Who are your favourite Enya WANNABES?

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Though I don't find myself listening to Loreena McKennitt often (and as clarified in this video interview, she isn't really an Enya wannabe if she actually wanted to be a vet or nature conservationist ) I did rather like this track when it appeared on Spotify

 

[Shoat]

I do enjoy the inference that Loreena McKennitt might not belong in the Enya Wannabe thread, when Iyaz, Rihanna, Michelle Collins, and the Cheeky Girls have all been accepted without question

 

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I know there are many cats named Enya but
this is probably a favourite wannabe

https://odas.org/enya-ready-for-adoption/

Spoiler: This page 🐈‍⬛️

If I lived alone, near to the respective location, I would adopt.

 

[disneyteletubby]

Also Natalie Imbruglia

Imbruglia's best is Shiver

I was listening to a couple of her lesser-talked about songs* from White Lillies Island (2001) and only recently I realised these album titles are similar:

Ironically, Natalie Imbruglia's was way more dark, at least lyrically, than Dark Sky Island gets.
And just now I found out it's named after this property Nat bought in 2000 (which was on sale in 2023).

Enya named Manderley (which she still resides in) after the fictional house in Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca, which somehow makes more sense. May not have been to Sark but Enya did see dark enough skies in her lifetime to see the stars like that.

*Anyway, for these two Natalie Imbruglia songs I've listened to in particular:




the themes are kind of similar to some Enya sings (especially the translation of these earlier Enya songs in Irish - 'S fagaim mo bhaile and Na Laetha Geal M'óige)

Anyway for That Day, a marvellous song and brilliant album opening track, I discovered it a few days ago from some TOTP compilation, she's really good at it live.
Never mind Pan's people, like with several Enya performances (though I'm not sure she's done live there) Japan performances are better.


And a bit from my Moopy pinnacle of interest, guessing my Spotify artists of the last 6 months at the time :-D

No but Natalie Imbruglia was at some point. I was listening to her moments before I discovered Enya

That fateful day

That day indeed

 

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I randomly revisited the song, and thought to look up some more Michelle Collins clips and lo and behold! Just found a random one I've never seen before, skipped forward to a random bit, and some of Enya's China Roses plays in the background


The programme's called Two-Thousand Acres of Sky, and seems fitting to feature some Enya (not sure if it's in the show or just this interview/behind-the-scenes) but this little connection with a non-single Enya song was nice to find.

 

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Another surprise Enya mention from a recent article

Spoiler: Towards the end of this screenshot

I don't consider Daniel Bedingfield a favourite (nor an Enya wannabe) but I like Gotta Get Thru This and If You're Not The One. His vocal range is quite good too (I though it was a woman singing )

At some point I mixed Echoes in Rain and Trains and Winter Rains with Gotta Get Thru This, but that's the only link I made (plus the latter Enya song was filmed around the same railway bit, DLR, and Canary Wharf).

I became more interested in UK garage shortly after discovering the song's name (in 2022, quite late!) This article was nice too

Daniel Bedingfield on the story behind ‘Gotta Get Thru This’

Daniel Bedingfield talks the making of UK garage’s ultimate anthem – from rollerblading over Tower Bridge to the GRAMMYs

discover.ticketmaster.co.uk

The new song snippets, especially considering his revelations, are a little too plain, even with the AI footage But his approach to making music and gathering inspiration is decent, stepping away for a bit, kind of like Enya.

It's not exactly comparable, and Enya's quality of music is more certain, but I hope her new music will be good4u instead.

 

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Aurora Aksnes, she is a bit of an Enya wannabe

I just got recommended her new song (I think) The Weight of Missing, which I figured kind of samples/interpolates Enya's song (Grammy-nominated instrumental ) Drifting


I like her voice in this ♡

and an extract of Enya's, of course


Also this interview was from 2019, definitely a fan of Enya:

Of course, she likes more than Enya though.


I've read some say she is "Enya with a personality" which is a bit harsh.
Aurora may be more quirky, but not exactly classy.

This is a clip from an interview from a couple of months ago:


I first heard her in that John Lewis advert with a cover nicer than the original:



Also the Frozen II voice was cool to hear her sing that

Aurora seems to be more about expression, closer to Björk or Kate Bush, often something more visceral and dark, whilst appearing/sounding soft and somewhat cutesy.
With Enya it's more subdued, more about the emotional content within, and different personalities all get something from her music.

