# Sıla
**Sıla** (Sıla Gençoğlu, born 1980 in Denizli) is a Turkish pop singer, songwriter, and producer whose solo career began in 2007 after seven years as Kenan Doğulu's backing vocalist.[1](https://www.hurriyet.com.tr/bilgi/sila-kimdir-en-iyi-turk-pop-muzik-kadin-solisti-40020971) • [2](https://ymuse.com/artists/sila/bio) She first reached a wide audience with "Töre", the theme song of the television series *Sıla*, which she made with [Sezen Aksu](https://www.edgepedia.org/sezen-aksu), and her debut single "...Dan Sonra" then spent 12 weeks at number 1 in Turkey.[3](https://www.magazinci.com/icerikler/roportaj/seksle-saglanacak-basariya-ihtiyacim-yok_20786.html) • [2](https://ymuse.com/artists/sila/bio) Across nine studio albums she has twice been Turkey's best-selling artist of the year.[4](https://www.cumhuriyet.com.tr/yasam/sarkici-sila-kimdir-sila-gencoglu-kac-yasinda-nereli-sila-gencoglu-neden-gozaltina-alindi-2521234)
| Key facts | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name and birth | Sıla Gençoğlu, 1980, Denizli, Turkey[1](https://www.hurriyet.com.tr/bilgi/sila-kimdir-en-iyi-turk-pop-muzik-kadin-solisti-40020971) |
| Breakthrough | "Töre" with Sezen Aksu (TV series *Sıla*); debut album *Sıla*, 2007[3](https://www.magazinci.com/icerikler/roportaj/seksle-saglanacak-basariya-ihtiyacim-yok_20786.html) • [5](https://www.powerapp.com.tr/powerturk/albumler/sila-dan-sonra.html) |
| Chart hit | "...Dan Sonra", 12 weeks at number 1 in Turkey[2](https://ymuse.com/artists/sila/bio) |
| Studio albums | Nine, from *Sıla* (2007) to *Kafa Yüksek Kalp Kırık* (3 April 2026)[6](https://www.karar.com/karar-biyografi/sila-kimdir-kac-yasinda-nereli-evli-mi-hayat-hikayesi-ne-1611933) • [7](https://www.gazetemag.com/sila-gencoglu-evvel-ezeli-tum-dijital-platformlarda-dinleyicilerle-bulusturdu/) |
| Best-selling years | 2010 (*Konuşmadığımız Şeyler Var*) and 2014 (*Yeni Ay*)[4](https://www.cumhuriyet.com.tr/yasam/sarkici-sila-kimdir-sila-gencoglu-kac-yasinda-nereli-sila-gencoglu-neden-gozaltina-alindi-2521234) |
| Awards | Four Altın Kelebek and seven Kral TV Video Music Awards, among dozens total[4](https://www.cumhuriyet.com.tr/yasam/sarkici-sila-kimdir-sila-gencoglu-kac-yasinda-nereli-sila-gencoglu-neden-gozaltina-alindi-2521234) |
| Labels | Sony Music (*Şarkıcı*, 2022); Karış Müzik with DMC distribution (2026)[8](https://silagencoglu.com/album/sarkici-2022/) • [9](https://www.sozmuzik.com/sila-gencogludan-kafa-yuksek-kalp-kirik/) |
## Early life and entry into music
Sıla attended primary school in Denizli and middle and high school in İzmir.[1](https://www.hurriyet.com.tr/bilgi/sila-kimdir-en-iyi-turk-pop-muzik-kadin-solisti-40020971) In her own account she sang in Turkish Music and Folk Music choirs in middle school, performing as a soloist, and took private voice lessons in high school.[10](https://www.memleket.com.tr/sila-turkun-aklina-helada-gelir-122697h.htm) She wrote her first song, "Kırık Anılar", during those high school years.[3](https://www.magazinci.com/icerikler/roportaj/seksle-saglanacak-basariya-ihtiyacim-yok_20786.html)
