{"id":93334,"date":"2026-01-16T16:24:26","date_gmt":"2026-01-16T16:24:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nijimagazine.com\/?p=93334"},"modified":"2026-01-16T16:24:30","modified_gmt":"2026-01-16T16:24:30","slug":"cormac-finds-his-voice-on-reflective-new-single-defenceless","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nijimagazine.com\/2026\/01\/cormac-finds-his-voice-on-reflective-new-single-defenceless\/","title":{"rendered":"Cormac finds his voice on reflective new single &#8216;Defenceless&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/04FkTNf51Ac?si=y_dzw-V8YO42_eN9\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Cormac is entering a defining new chapter. The UK based singer\u2019s latest single <a href=\"https:\/\/ffm.bio\/8xvn9mb?utm_source=ig&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_content=link_in_bio&amp;fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMjU2MjgxMDQwNTU4AAGnE_22bgzv1TAc_4CArQkrHfjJK6VQ7WYejBCBf5AFgMd_kE-EyvLR3Qug2L8_aem_6Q3Rhtz-I8MWuDIYUBshfA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u201cDefenceless\u201d<\/a> marks a clear shift away from covers and classical crossover, firmly placing his sound within contemporary pop and, more importantly, within his own voice.<\/p>\n<p>Having grown up sharing his talent online, Cormac has spent years learning what works and what no longer fits. \u201cDefenceless\u201d represents that realisation in song form, capturing an artist consciously moving forward rather than being shaped by past expectations.<\/p>\n<p>In 2020, at just 11 years old, Cormac signed a one album deal with Decca. From the age of 12, he has released music independently, gaining early exposure to the industry while also being subtly boxed into assumptions about a classical future. While that chapter brought recognition and awards, it no longer reflects who he is today.<\/p>\n<p>Instead of allowing that history to define him, Cormac is facing it head on. He is actively rebuilding his sound, his audience, and his creative direction on his own terms. Part of that process includes retraining the algorithms that still categorise him based on earlier releases, a challenge he is navigating as he effectively starts again.<\/p>\n<p>His ambition is clear. Cormac wants to return to major stages such as the London Palladium and the Royal Albert Hall, this time through original music that connects audiences with who he is now, not who they once assumed he would become.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_93338\" style=\"width: 660px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-93338\" class=\"wp-image-93338\" src=\"https:\/\/nijimagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Cormac-in-Belfast-25-4.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"650\" height=\"975\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nijimagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Cormac-in-Belfast-25-4.jpg 700w, https:\/\/nijimagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Cormac-in-Belfast-25-4-267x400.jpg 267w, https:\/\/nijimagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Cormac-in-Belfast-25-4-347x520.jpg 347w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-93338\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo credit: @tracysteelephotography<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Written as Cormac began focusing more seriously on original material, \u201cDefenceless\u201d reflects the uncertainty of being a teenage boy today. The song explores the tension between wanting to be emotionally open and not always knowing how that looks in real life. It is a direct and honest piece of writing about second guessing yourself, learning resilience, and figuring things out in real time.<\/p>\n<p>Co written with Henry Maybury and producer Jon Cohen, the track keeps its focus firmly on vocal and lyric. The production is deliberately understated, giving the song space to breathe and allowing the emotion to come through without overstatement. Rather than leaning into drama, \u201cDefenceless\u201d feels reflective and grounded, offering a snapshot of where Cormac is both personally and creatively.<\/p>\n<p>The song has already gained recognition within the songwriting community, placing as a runner up in the Unsigned Only Songwriting Competition and reaching the finals of the UK Songwriting Contest. Recent releases have also seen steady traction across streaming platforms, radio, and playlists, alongside coverage from publications including Wonderland, Earmilk, and NOTION.<\/p>\n<p>Now based in Lancashire, Cormac is no longer trying to fit an expectation. With <a href=\"https:\/\/ffm.bio\/8xvn9mb?utm_source=ig&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_content=link_in_bio&amp;fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMjU2MjgxMDQwNTU4AAGnE_22bgzv1TAc_4CArQkrHfjJK6VQ7WYejBCBf5AFgMd_kE-EyvLR3Qug2L8_aem_6Q3Rhtz-I8MWuDIYUBshfA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u201cDefenceless\u201d<\/a>, he begins laying foundations for a future defined by authenticity, original songwriting, and a sound that feels true to who he is today.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"border-radius: 12px;\" src=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/embed\/album\/79GQUQEd4tLUMfoEohujuu?utm_source=generator\" width=\"100%\" height=\"352\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-testid=\"embed-iframe\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>Connect with Cormac<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/itscormac_\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Instagram<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@itscormac_\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">TikTok<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@CormacThompson\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">YouTube<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Photo Credit: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tracysteelephotography.co.uk\/?utm_source=ig&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_content=link_in_bio&amp;fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMjU2MjgxMDQwNTU4AAGna-33VSSiYM8-VUYSBsBPt3w5Q16iv5bXhgGQ04Pobtahm2RgKq06R1ZWCJc_aem_pNTda5sfWGznvbw5J5VbUA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Tracy Steele Photography<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Cormac is entering a defining new chapter. The UK based singer\u2019s latest single \u201cDefenceless\u201d marks a clear shift away from covers and classical crossover, firmly placing his sound within contemporary pop and, more importantly, within his own voice. Having grown up sharing his talent online, Cormac has spent years learning what works and what no [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":93340,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[4080,1],"tags":[1258,5611,190,632,853,854],"class_list":{"0":"post-93334","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-introducing","8":"category-music","9":"tag-introducing-tag","10":"tag-music-blog","11":"tag-new-music","12":"tag-new-video","13":"tag-singer","14":"tag-songwriter"},"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/nijimagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Cormac-in-Belfast-25-4-1.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nijimagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/93334","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nijimagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nijimagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nijimagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nijimagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=93334"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/nijimagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/93334\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":93341,"href":"https:\/\/nijimagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/93334\/revisions\/93341"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nijimagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/93340"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nijimagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=93334"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nijimagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=93334"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nijimagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=93334"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}