Concert Review: Nilüfer Yanya, at The Greek Theater in Los Angeles

Nilüfer Yanya is a UK artist whose music takes me back to walking the streets of London in the fall of 2022, PAINLESS pumping through my earbuds. Crisp air and morning mist met by Yanya's deep, soulful voice that falls with ease. Released just months earlier, this album was my entry point to their music: layered with texture and atmosphere that shifts from cinematic melancholy to bittersweet danceability. Multi-tonal, emotive vocals in contrast to gritty guitar riffs, Yanya’s world is one that's easy to lose yourself in. Since PAINLESS, Yanya has released My Method Actor (2024), along with several singles and an EP, showing how much further she can stretch her kaleidoscopic sound.

Now touring as Alex G’s opener, it was 7:00 pm at The Greek Theater in Los Angeles and Yanya took the stage. Outdoors, surrounded by trees, as the sun set into twilight. It wasn't even half way through her 30-minute set before the crowd that was pouring in became hooked: phones hovered in the air to record, an indicator of people's excitement, and bodies moved in sync with her orbit. It was a scene equally as dreamy as to how Yanya's music resonates. 

Yanya’s performance, while brief, proved how magnetic she is–succinct yet immersive, ethereal yet commanding. And while Yanya still feels like a secret people haven't fully discovered, it won’t be long before that changes. Yanya is gearing up to open for Lorde's world tour soon, and her ascent is inevitable.