**Her formal training ran through two universities.** After failing a conservatory entrance exam she began French Philology at [Istanbul University](https://www.edgepedia.org/istanbul-university) in 1998, then entered the Jazz Vocal program at Istanbul Bilgi University.[10](https://www.memleket.com.tr/sila-turkun-aklina-helada-gelir-122697h.htm) • [3](https://www.magazinci.com/icerikler/roportaj/seksle-saglanacak-basariya-ihtiyacim-yok_20786.html) During her studies she sang as a soloist with the Neşet Ruacan, Nedim Ruacan, and Nezih Yeşilnil jazz orchestra at the Afyon Jazz Festival and worked with Nükhet Ruacan.[1](https://www.hurriyet.com.tr/bilgi/sila-kimdir-en-iyi-turk-pop-muzik-kadin-solisti-40020971)
**The move into pop came through two doors.** In her second year of the jazz program she began working as a backing vocalist for Kenan Doğulu, a collaboration that lasted seven years, during which she also built her own audience performing at Istanbul venues.[10](https://www.memleket.com.tr/sila-turkun-aklina-helada-gelir-122697h.htm) • [5](https://www.powerapp.com.tr/powerturk/albumler/sila-dan-sonra.html) Her songwriting had already reached listeners through other artists: Ferhat Göçer, Kenan Doğulu, and Emel Müftüoğlu recorded her songs before her debut.[11](https://arsiv.sabah.com.tr/2009/04/17/gny/haber,FEBDF566BA5E45CF8736068175D47F64.html) The turning point was "Töre", the song of the TV series *Sıla*, made with Sezen Aksu, which introduced her voice to a mass audience.[3](https://www.magazinci.com/icerikler/roportaj/seksle-saglanacak-basariya-ihtiyacim-yok_20786.html)
## Career and discography
Her self-titled debut album, *Sıla*, appeared in late 2007 with production by Ozan Doğulu and support from the Doğulu brothers.[1](https://www.hurriyet.com.tr/bilgi/sila-kimdir-en-iyi-turk-pop-muzik-kadin-solisti-40020971) • [5](https://www.powerapp.com.tr/powerturk/albumler/sila-dan-sonra.html) • [3](https://www.magazinci.com/icerikler/roportaj/seksle-saglanacak-basariya-ihtiyacim-yok_20786.html) Its upbeat lead single "...Dan Sonra" carried her lyrics with music and arrangement by Ozan Doğulu and a rap section sung by Kenan Doğulu.[5](https://www.powerapp.com.tr/powerturk/albumler/sila-dan-sonra.html)
**The 2009 to 2016 run established her as a headline pop artist.** The studio albums were *İmza* (2009), *Konuşmadığımız Şeyler Var* (2010), *Joker* (2012), *Vaveyla* (2012), *Yeni Ay* (2014), and *Mürekkep* (2016), with songs including "Sevişmeden Uyumayalım", "Acısa da Öldürmez", "Kafa", "Boş Yere", "Vaziyetler," and "Yabancı".[6](https://www.karar.com/karar-biyografi/sila-kimdir-kac-yasinda-nereli-evli-mi-hayat-hikayesi-ne-1611933) • [4](https://www.cumhuriyet.com.tr/yasam/sarkici-sila-kimdir-sila-gencoglu-kac-yasinda-nereli-sila-gencoglu-neden-gozaltina-alindi-2521234) *Yeni Ay* was released by [Sony Music](https://www.edgepedia.org/sony-music), which described it as her fifth studio album.[12](https://www.sonymusic.com.tr/silanin-yeni-albumu-yeni-ay-muzikmarketlerdeki-yerini-aliyor/) Her own discography page also lists the singles "Muhbir" (2017), "Meşk" (2019), "Acı" (2019), "İnandım" (2020), and "Ver O Zaman Gömleklerimi" (2021).[13](https://silagencoglu.com/diskografi/)
**Her eighth album, *Şarkıcı*, arrived in 2022** on Sony Music, with Sıla Gençoğlu credited as producer.