I know she has done several songs since these, I'm neutral about them, but Aurora seems a sweet person, and like Enya, dedicated to her music and art.

 

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I just found out about this singer, Lido Pimienta, as Enya was mentioned by her:

She's apparently been around releasing music since 2010, and has a more classical-type album, also shared on the Grammy site:

I thought she sounds more like Nelly Furtado, the more Portuguese or Spanish influences (she is Colombian) and her voice, then I read her Wikipedia saying she's a close friend of Nelly Furtado, so maybe that explains it.

 

[disneyteletubby]

The horse, not the rider

Also this one that some were wondering which one was Enya

 

[AGinAg (37)]

Benjamin Netanyahu

 

[disneyteletubby]

If one must go down the route of selecting a notorious world leader in modern history, then Osama Bin Laden.

Spoiler: Article and random excerpts

Osama Bin Laden: Mother Alia Ghanem remembers 'good child'

Alia Ghanem gives her first interview, saying she was "upset" that her son became al-Qaeda leader.

www.bbc.co.uk

(I had no idea before this that Al-Qaeda was founded in 1988 )

 

[Sardonicus]

If one must go down the route of selecting a notorious world leader in modern history, then Osama Bin Laden.

Spoiler: Article and random excerpts

Osama Bin Laden: Mother Alia Ghanem remembers 'good child'

Alia Ghanem gives her first interview, saying she was "upset" that her son became al-Qaeda leader.

www.bbc.co.uk

View attachment 36807
View attachment 36808

(I had no idea before this that Al-Qaeda was founded in 1988 )

OK I really do NEED TO KNOW why Osama Bin Laden is the closest thing to an ENYA WANNABE amongst notorious world figures in recent times //

 

[disneyteletubby]

Eny-way there's this Irish politician Norma Foley mentioned frequently as an Enya wannabe (not quite as notorious, nor a world leader, but still)

It's more of a Theresa May thing with the heavy pearl/beaded necklace; Enya keeps the pearls subtle and would never wear a spider brooch

 

[Shoat]

OK I really do NEED TO KNOW why Osama Bin Laden is the closest thing to an ENYA WANNABE amongst notorious world figures in recent times //

Both did profiteer from 9/11

 

[disneyteletubby]

I was thinking along the lines of that in some of the most surreal (different) ways...

 

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And these too

Tasmin Archer remains my actual favourite of all these 'Enya Wannabes' She has remained very true to herself and her music, which is what I regard most similar. ♡
There's a cool 1993 documentary about her career that I finished watching a few days ago

Spoiler: (first and final part of 6; same channel)

She is naturally great at singing on stage though, nothing wannabe there!


♡

and I have learnt that Tasmin, though not exactly shy, is even more fame-averse than Enya (and far less eager to get a UK #1, haha).
Also just found this 1993 article which vaguely reminds me of this 1992 Enya article.
I look forward to her new album A Cauldron of Random Notes in 11 days or so, and I can only hope Enya releases some new song(s) shortly after.

 

[disneyteletubby]

Obviously they are their own thing but Jedward

[...] Edward is just appreciating the song, and how John does a decent impression of her realising they're watching

Random Mirror article from last year. Maybe it's just the way in-print, but reminds me of when Enya talks about past relationships and being private about them in general.

I like the photos with them.

 

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Can't really call her a wannabe but I did see this 1996 photo of Sinéad and thought she was Enya for a second.

Spoiler: This late 1980s photo of Enya in particular

 

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I saw her on the Pottery Throwdown, didn't think much of her there, but I bet Siobhan McSweeney is a great presenter on The Traitors Ireland!

Enya and a 1916 rebel inspired Siobhán McSweeney's Traitor's role

Enya and a 1916 rebel inspired Siobhán McSweeney's Traitor's role

www.rte.ie

I've yet to watch, but I like that she was kind of inspired by Enya costume-wise

‘A mix of Enya and Countess Markievicz’: Siobhán McSweeney dresses up for The Traitors

‘You can’t wear jeans and a nice top in a castle,’ says the presenter of the Irish version the TV show

www.irishtimes.com

 

[disneyteletubby]

I suppose Miley Cyrus, especially with the sound/image she seems to go for sometimes in her newer songs, seems a bit of an Enya (or ethereal-80s-ish) wannabe. ♡

