The unwavering greatness of Nilüfer Yanya

Nilüfer Yanya spent last weekend trying very hard not to be stressed. This was no small feat, given the 29-year-old was then on the cusp of releasing her third album My Method Actor, which dropped today via Ninja Tune. Nevertheless, she tried her best, staying at her mum’s and boyfriend’s homes in an effort to quash those pre-release nerves.

“I was trying not to be in my own space, not thinking about what I needed to do,” she says.

Not that there was anything to worry about – My Method Actor speaks for itself. Tied together by the West Londoner’s smokey, unmistakable vocals, the album balances sparse instrumentation with soaring strings and dramatic guitar riffs. There’s a quiet emotional devastation nestled in her lyrics, too, a skill that’s been fine-tuned since her 2019 debut LP, Miss Universe, followed by 2022’s Painless. Both were critically acclaimed albums that singled Nilüfer out as a musician who couches poetry into subtle melodies.

“People like you and me get jaded/​People like us, our dreams get faded/​Why go back so soon?/What do you keep in that room?” she sings on the title track Method Actor, the first song Nilüfer and her close collaborator Wilma Archer wrote together.

“We made the record just the two of us, no one writing with us, no production from anyone else,” she says. ​“That was a big deal for me, because I’ve been quite scared of doing that before. I didn’t want anyone else to own the process as much as me, from an ego point of view. But I’ve come to learn that’s also a part of making music. That was the seed.”

Writing My Method Actor, then, was an exercise in self-discovery, one punctuated by desire, longing and wanting. Nilüfer’s last two projects were largely fuelled by a need to prove that she could do it – be a successful musician, perform great live sets, write songs that meant something to her fans.

“There was a bit of unhingedness to everything I was doing because of that. That’s what drove me,” she says. ​“Now I’m in a different place where I’m trying to figure out where that creative drive is coming from, because I still want to make music. There has to be a real reason that’s separate from my ego. So I’m reflecting on that.” If My Method Actor is the product of all this contemplation, we’ll take it.

“It’s a real privilege to do what I do,” she says. ​“Connecting with other people is amazing. It’s a very honest way of working.”

What’s a bad habit you wish you could kick?

Negative thoughts about many things, but particularly myself. It’s so easy to get trapped in a cycle and, for creativity, it’s rubbish. Critique is good, but negativity isn’t.

Love, like, hate?

I like getting up early these days. I hate rushing around, rushing things, rushing for the sake of it. But I also love rushing around.

What’s your phone screensaver?

It’s a photo of an outside shower on a beach in Greece. They have them everywhere – I’m obsessed. Outside showers are the ultimate luxury.

Favourite song of all time?

My favourite song at the moment is Crucify by Tori Amos. I’ve had it on repeat for a few months and I’m not sick of it, which is a good sign.

What do you think about when you’re in the shower?

I think about water a lot, actually – its direction, how wasteful it is. I can’t help it. You might relate if your parents ever shouted at you about this kind of thing. I can never fully relax and take a really long shower! It’s quite logistical sometimes in the shower, too, trying not to slip…

What would you most like to be reincarnated as?

A bird or a mountain. A mountain, because you’d be there for a while. But I’ve also always wanted to fly.

What’s your go-to karaoke song?

Torn by Natalie Imbruglia.

What’s your most treasured possession?

I love my keychain. Every time I see it when I walk downstairs, I feel so happy.

Any memorable fan interactions?

There are really nice ones and really intense ones as well. Anything anyone says that’s meaningful is memorable. Once, my dentist messaged me after my appointment and was like, I thought it was you but I didn’t wanna say! She’s really cool as well, so I was happy.

What can artists do to help save the world?

Probably lots of things, but sticking with their people and not being whisked away into the madness. You can make something really meaningful and powerful, and then your actions or the way you live can contradict that. Staying grounded in your community is important.