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Nilüfer Yanya


Born: 1995
Location: London, England
Genre: Indie Rock, Bedroom Pop, Pop
Years Active: 2014 -
Real Name: Nilüfer Yanya
Meaning of the Name:
Way of Working: Works with producers

Essential Releases

Nilufer Yanya - Miss Universe

Miss Universe (2019)

Concept album about a how wellness industry.

Nilufer Yanya - PAINLESS

PAINLESS (2022)

Introduces more rock elements. Bittersweet.


With a discerning blend of pop and jazz filtered through an indie rock lens, Nilüfer Yanya established herself as an exciting young musician early in her career. Initially uploading songs to Soundcloud, she was quickly signed to the British indie label Blue Flowers and released her debut EP, Small Crimes (2016), at the tender age of 20.

Her ability to merge unconnected styles flourished over time. She incorporated folk ('Like I Say (I Runaway)') and even punk ('Stabilise') on later albums, transgressing traditional genre boundaries and appealing to young fans raised on the sugary rush of Spotify playlists. Treating attention as a valuable commodity, such listeners were satisfied by Yanya's unpredictable buffet of music.

Yanya's fascination with sonic variety began in her parents home. Born to a Turkish father and an Irish-Caribbean mother, she sang along to Celtic folk as a child: "I’ve got lots of memories of when I was younger in Ireland." The title of her debut album, Miss Universe, subtly acknowledges this rich heritage and is a reflection of an increasingly multi-cultural world.

"I feel like I’m from London and from the UK, but then I don’t have any English ancestry so I don’t necessarily feel connected to England. It is more just like I’m part of the story of travel, colonialism?" (Yanya talking to The Irish World)

Consequently, this combination of cultural and technological factors resulted in Yanya's music feeling both new and familiar at the same time, as it effectively reconfigures pre-existing elements into new forms. It's a sonic equivalent of creating a rainbow from the basic colours of red, green and blue, but simply having the colours isn't enough; you have to be able to paint.

Knowing that albums are coherent pieces of work instead of a mere collection of songs, Nilüfer Yanya ties them together with persistent themes. Miss Universe takes aim at a fictional health and wellness company, WWAY Health, which encourages women to undergo cosmetic procedures to "fix" themselves. It actually operates a cyclical business model of inadequacy, "treatment", brief respite, anxiety, and eventual return to inadequacy, which just so happens to maximise profits.

"You are now entering a high temperature zone. It is advised you wear the gloves and goggles provided at all times. Failure to do so may cause body parts to melt. WWAY HEALTH™ cannot be held accountable for any injuries or fatalities that may or may not occur." (from 'Warning')

The album My Method Actor uses a similar overarching theme, comparing life as a musician with method acting, to explore concepts of identity and authenticity. For example, despite being in a happy relationship, an artist might have to "perform" songs about heartbreak, often written when such feelings were at their most intense. Singers can have difficulty getting into the headspace necessary to make an audience feel genuine emotion; years, or even decades, later, the performances can feel flat.

"I mean it, and I don't feel it. It's just too strong. Gave you everything, it's gone" (from 'Method Actor').

Authentically expressing her inauthenticity marks Yanya's work as post-modern because it challenges binary modes of thought. She breaks standard conventions and follows them simultaneously by using genre-fluidity to play with the idea of what an album should be, while also adhering to the established notion that albums should be cohesive bodies of work. Hopefully, she releases more nuanced, multi-faceted music in the years to come.


Skills

*This is a work in progress. Values are subjective.

Emotional Impact

i Does it connect with the heart? What does it make you feel and how much of it?
60

Mental Impact

i Does it connect with the head? Social issues, interesting observations, clever lyrics, similies etc.
70

Originality

i Are they unique? Did they break new ground, use new techniques or create new genres.
80

Artistry

i Using creativity and imagination to present themselves in a unique way. Example, Wu-Tang Clan as Shaolin and Marvel characters etc.
85

Authenticity

i Do they really mean what they say? Is it autobiographical, personal?
65

Live

i Stage presence, working the crowd, performance, live sets sounding like recorded versions (or improved). Miming, forgetting lyrics reduce this.
85

Production

i Studio techniques. More important for electronic music including hip hop.
75

Musicianship

i Their ability to play individually and as a group. Technical skills. DJing. Freestyling for hip hop.
85

Singing

i Technical attributes.
80

Songwriting

i Storytelling. Cohesive themes. Is the song about something? Stan by Eminem is an example of excellent songwriting.
85

Danceability

i Does it make you move? Do you tap your foot, nod your head or move your whole body?
60

Fun

i Is listening to it a good time? Are the lyrics funny? Depressing themes lowers value.
60

Consistency

i Have they put out good music across their careers. Two good albums and 5 band ones will reduce this value.
85

Range

i Fast, slow, ballads, party jams. Do they go beyond their own genre?
90

Cool

i Laid-back, icy detachment, unflustered.
65

Charisma

i Factors include appearance, force of personality. Elvis making people faint etc.
55

Commercial & Critical Success

Awards

Certifications

Charts

Critics >>>

  • Pitchfork: Miss Universe Best Albums of 2019: #37
  • Pitchfork: PAINLESS Best Albums of 2022 : #16
  • Pitchfork: My Method Actor Best Albums of 2024 : #13
  • Slant: PAINLESS Best Albums of 2022 : #11
  • Under the Radar: PAINLESS Best Albums of 2022 : #6
  • Under the Radar: My Method Actor Best Albums of 2024 : #2

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