Flowers, Island, End of the World are ones that come to mind, and also this new one (featuring two of the Fleetwood Mac guys) called Secrets



Beginning of it (visuals/direction) reminds me of Wild Child (and Miley indeed was a wild child around a decade ago )


♡

 

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Speaking of Enya wannabes yet to be mentioned on that thread (will do soon:-) [...] Oklou and FKA twigs

I shall start with FKA twigs, born Tahliah Debrett Barnett.
I did listen to this song a while ago:


after seeing it mentioned in this article about Enya:

Spoiler

Spoiler: New word I learnt from the song

I'd not heard of cunnilingus before this song (was 2022-23 when I first listened)

Also producer Daniel Lopatin, not sure if I've mentioned him here either, but his production seems very Enya-inspired, and I enjoyed that TV ad music in 2020 or so. I'll probably create a separate post to this about his work.

I spent a little while just discovering what else she's done, watched and listened to her recent songs (Eusexua is really good; her music videos are fascinating)! I think I recognised the instrumental from something, but not actually heard the song until today. ♡

Of course, not quite Enya-esque besides the vocals, layering, and creativity in general, but her perspectives seem similar, looking back at older times and knowing that type of spontaneity can't quite be replicated today as well as the thrill of not being known and hanging out elsewhere in the world (Enya is like that in Japan, 'to go unnoticed' )

Spoiler

Imogen Heap is another artist who gets mentioned a lot in relation to Enya but I've not really listened to.

And just to finish off the wannabe confirmation, this from another Pitchfork article:

 

[disneyteletubby]

So then, 'Okay-lou' (born Marylou Vanina Mayniel) is a much more recent discovery (from the post about the upcoming song with twigs called Viscus) and I don't think I've seen any artist with a face this similar to Enya (long hair aside) before (especially Shepherd Moons-era Enya)

(With FKA twigs of course)

Aside from maybe these two photos, and her French upbringing I wouldn't really see her as classy though, more Y2K and urban on the whole.


I am the last 2-3

Spoiler: My best-selling Enya memes

A bit niche but here:

I don't know if Shepherd Moons was underrated, but I think it's got a decent amount of recognition by those who know and love Enya's music.

She has had an online presence for a while, as avril23 on Soundcloud, and her wannabe-ness demonstrated here (just a loop of the intro to Caribbean Blue)

And basically a newer generation French equivalent of Enya with the childhood background and memories

( Enya growing up in Gweedore, playing piano and cello at some point, then getting exposed to more music. Not quite the right era though; Jesus Christ Superstar is probably the most left-field music Enya heard as a child, not sure during her boarding school years besides older siblings, folk etc..)
But honestly if Enya kept her long hair, Oklou would look even more similar to her!



In another interview she has mentioned Enya, and that her mother was more into her.

Spoiler

One speculates wildly that, alongside others, Enya is her donor mother, so her mother took a little more than inspiration haha.
I'm not exactly alone in thinking along those lines

I've yet to listen through to the whole album, but I listened to Blade Bird, simple but nice sounding song:

And this recent performance:

Oklou - blade bird (Live) Paris, Olympia - Prix Joséphine 2025

Bravo à Oklou qui remporte le Prix Joséphine pour son album « choke enough » lors de la cérémonie du Prix Joséphine 2025 le 30 Septembre 2025 à L'Olympia.Lie...

youtu.be

I was unsure if she could sing without the heavy processing, but she's ok(lou) at singing.

Oklou's mannerisms seem a little similar; I suppose similar perspectives too..? (Obviously not with her having a partner and child, even performing pregnant..!)
Enya, on the other hand, said in 2005 "if I was married and had children, I wouldn’t be at this point."
Also way more into pop, and music press i.e. NME cared/cares more for Oklou than Enya when she was new, that could be related to the times. Oklou also seems less of a loner (merry loner:-) even if she makes that 'working on my laptop and keyboard/piano or guitar by myself' stand out more (as an aesthetic anyway).

Before her career there were (early-mid 2010s) some bits and bobs she shared, on Soundcloud, and this

That makes me envision this first concert from Eithne in 1983:

♡

or at least Eithne in the early 1980s just experimenting at the synth by herself.

Overall, I like Oklou, look forward to the new song, and might still listen to her music in a few years' time.

