- Culture
- 19 Sep 23
The singer's 35-year-old album provided a stratospheric launch to her career.
Today, September 19, 2023, marks 35 years since the original release of Enya's sophomore album Watermark.
Following the release of her self-titled debut album in 1986, Watermark became a huge commercial success that saw Enya rise the ranks to global stardom.
Much like her debut album, Watermark was seen as genre defying, with its unique sound meaning it couldn’t be pigeon holed. But despite those usual challenges (that make commercial success so difficult), her sophomore album soon caught the imagination of many around the world.
Now certified four times platinum in the UK, the album's lead single ‘Orinoco Flow’ found chart success all over the world, spending three weeks at number one in the UK. The track's success put Watermark on the map.
On the year of its release, the album received two Grammy-nominations and critical acclaim from the likes of NME, Hot Press, and Rolling Stone.
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Watermark has since gone on to be streamed almost seven-billion times, seeing Enya still remaining one of the most unique and instantly recognisable artists of all time.
The singer's sophomore album was composed by Enya, with all instrumentation and all vocals also performed by Enya. Lyrics where written by Roma Ryan, with the album produced by Nicky Ryan, and executice produced by Rob Dickins, with Ross Cullum acting as engineer.
Check out the 35-year-old album below.