah May. She is an Australian based singer who just lost a contract with her management company because she refused to change these lyrics. It’s amazing! ?? pic.twitter.com/wnTLKCalY4 — Ryan Fournier (@RyanAFournier) December 30, 2024 Who Is Iyah May? May, whose given name is Marguerite Clark, was born Cairns, Queensland, before moving to Brisbane in the same state. Per her website, May was raised in a “tiny rainforest village in Far North Queensland, Australia, by her mother and older sisters.” Her musical journey, states the site, “began as a broke medical student researching HIV in New York. A chance ride in an NYPD car to rapper Shaggy’s house, where she performed a cover song and ate his hummus, marked the start of her solo career.” On Instagram, there are video clips of May working as a medical doctor, which she says she worked as full-time during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. View this post on Instagram A post shared by iyah may (@iyahmayhem) Sharing a photo of herself in scrubs and protective gear at a medical facility in April 2020, May wrote: “So I’ve gone back to working as a doctor full-time in Emergency while we get through covid which means I have less time to work on my music and share stuff with you guys so that does make me sad, but I’m grateful I can offer something else in another way.” At the time, she vowed that she would continue writing and creating. Initially recording as Mayah before adopting her current stage name in 2018, May says that her favorite music genres are pop, R&B, hip-hop, classical, while the album she enjoys the most is The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill by Lauryn Hill. Now based in Sydney, May has dedicated a flood of social media posts to her latest track, “Karmageddon” in recent weeks. “My manager ended our contract because I wouldn’t change these lyrics,” she wrote on Instagram in November. “It would mean so much if you could help me share this around.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by iyah may (@iyahmayhem) Returning to the platform late December, she expressed gratitude to fans for their support. “Thank you for getting behind this track with me,” read the post. “It’s been a journey to get this song out there and there were people who tried to stop this from happening. It’s crazy how CRAZY speaking truth can make people. Since when is so much of the world desensitized to lies and so agitated by truth. “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.” “To me this shows that sooo many of us have felt unseen, excluded, confused and disheartened during the last few years,” she continued. “I hear you, I see you and you’re not alone. “This song is an anthem for all of you and for anyone who just wants a better world, a peaceful world and for all these horrendous disgusting injustices to STOP. We the people have the power. Trust in your integrity, trust in God’s work.” Iyah May ‘Karmageddon’ Lyrics in Full [Intro]I open up my phone on a Monday mornin’Starin’ at my screen, I’m tired and a little lonelyMr. Musk, he said some s***, the lefts are angryTwitter wars and Gaza, man, it’s overwhelmingMaybe that’s how life becomes when [Verse 1]People less important than a profit lineNo one cares about your dreams, just pay your tax on timeKeep scrollin’Hold me near to you now [Verse 2]Gender, guns, religion, and abortion rightsYou better pick a tribe and hate the other sideKeep scrollin’(But did you see Taylor live?) [Chorus]Man-made virus, watch the millions dieBigg?st profit of their livesHer?’s inflation, that’s your prizeThis is Karmageddon Turn on the news and eat their liesKim or Kanye, pick a sideCancel culture, what a vibeThis is Karmageddon Corporations swear they never liePoliticians bribed for lifeMore than war, it’s genocideThis is Karmageddon Welcome to the chaos of the timesIf you go left and I go rightPray we make it out aliveThis is Karmageddon [Verse 3]It’s fashion week, celebs lose ribsBalenciaga, how’s the kids?Just ask Drake, he’s losing beefKendrick killed him in his sleep [Verse 4]Diss tracks about beatin’ up your queenWhile women dyin’ doesn’t cause a sceneWhile we’re fed all these distractionsKids are killed from Israel’s actions [Bridge]I’ma speak my mindSick to death of all these crazy liesA circus for humanity’s declineWe just want a peaceful lifeGive the people back their rightsAnd I’ve still got a beefCause Fauci’s laughin’ and we’ve been asleepAnd WHO’s a liar and it’s runnin’ deepBig pharma finna eatThey a devil, make ’em weak [Chorus]Man-made virus, watch the millions dieBiggest profit of their livesHere’s inflation, that’s your prizeThis is Karmageddon Turn on the news and eat their liesKim or Kanye, pick a sideCancel culture, what a vibeThis is Karmageddon Corporations swear they never liePoliticians bribed for lifeMore than war, it’s genocideThis is Karmageddon Welcome to the chaos of the timesIf you go left and I go rightPray we make it out aliveThis is Karmageddon