NILÜFER YANYA
Miss Universe
(ATO Records)
Miss Universe is a very well-rounded debut album. Nilüfer Yanya’s style has been described as jazz-pop and yeah, I’d dance to it. But she’s clearly in no mood to be categorized. Otherworldly and painfully human, the album is a hodgepodge of synthesized beats, melancholy guitar, and saxophones. The result is a layered, catchy, and smooth body of work. After “WWAY Health ™” (a mental-health survey of sorts), it’s impossible not to feel something. Every track is mellifluous and heavy with self-dissection. Miss Universe is not to be put in a box, restrained by ribbon and bow. Much like Yanya, it’s unapologetically itself. Not to mention, it’s unequivocally fun. (5/5)
By Rachel Reed
Miss Universe was released March 22, 2019. This article originally appeared in the May/June 2019 print edition of BUST Magazine. Subscribe today!
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