Şebnem Ferah is arguably the leading lady of the Turkish rock scene. She was one of the first female singers in the country to fully immerse herself in rock music, and her powerful, expressive voice is tailor-made for the style. Just describing her as a rock diva would be selling her short, though. Ferah knows how to write a good pop song, and she is able to carry an introspective ballad with the exact same gravitas as a hardrocker that requires her to belt at full strength. She is one of the best rock singers in the world, regardless of gender or origins.

Ferah first rose to prominence in the early nineties with the all-female rock band Volvox, which also included Buket Doran, who would later play bass in Ferah’s solo band, and Özlem Tekin, who would go on to become a highly successful solo artist herself. Volvox never officially released any albums, or even singles, but their concerts were apparently legendary. After Volvox split up, Ferah would start a solo career, releasing her solo debut ‘Kadın’ in 1996. Since then, she has released seven more solo studio albums, all of which are worth hearing.

Of particular interest for metalheads is the fact that members of Turkish heavy metal pioneers Pentagram have contributed to all of Ferah’s albums. Their bassist Tarkan Gözübüyük has been her producer for about two decades now. Don’t expect her albums to be full-on heavy metal, though. Ferah has range. Vocally, but also in her songwriting skills. Her songs range from emotional ballads to catchy pop songs, alternative rockers, and theatrical hard rock, with the occasional folky touch. And she manages to put her own spin on every single one of those styles.

8. Perdeler (2001)

‘Perdeler’ is the first album Ferah recorded with what would be her long-time live band: bassist Buket Doran, guitarist Metin Türkcan, keyboard player Ozan Tügen, and drummer Aykan İlkan. It’s a logical step to go further down the band-focused path that its predecessors started, but it also seems like Ferah and her production team weren’t quite sure where to go with it yet. The album does feature the most creative use of acoustic guitars on any Şebnem Ferah album, and the melodies get a lot of space due to the album’s fairly low-key production. ‘Perdeler’ is a great album, and Ferah’s voice is out of this world, but her other albums simply have a better flow and a more confident production style.

Recommended tracks: ‘Dünya’, ‘Pedeler’, ‘Korkarak Yaşıyorsan’

7. Artık Kısa Cümleler Kuruyorum (1999)

Ferah’s sophomore album thankfully takes a different productional approach than her debut, but I really wish its track sequencing didn’t halt the momentum of ‘Artık Kısa Cümleler Kuruyorum’ so much. Admittedly, it is difficult to make an album with so many ballads flow well. However, near the end of the album, there are so many interestingly structured songs that develop from ballads to more rocking climaxes surprisingly organically, that I truly think ‘Artık Kısa Cümleler Kuruyorum’ could have been improved by simply shuffling the tracklisting around. Especially since it features a songwriting style that goes for a lasting impression rather than immediate impact. ‘Artık Kısa Cümleler Kuruyorum’ is an important step in Ferah’s development as a songwriter, but I remember its separate songs more fondly than the album as a whole.

Recommended tracks: ‘Nefessiz Kaldım’, ‘Yorgun’, ‘Oyunlar’

6. Benim Adım Orman (2009)

When I first got ‘Benim Adım Orman’, I didn’t like it very much. Possibly because it isn’t as heavy as its predecessor or as rocky as its follow-up. Over time, though, I have really come to appreciate the album. It features what might just be the most interesting arrangements Ferah and her band ever recorded. Ferah explores how many different shades she can give her music here, spending more time in the grey area between ballad and rock song than ever before. The result is a more subtle album that doesn’t really show all its colors until a few spins in. ‘Benim Adım Orman’ is perhaps not the best Şebnem Ferah album to start your journey with, but a very rewarding listen when you already know and enjoy her work.

Recommended tracks: ‘Mahalle’, ‘Merhaba’, ‘Serapmış’

5. Parmak İzi (2018)

On her most recent album at the time of writing, Ferah switched things up a little bit, most prominently by wearing the producer’s hat herself for the first time in fifteen years. The results sound a bit more cinematic and perhaps melancholic than before, though ‘Parmak İzi’ occasionally still gets reasonably heavy. While the album is relatively light on songs that leap at the listener immediately with their hooks, this one is more about the creative depth that the songwriting and the arrangements offer. Some songs take a few turns you may not expect, but they always make sense, and they never sound disjointed. ‘Parmak İzi’ sounds unlike anything Ferah has done before at times, and yet so unmistakably like her. A true grower of an album.