[8](https://silagencoglu.com/album/sarkici-2022/) Her ninth studio album, *Kafa Yüksek Kalp Kırık*, was released on 3 April 2026, produced by Karış Müzik with musical supervision by Cenk Erdoğan and distributed by DMC; she described it as her most autobiographical album.[9](https://www.sozmuzik.com/sila-gencogludan-kafa-yuksek-kalp-kirik/)
## Songwriting and musical identity
Sıla writes her own lyrics, and her collaborators define the sound of each era: Ozan Doğulu produced the debut and composed "...Dan Sonra", Efe Bahadır co-wrote the music of "Evvel Ezel" and "Leyla", Gürsel Çelik arranged "Hep Olsun Aşk", and Tolga Şanlı and Burak Erkul arranged the later singles "Kötü Kötü" and "Leyla" respectively.[5](https://www.powerapp.com.tr/powerturk/albumler/sila-dan-sonra.html) • [14](https://www.powerapp.com.tr/powerturk/muzik/muzik-haber/siladan-yeni-yil-surprizi-hep-olsun-ask.html) • [15](https://www.sozmuzik.com/sila-leyla/) • [16](https://www.magazinkolik.com/sila-yeni-sarki-yeni-klip-108158h.htm) • [7](https://www.gazetemag.com/sila-gencoglu-evvel-ezeli-tum-dijital-platformlarda-dinleyicilerle-bulusturdu/)
She has been candid that her craft developed slowly. Her early songs, she said, were like a physics problem, hard to analyze, understand, and listen to, until she learned from senior musicians that songwriting had to conform to a form.[17](https://www.fisiltihaberleri.com/haber/sila-sarkilarim-fizik-problemi-gibiydi-11886.html) Her writing also travels: besides the pre-debut recordings by Ferhat Göçer, Kenan Doğulu, and Emel Müftüoğlu, her compositions include "Vur Kadehi Ustam" (recorded by Göçer) and "Boğaziçi" (recorded by Doğulu).[11](https://arsiv.sabah.com.tr/2009/04/17/gny/haber,FEBDF566BA5E45CF8736068175D47F64.html) • [2](https://ymuse.com/artists/sila/bio)
## By the numbers
Several of her singles have reached number 1 in Turkey. "...Dan Sonra" reached number 1 in Turkey and held the position for 12 weeks, peaking at number 79 on the European radio lists.[2](https://ymuse.com/artists/sila/bio) "Sevişmeden Uyumayalım", the lead single of *İmza*, spent three weeks at number 1 in Turkey and reached number 82 in Europe.[2](https://ymuse.com/artists/sila/bio) In June 2010 her duet "Alain Delon" with Ozan Doğulu hit number 1 in Turkey and number 67 on the European list.[2](https://ymuse.com/artists/sila/bio)
**Sales data point the same way.** "Vaziyetler", the lead single of *Yeni Ay*, became the most downloaded single on iTunes within hours of its digital release.[12](https://www.sonymusic.com.tr/silanin-yeni-albumu-yeni-ay-muzikmarketlerdeki-yerini-aliyor/) *Vaveyla* sold 84,000 copies in Turkey and ranked fourth on the 2012 MÜ-YAP year-end chart.[18](https://bestsellingalbums.org/album/41608) Cumhuriyet reports that she was Turkey's best-selling artist of the year twice, with *Konuşmadığımız Şeyler Var* in 2010 and *Yeni Ay* in 2014.[4](https://www.cumhuriyet.com.tr/yasam/sarkici-sila-kimdir-sila-gencoglu-kac-yasinda-nereli-sila-gencoglu-neden-gozaltina-alindi-2521234)
## Awards and recognition
Her breakthrough year brought best-newcomer awards from Altın Kelebek, Powertürk, and Kral TV.