Nashville, Tennessee - November 11, 2026
It’s a sold-out night at the Exit/In, and no one can contain their excitement. Lively chatter fills the air with a feeling of camaraderie. By 7:45 p.m., the room is more than half full, a feat in a city where people love to roll into the show after the opener has already played. Even more impressive, over the next 15 minutes, the room is completely packed, shoulder to shoulder from the barricade to the back door. Emma Anderson opens the show with an acoustic set that packs an emotional punch, and with that, the room is ready for Yana.
At 8:45 p.m., Yana’s band takes the stage, and a pop-drenched banjo rings through the room, shortly followed by Yana. She kicks the night off with “Happy,” a single off of her debut and most recent album, Feelings are Forever. The barricade shakes as the front row sings Yana’s lyrics back to her with fervor. Each song elicits a more enthusiastic reaction than the next. “Come on,” another song off her debut album resonates deeply with the Nashville crowd; a song for yearners and situationship-havers that needs to be screamed in a car or a crowded room to feel a little bit of catharsis.
The room may be full of people, but they move together, bouncing up and down and shuffling forward and back as one entity oriented entirely around Yana. She introduces her next song, telling Nashville she is so happy to have met them, but perhaps they could meet somewhere else, which dissolves the room into cheers. “Meet Me At The Cafe” was the final single off of Feelings are Forever and clearly a favorite if the crowd’s reaction is any indication.
It’s a remarkable night, and Yana takes the time to acknowledge it. She isn’t just touring her first album; this is her first headline tour entirely after years of songwriting and performing. Since coming to the United States from Bulgaria as a baby, this is all she has ever wanted to do. This tour also feels extra special since she lost part of her hearing in 2025 when she was recording her EP Exit Strategy. The fear that everything she ever worked toward would vanish makes moments like these all the more sweet. Later, when she lifts the Bulgarian flag above her head, spinning it around the building, the crowd is consumed by her heartfelt joy.
The rest of the night passes in a euphoric blur. Every song she plays is someone’s favorite song, and their arms go up to dance in elation. The feelings in the room are certainly unforgettable, but it is even safer to say that they are forever.
