Thanks to its distinct, downright catchy single "Orinoco Flow," which amusingly referenced both her record-company boss Rob Dickins and co-producer Ross Cullum in the lyrics, Enya's second album Watermark established her as the unexpected queen of gentle, Celtic-tinged new age music. To be sure, her success was as much due to marketing a niche audience in later years equally in love with Yanni and Michael Flatley's Irish dancing, but Enya's rarely given a sense of pandering in her work. She does what she does, just as she did before her fame. (Admittedly, avoiding overblown concerts run constantly on PBS hasn't hurt.)
Watermark is the second studio album by Irish singer, songwriter and musician Enya, released on 19 September 1988 by Warner Music internationally and on 10 January 1989 by Geffen Records in the United States. Watermark received many positive reviews from critics and it became an unexpected commercial success, which propelled Enya to worldwide fame. It peaked at number five on the UK Albums Chart, number twenty-five on the Billboard 200 in the United States, and reached number one in New Zealand and Switzerland. It was certified quadruple platinum by the British Phonographic Industry and the Recording Industry Association of America…
THE CELTS is the 1992 re-release of a 1987 album simply titled ENYA, containing 15 selections originally composed for a BBC series of the same name. Although a number of the tracks sound dated, several others, including "To Go Beyond (II)" are notable for how they locate the origins of the classic Enya sound, far removed from earlier Celtic efforts…
Calling Shepherd Moons a near carbon copy of Watermark puts it quite mildly. Like Watermark, Shepherd Moons opens with the title track, a calm instrumental, has another brief instrumental titled after a Dora Saint book smack in the middle ("No Holly for Miss Quinn"), and concludes with a number incorporating a striking uilleann pipes solo, "Smaointe…." In general, Enya's own musical style and work remains the same, again assisted on production by Nicky Ryan and with lyrics by Roma Ryan. Shepherd Moons does have one key factor that's also carried over from Watermark - it's quite good listening. Though the total continuity means that those who enjoy her work will again be pleased and those who dislike it won't change their minds, in terms of finding her own vision and sticking with it, Enya has increasingly polished and refined her work to a strong, elegant degree…
Only Time - The Collection is a box set from Irish singer, songwriter and musician Enya, released in November 2002 by Warner Music Group. The set contains 51 tracks across four discs that spans her 1987 debut album Enya through her 2002 single "May It Be". A 48-page booklet with liner notes and lyrics by her longtime lyricist Roma Ryan is included. This release was a limited worldwide release of 200,000. The selection of songs was made by Enya, Nicky and Roma.
A Box of Dreams is a limited edition 3-disc box set by Irish singer, songwriter and musician Enya, released on 1 December 1997 by Warner Music. The set was a companion release to her first compilation album Paint the Sky with Stars – The Best of Enya, released the previous month. A Box of Dreams contains 46 tracks from her 1987 debut album Enya to Paint the Sky with Stars across three discs, each thematically arranged: "Oceans" contains Enya's upbeat tracks, "Clouds" is a collection of her piano instrumentals, and "Stars" contain slow ballads and more atmospheric tracks.
Since the late '80s, Irish singer/composer Enya has become the most unlikely of international stars, delivering lush, Celtic-driven pseudo-classical odes in her signature Wall of Sound vocal style, rarely granting interviews, never touring, and generally taking as much time as she wishes between albums. Bucking odds and industry trends, her popularity has remained steadfast, allowing her to become the best-selling Irish solo artist of all time. Following 2008's snowbound And Winter Came, her silence stretched to eight years – the longest of her career – before the mists once again parted to reveal her eighth album, the evocatively titled Dark Sky Island.