[3](https://www.magazinci.com/icerikler/roportaj/seksle-saglanacak-basariya-ihtiyacim-yok_20786.html) In 2015 she received the Pantene Altın Kelebek award for Best Turkish Pop Music Female Soloist, presented by the veteran singer Alpay.[1](https://www.hurriyet.com.tr/bilgi/sila-kimdir-en-iyi-turk-pop-muzik-kadin-solisti-40020971) Per Cumhuriyet, her career total includes four Altın Kelebek Awards and seven Kral TV Video Music Awards among dozens of honors.[4](https://www.cumhuriyet.com.tr/yasam/sarkici-sila-kimdir-sila-gencoglu-kac-yasinda-nereli-sila-gencoglu-neden-gozaltina-alindi-2521234)
## Recent developments
Her release schedule resumed at the end of 2024 with "Hep Olsun Aşk" (20 December 2024), written jointly with Umut Sarıkaya and arranged by Gürsel Çelik.[14](https://www.powerapp.com.tr/powerturk/muzik/muzik-haber/siladan-yeni-yil-surprizi-hep-olsun-ask.html) On 8 August 2025 she released a new version of "Leyla", one of her best-loved songs, with lyrics by Sıla Gençoğlu and music by Efe Bahadır, in a new arrangement by Burak Erkul.[15](https://www.sozmuzik.com/sila-leyla/)
**The current album cycle began in November 2025.** "Evvel Ezel", the first song from her ninth studio album *Kafa Yüksek Kalp Kırık*, was released on Friday 28 November 2025, with lyrics by Sıla, music by Sıla and Efe Bahadır, and an arrangement by Cenk Erdoğan.[7](https://www.gazetemag.com/sila-gencoglu-evvel-ezeli-tum-dijital-platformlarda-dinleyicilerle-bulusturdu/) The second pre-release, "Kötü Kötü", followed on 30 January 2026, with lyrics and music by Sıla and arrangement by Tolga Şanlı; the album contains nine tracks, including "Cayır Cayır", "Ağırbaşlı Serseri", "Tanıdık Biri", "İzmir", "Neon Hayatlar," and "9 Canlı".[16](https://www.magazinkolik.com/sila-yeni-sarki-yeni-klip-108158h.htm) The full album arrived on 3 April 2026 on all digital platforms, with lead single "Hayran", co-written by Sıla with Umut Yaşar Sarıkaya and filmed in a video directed by Ada Gönden.[9](https://www.sozmuzik.com/sila-gencogludan-kafa-yuksek-kalp-kirik/) On 12 April 2026 she performed the album's songs live for the first time at a sold-out launch concert at [Volkswagen Arena](https://www.edgepedia.org/volkswagen-arena), organized by BKM, opening with "Hayran".[19](https://www.turkpopmuzik.net/haber-63212-sila-kafa-yuksek-kalp-kirik-album-sarkilarini-ilk-kez-canli-okudu) In September 2026 she began the "Elektra" and "Akustik" re-recording series, recorded and filmed in Bodrum, starting with a new version of "Bana Biraz Renk Ver" from the 2009 album *İmza*, arranged by Tolga Şanlı and released weekly on YouTube and digital platforms.[20](https://www.gazetemag.com/siladan-unutulmaz-hitlerine-yepyeni-yorum-elektra-ve-akustik-serisi-yayinda/)
On 16 July 2026, Sıla was taken into custody in a gendarmerie operation targeting celebrities over prohibited-substance charges, directed by the Bakırköy Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, among 25 detainees.[4](https://www.cumhuriyet.com.tr/yasam/sarkici-sila-kimdir-sila-gencoglu-kac-yasinda-nereli-sila-gencoglu-neden-gozaltina-alindi-2521234)
## References
1. [Sıla Kimdir? | Pantene Altın Kelebek En İyi Türk Pop Müzik Kadın Solisti! – Hürriyet](https://www.hurriyet.com.tr/bilgi/sila-kimdir-en-iyi-turk-pop-muzik-kadin-solisti-40020971)
