My Method Actor by Nilüfer Yanya

I remember seeing the artist at #17 – London, England’s Nilüfer Yanya – back in 2019 when she was promoting her debut album, Miss Universe, by opening for Sharon van Etten’s national tour. Yanya made quite the impression on van Etten to ask her to open the tour, and on the crowd in attendance. It’s not an easy feat to open for a powerhouse like van Etten, but Yanya filled the spot easily.

Because of that performance, I’ve been tracking her career for five years, and I’m so glad to report that the strength of that opening act five years ago is finally translating to a recorded version that has ascended to a place on the Top 31. My Method Actor, Yanya’s third album, is fantastic. Her sound falls into the quieter side of Sharon van Etten, or somewhere alongside Mitski. Not as pop-y as Japanese Breakfast, and also not as unexpected as Naima Bock back at #23, My Method Actor is a perfect gem of an album.

Yanya, born to an Irish/Barbadian mother and Turkish father, was (according to Wikipedia) named after a Turkish pop singer from the 90s who went by the singular “Nilüfer.” Turkish and classical music were the most common sounds that Yanya grew up with, and she is apparently starting to embrace her Turkish heritage even more by learning the language.

My Method Actor was produced by Yanya’s longtime production partner Will Archer, who cowrote the songs and plays nearly every instrument on the record. Yanya’s voice is often doubled throughout the album, to give her a more full sound. “Like I Say (I runaway)” (featured above) is my favorite track on the album, evoking St. Vincent in its rhythm and loud treatment of the chorus. Yanya has released a couple other videos for the album: the title song “Method Actor” and the lovely acoustic-guitar driven “Just a Western.”

If you’re a fan of any of the strong female voices I’ve mentioned above, then you need to be listening to Nilüfer Yanya. Much like Doechii from yesterday, I suspect Yanya is just getting started. I’m excited to hear where she takes us next.