Ayra Starr

Nigerian singer/songwriter Ayra Starr mixes confident, empowering lyrics with Afropop and silky R&B. She rose to national success with her 2021 debut album, 19 & Dangerous, and its chart-topping hit “Bloody Samaritan.” Signed to Don Jazzy’s influential Mavin Records label, she spent much of the next year collaborating with artists including Ladipoe, Kelly Rowland, and Magixx while issuing solo singles like “Stars” and “Rush.” Her second album, The Year I Turned 21, was released to critical acclaim in 2024. A native of the Beninese city of Cotonou, Starr grew up in a musical family and began singing in a local church choir at age ten. Early influences ranged from 2Face Idibia and Angélique Kidjo to Shakira and Nicki Minaj. In 2018, she began modeling for the Quove agency in Lagos, Nigeria, and simultaneously releasing cover songs online. After posting an original song called “Damage,” she was approached by label mogul Don Jazzy, who signed her to his Mavin imprint. A self-titled debut EP appeared in early 2021, introducing fans to Starr’s R&B- and neo-soul-inspired Afro-pop sound and topping digital sales and streaming charts in Nigeria. Like many of her songs, its hit single “Away” was co-written with her brother Dami. In August of that year, Mavin released Starr’s debut full-length, 19 & Dangerous. A loose concept album about a Gen-Z girl coming of age, it combined Afropop, R&B, trap, jazz, and alté, and yielded the massive hit “Bloody Samaritan,” which hit number one on Nigeria’s TurnTable Top 50 chart, making her the first female solo artist to do so. Along with her own solo tracks “Rush” (her first major international hit) and “Stars,” Starr spent much of 2022 collaborating with others on songs like ElGrandeToto’s “Comforter,” Skip Marley’s “Jane,” and a “Bloody Samaritan” remix featuring Kelly Rowland. 2023 yielded several more hits, including the chart-topping “Stability,” “Stamina” (with Tiwa Savage and Young Jonn), and “Rhythm & Blues.” In 2024, Starr released “Commas” and appeared on the heavily streamed “Santa” with Rvssian and Rauw Alejandro. Her sophomore effort, The Year I Turned 21, featuring guests such as Asake, Giveon, and Anitta, arrived at the end of May. ~ Timothy Monger