2. [Sıla, biography – ymuse.com](https://ymuse.com/artists/sila/bio)
3. [Seksle sağlanacak başarıya ihtiyacım yok – Magazinci.com](https://www.magazinci.com/icerikler/roportaj/seksle-saglanacak-basariya-ihtiyacim-yok_20786.html)
4. [Şarkıcı Sıla kimdir? Sıla Gençoğlu kaç yaşında, nereli? – Cumhuriyet](https://www.cumhuriyet.com.tr/yasam/sarkici-sila-kimdir-sila-gencoglu-kac-yasinda-nereli-sila-gencoglu-neden-gozaltina-alindi-2521234)
5. [Sıla ...Dan Sonra - Albümler – Power Türk](https://www.powerapp.com.tr/powerturk/albumler/sila-dan-sonra.html)
6. [Sıla kimdir, kaç yaşında, nereli? – KARAR](https://www.karar.com/karar-biyografi/sila-kimdir-kac-yasinda-nereli-evli-mi-hayat-hikayesi-ne-1611933)
7. [Sıla Gençoğlu "Evvel Ezel"i tüm dijital platformlarda dinleyicilerle buluşturdu – Gazete Mag](https://www.gazetemag.com/sila-gencoglu-evvel-ezeli-tum-dijital-platformlarda-dinleyicilerle-bulusturdu/)
8. [Şarkıcı (2022) - Sıla Gençoğlu](https://silagencoglu.com/album/sarkici-2022/)
9. [Sıla Gençoğlu'dan "Kafa Yüksek Kalp Kırık" – Söz Müzik](https://www.sozmuzik.com/sila-gencogludan-kafa-yuksek-kalp-kirik/)
10. [Sıla: Türk'ün aklına helada gelir – Memleket](https://www.memleket.com.tr/sila-turkun-aklina-helada-gelir-122697h.htm)
11. [İlk albümdeki tutarsızlıktan 'imza'yla kurtuldum! – Sabah, 17 April 2009](https://arsiv.sabah.com.tr/2009/04/17/gny/haber,FEBDF566BA5E45CF8736068175D47F64.html)
12. [SILA'NIN YENİ ALBÜMÜ "YENİ AY" MÜZİKMARKETLERDEKİ YERİNİ ALIYOR! – Sony Music Turkey](https://www.sonymusic.com.tr/silanin-yeni-albumu-yeni-ay-muzikmarketlerdeki-yerini-aliyor/)
13. [Diskografi - Sıla Gençoğlu](https://silagencoglu.com/diskografi/)
14. [Sıla'dan yeni yıl sürprizi "Hep olsun Aşk" – Power Türk](https://www.powerapp.com.tr/powerturk/muzik/muzik-haber/siladan-yeni-yil-surprizi-hep-olsun-ask.html)
15. [Sıla "Leyla" – Söz Müzik](https://www.sozmuzik.com/sila-leyla/)
16. [Sıla... YENİ ŞARKI, YENİ KLİP! – Magazinkolik](https://www.magazinkolik.com/sila-yeni-sarki-yeni-klip-108158h.htm)
17. [Sıla: 'Şarkılarım fizik problemi gibiydi' – Fısıltı Haberleri](https://www.fisiltihaberleri.com/haber/sila-sarkilarim-fizik-problemi-gibiydi-11886.html)
18. [VAVEYLA by SıLA GENÇOĞLU - Sales & Charts – bestsellingalbums.org](https://bestsellingalbums.org/album/41608)
19. [Sıla, "Kafa Yüksek, Kalp Kırık" Albüm Şarkılarını İlk Kez Canlı Okudu! – turkpopmuzik.net](https://www.turkpopmuzik.net/haber-63212-sila-kafa-yuksek-kalp-kirik-album-sarkilarini-ilk-kez-canli-okudu)
20. [Sıla'dan Unutulmaz Hitlerine Yepyeni Yorum: "Elektra" ve "Akustik" Serisi Yayında! – Gazete Mag](https://www.gazetemag.com/siladan-unutulmaz-hitlerine-yepyeni-yorum-elektra-ve-akustik-serisi-yayinda/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Music scenes › Middle Eastern and North African scenes › Turkish popular music › Artists, groups, and people: Turkish popular music*
*Initially written Sep 19, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 19, 2026; Sep 30, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026 · Last review: Sep 30, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license