 

[disneyteletubby]

I kind of wish I had a similar short haircut (kind of did at around age 4, thicker hair) but this lady got a nice one

 

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I don't think she was really a 'wannabe' of her sisters but Brídín Brennan (Enya's youngest sister by 7 years or so) released one solo album in 2005

Well now I'd say (appearance-wise as of a few days ago) she is an Enya wannabe

Spoiler: Photos of 2-3 of Enya's sisters

She used to have long red hair, then black, and it seems she cut it (not seen her with a short bob before, besides childhood pictures, bleach blonde 80s hair in this with the 5 sisters ♡).
And (not the one I dared to message yesterday, still waiting haha) she blocked me too. She comes across sweet but two-faced.
Credits to her photgrapher friend Brid though

I get why Enya doesn't go to these events haha

Spoiler: Mildly comical ones

Good old spring water Dee

If Enya made memes she'd pick this as a template

'Sisters sing for their life at public venues, as their middle sister sits in her multi-million castle and happily sings to cats. You thought I wouldn't sell without you, sold nine[ty] million

but I'm curious after Rita mentioned about Enya singing at a different Leo's (bar) on occasion...

Almost there

 

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Oklou Tiny desk concert! and her comment "the desk is tiny"

And it's her (and the choir's) unprocessed voices too, all acoustic, very gentle. ♡ The first song ict (ice-cream truck, wouldn't hear Enya sing about that ) and Harvest Sky with her speech about her grandmother were awesome.

 

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Fátima Bernardes, Brazilian newsreader - I remembered her name today/yesterday. She looked a lot like Enya in the 1990s:

then a bit Susanna Reid with long hair but more youthful and more interesting!

I was looking for 80s clips on YouTube, but came across this, supposedly from a day ago, instead.


She has a TikTok account herself though



This sort of thing happens kind of often on BBC News but I like how it became a meme



(I first heard of her a few years ago; there was a Brazilian Enya fan account that used to be on Twitter, and they edited her dancing to Orinoco Flow. )

 

[disneyteletubby]

So then, 'Okay-lou' (born Marylou Vanina Mayniel) is a much more recent discovery

Overall, I like Oklou [...] might still listen to her music in a few years' time.

I found the article that went with the picture. Besides her music being 'club ready', her being pregnant at the time, and various collaborators, it reads as very Enya-esque circa Shepherd Moons.

Also Pitchfork named her album choke enough as #4 (highest for a female solo artist) for albums of 2025.
(I want to get it but can't seem to find a deluxe/extended CD with the extra 4 tracks. )

 

[disneyteletubby]

Speaking of AI artists, I was recommended this one recently I can hear all three songstresses (Céline Dion, Enya, Whitney Houston) but they kind of vary between songs in intensity.

Spoiler: More (some I like a bit better)

Sometimes (obviously mixed with typical modern sound) it's a bit Enya x Céline by an ebony girl, other times more R&B Whitney x Enya with hints of Céline, or Céline x Whitney with an Enya-ish instrumental. I like it though. This next one (bar the chorus) is probably my favourite, more of the 2nd category.

This is most thought-provoking lyrically





My perception may be off as I've not listened to every bit of Céline's nor Whitney's discography, especially Céline (though I've probably heard her sing comically the most ). Haha, my mum considers both her favourite Western singers, and Enya just gets 'oh your Irish singer Anya'
I have (apart from unreleased improv and possible future tracks) listened to all Enya's music

 

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I found out about her work (she's a poet/author, 30-something) before how she looked; didn't expect her to kind of resemble Enya! ♡
Jessica Jocelyn

Spoiler: An introductory post on Instagram from last year

I think the photo above is from 2024; Enya's was 2016.

What Jessica does of "what if Enya had Roma's role and wrote even more sad poetry"
She has this rather active TikTok (one she uploaded as I was checking the page)

(was overplayed back in 2015 but has grown on me this year, partly nostalgia and learning it was about Adele speaking to her childhood self )

and also released a new poetry book this year, called Paper Flowers.