Recommended tracks: ‘Vicdan’, ‘Koyu’, ‘Koridor’

4. Kadın (1996)

Her debut album ‘Kadın’ is proof that Ferah was a fantastic songwriter from a young age. Nearly every song here is amazing, though the album does suffer a bit from its productional choices. Apart from three tracks that have session giant Volkan Öktem appearing on them, all the drums are programmed, and while it isn’t bothersome on every track, ‘Fırtına’ in particular sounds so much better live with real drums. Some electronic layers aren’t my thing either, but that is more than made up for by some of the finest pop-rock songwriting the Turkish music industry has ever offered. Ferah proudly embraces her rock roots here, some of the songs being surprisingly riffy, and the vocal melodies employ her full range of expression. ‘Kadın’ is a debut album to be proud of.

Recommended tracks: ‘Vazgeçtim Dünyadan’, ‘Durma’, ‘Bu Aşk Fazla Sana’

3. Kelimeler Yetse… (2003)

Unlike ‘Perdeler’ before it, ‘Kelimeler Yetse…’ makes great use of all dynamic possibilities that recording with her live band offers Ferah. The way the album ebbs and flows is near perfect, and it inspired Ferah to deliver some of the best vocal performances she ever recorded. But what really makes ‘Kelimeler Yetse…’ such a fantastic album is that it plays around with fairly unpredictable song structures without hurting the accessibility of the music. Just listen to the absolutely gorgeous ballad ‘Mayın Tarlası’, which eschews a standard verse-chorus structure, but is one of Ferah’s finest songs to date nonetheless, or the dark, suspenseful ‘Ben Şarkımı Söylerken’. Some songs have very cool mood shifts as well. The perfect Şebnem Ferah album to start with if the heavier stuff isn’t for you.

Recommended tracks: ‘Mayın Tarlası’, ‘Ben Şarkımı Söylerken’, ‘Senin Adın Ne’

2. Can Kırıkları (2005)

Undeniably Ferah’s heaviest album, though that shift has thankfully not happened at the expense of her melodic songwriting. Vocally, the increased heaviness has pushed her to greater heights. ‘Delgeç’ features what is likely my favorite vocal performance Ferah ever recorded. How she adapts to the subdued nature of the verses and the drama of the choruses with seemingly little effort is incredible, not to mention that mighty roar at the end. Although ‘Can Kırıkları‘ is heavier than the average Şebnem Ferah album, it is also very dynamic. The ballads are darker and more dramatic than ever before, and even a semi-acoustic rock song like ‘Çakıl Taşları’ fits the album perfectly. The songwriting is amazing across the board on ‘Can Kırıkları’, and so are the performances of everyone involved, Ferah herself first and foremost.

Recommended tracks: ‘Delgeç’, ‘Can Kırıkları’, ‘Çakıl Taşları’, ‘Okyanus’

1. Od (2013)

In my opinion, ‘Od’ is the album that is most sharply focused on Ferah’s strengths. It’s not quite as heavy as ‘Can Kırıkları’, allowing the melodies to come to the foreground a little more, although most of it still rocks pretty hard. ‘Savaş Boyası’ is the single most underrated song in Ferah’s discography, and the title track is a fantastic power ballad on which she can open all her vocal registers. No two songs sound alike on ‘Od’, and ultimately, that is what makes the album so good. Songs like ‘Ya Hep Ya Hiç’ and ‘Birileri Var’ feel like power ballads, but rock too hard to be classified as such, and the rockers are more overtly melodic than on ‘Can Kırıkları’. This middle ground just happens to be where I think Şebnem Ferah sounds best.

Recommended tracks: ‘Savaş Boyası’, ‘Kalbim Mezar’, ‘Girdap’, ‘Ya Hep Ya Hiç’

Many thanks to Ozan Tügen for factchecking and providing the main photo.