Here's one short poem from that book (aside from all the motherhood stuff, the stable home idea instead: )

♡

 

[disneyteletubby]

Very much her own style as an artist, but I couldn't help thinking Shakira with her natural hair in the 1990s looks a bit like Enya did the decade before ♡

Though I like her better-known blonde curls, her straight dark hair was really nice (and her more recent looks with the red hair is somewhere in-between the two).
Obviously more of a devoted dancer and performer, hyperactive, and her career began much earlier (age-wise) but there are some similarities. She grew up Catholic, was quite a well-behaved teen (I like this response Shakira had from 20 years ago)

I also realised her it took a 3rd album for her breakthrough album (Pies Descalzos, meaning bare feet) similar to what happened with Enya; some minor success with The Frog Prince and Enya (later The Celts) but Watermark brought her greater worldwide recognition and success.
This 1990 clip of Shakira (recommended a few weeks ago) from some TV show was interesting, I could see why people would've found her annoying but she was always talented. ♡
I hadn't listened to her earlier music (before Laundry Service) and she had had control of her voice with that breakthrough album at just 19, wow.

I really like this song, Estoy Aquí:

The beginning of it looks like something from an older Enya music video (like On Your Shore mixed with Book of Days) but her distinctive voice enters, and I notice that the tune sounds like the verses of I'll Stand By You by The Pretenders (released the year before)


Oh also

 

[disneyteletubby]

Obviously not a wannabe, and far more of a national treasure and impactful icon, but Claudia on the show The Piano a couple of years ago looked like Enya in 1980

♡

 

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Natalie Imbruglia

I saw the single cover for Wishing I Was There, she looked like Enya did a decade later

Black eyeshadow and short dark hair, plus similar face 'height'

Enya and Cillian Murphy lite in the music video



The song's good though, catchy chorus

Also I just discovered this 2015 interview, she's really not as tactful as Enya haha (who doesn't post on social media about her travels in the first place) but she was kind of similar

Natalie Imbruglia on why she's concentrating on music rather than her love life

The Aussie singer, 40, on her comeback tour, holidays with Kylie and keeping shtum on her love life...

www.irishmirror.ie

Though she gets more done than Enya career-wise, and also the thing of "I'm going to have a kid in my 40s on my own" and Nat actually did.

'Something I want to do soon': Natalie Imbruglia's Aussie plan

amp.nine.com.au

(I'd love if Enya also narrated storybooks )

Oh and these ☺

 

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Aurora Aksnes, she is a bit of an Enya wannabe

The whole "I prefer silence" thing but she's obviously crazier than Enya haha. I liked her song appearing (re-appearing) in the ASFM yesterday..!

Her dance to Only Time

 

[disneyteletubby]

Not a wannabe but here is a late 1989 newspaper extract (I discovered it today, here) that people 'wannabees' actually tried to look like Enya!

 

[disneyteletubby]

I do quite like Oklou; she still seems like a French video-gamer-mother-yet-fairly-chill version of early 90s Enya

Haha I kind of know The Rescuers Down Under; The Koala Brothers was probably my earliest idea of Australia haha, and I did watch Madeline too

Even in this recent video (seems to be a Twitch stream, about 2 hours long haha) the way the ideas are bounced off from the Casey guy she works (and of course for music videos her partner's doing the filming and things) it's vaguely what I imagine it was like with the trio. Somehow it seems like it got more volatile/tense with Enya in the studio though but their work took a lot more time, and at the point of Shepherd Moons it was more poetic than how Oklou's is capturing vibes (which I think Enya's debut album was more about, being for a documentary/picture of course).

 

[disneyteletubby]

I thought this lady looked like Enya (in the 90s) if she did shave her hair and begin to grow it back and bleach it

From here https://new.express.adobe.com/

 

[Shoat]

How have we gone from Lorenna McKennit to Brazilian newsreaders and Adobe Acrobat AI Woman?

 

[disneyteletubby]

Fátima Bernardes, Brazilian newsreader - I remembered her name today/yesterday. She looked a lot like Enya in the 1990s:
View attachment 38896
[...]



She has a TikTok account herself though



This sort of thing happens kind of often on BBC News but I like how it became a meme



(I first heard of her a few years ago; there was a Brazilian Enya fan account that used to be on Twitter, and they edited her dancing to Orinoco Flow. )

I randomly watched some of her recent Tik Toks; she is kind of Enya-esque but more talkative (I could imagine Eithne being similar if it were just her talking random stuff in Gaelic
And this looks interesting

I think I'd actually join TikTok if Enya came back with some new project announcement on there

 

[Pipo]

girl thats Katy Perry circa Bon Appetit