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Ayra Starr
| Ayra Starr |
|---|
| Starr performing in 2023 |
| Oyinkansola Sarah Aderibigbe (2002-06-14) 14 June 2002Cotonou, Benin |
| Les Cours Sonou University |
| Singer • songwriter |
| 2021–present |
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| Discography |
| songs |
| videography |
| performances |
| Full list |
| Musical career |
| Afrobeats |
| R&B |
| alté |
| Afro-pop |
| Vocals |
| MavinRoc Nation |
| ayrastarr.com |
Oyinkansola Sarah Aderibigbe (listenⓘ; born 14 June 2002), known professionally as Ayra Starr (/ˈaɪrə ˈstɑːr/ EYE-rə-star), is a Nigerian singer and songwriter. She achieved international recognition in 2022 with the release of her song "Rush" which charted in several countries, including Switzerland, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. The song earned Starr a nomination for the 66th Annual Grammy Awards for Best African Music Performance.
In early 2021, she released her self-titled debut EP and its lead single, "Away". Her debut EP was followed by the release of her debut studio album, 19 & Dangerous (2021). The album appeared in year-end lists by publications such as NativeMag. The lead single, "Bloody Samaritan," became the first song by a solo female artist to reach the No. 1 position in the Top 50 charts. In August of that same year, Starr was ranked No. 3 on Billboard's Next Big Sound.
In 2024, Starr released her second album, The Year I Turned 21.
Oyinkansola Sarah Aderibigbe was born in Bénin and raised in Cotonou and Lagos, Nigeria. She is of Nigerian and Yoruba heritage, with both parents from Kwara State. She is multilingual, knowing Yoruba, French, English, and Nigerian Pidgin.
She is the second of five children. She and her older brother, Dami, played music together during their childhood.
Though she gravitated toward the arts as a teen, her father often urged her to prioritize academics. She attended Les Cours Sonou University in Cotonou and received a BA degree in international relations and political science. Aderibigbe's mother supported her musical ambitions and reportedly encouraged her to pursue a singing career.
Starr finished in second place on the Nigerian television talent show Maltina Dance All as a child. In August 2018, Starr signed with Quove Models, a Lagos-based modeling agency.
In 2019, Starr started posting song covers by artists such as Andra Day and 2Face Idibia on social media. The stage name "Ayra Starr" is of Arabic origin, meaning “somebody that is highly respected." She also appeared in the music video for Eri Ife's song "Dear Future Wife."
In December 2019, Starr uploaded an original song called "Damage" to her Instagram page. After this, Mavin Records founder Don Jazzy sent her a message expressing interest in her music and inviting her to meet. Starr's first sessions at Mavin Studios were her introduction to professional recording. Throughout 2020, she recorded at Mavin Studios in Lagos with producers Louddaaa, Don Jazzy, and Dayogrey.
Ayra Starr performs "Rush" at Shoke Shoke Festival in Kenya, 2023.
Her self-titled debut EP was released in January 2021 through Mavin Records. The mixing and mastering of the EP was by Ikon, Louddaaa, and Johnny Drille. Shortly after its release, the EP became the number-one album on Nigeria iTunes and Apple Music. By March 2021, the song had racked up over 15 million streams across Spotify, YouTube, and Audiomack. The EP included the track "Away", which peaked at number four on Nigeria's TurnTable Top 50 and number 17 on US Billboard Top Triller Global. Its accompanying music video also debuted on MTV Base's Official Naija Top 10. OkayAfrica included the song in their list of The 9 Best Nigerian Songs of January 2021. In early 2021, Crayon's EP Twelve A.M was released, including her as a featured artist on "In Sync." She then performed for the UC Berkeley Nigerian Students Association's Olori Awards.
In July 2021, Starr performed for the season finale of Nigerian Idol. On 6 August 2021, her debut studio album titled 19 & Dangerous was released. The album marked her first time recording alongside guest artists such as Fousheé and CKay. It included two top forty hits on the TurnTable Top 50 and Starr ranked number two on Billboard's Next Big Sound. Her highest chart position was with "Bloody Samaritan," which became Starr's first number-one single on the chart. She was concurrently featured on "in the light," a track on Johnny Drille's Before We Fall Asleep. Starr was nominated for the "Best Newcomer Award" at the 8th African Muzik Magazine Awards in October.
In September 2022, Starr released the song "Rush" as part of the deluxe edition of 19 & Dangerous. The song charted in several territories, including Switzerland, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. "Rush" earned Starr her nomination at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards for Best African Music Performance. On 10 November 2022, Starr was featured on "2 Sugar," a track from Wizkid's fifth studio album More Love, Less Ego. The song reached number 1 on Billboard's Hot Trending, and debuted at number 5 on the Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart.
In March 2023, she was credited on Creed III's soundtrack with "Ogogoro". Shortly after this, in July 2023, she announced her first headlining world tour, 21: The World Tour, with 40 stops across North America, Europe, Africa, and Australia. The lead single from her next album, "Rhythm & Blues," was released in September 2023, exploring themes of romance and vulnerability. She was also featured on the David Guetta song "Big FU," along with rapper Lil Durk, which reached No. 23 on the U.S. Afrobeats Songs and No. 18 on New Zealand Top 40 charts.
Starr during a 2024 radio interview at Ultima Studios in Lekki, where she spoke about her song "Commas".
The album's second single, "Commas," was released on February 2, 2024. In April, Jamaican record producer Rvssian released "Santa," a collaboration with Starr and reggaeton artist Rauw Alejandro. The track made Starr the first Nigerian female artist to reach 20 million monthly listeners on Spotify.
"Bad Vibes," featuring Seyi Vibez, was released on 10 May as the final single ahead of the album. Starr's second studio album, The Year I Turned 21, was released through Mavin Records on 31 May 2024. The album explores themes of self-discovery, love, grief, and empowerment. The album features guest appearances from Coco Jones, Giveon, Asake, Anitta and Rauw Alejandro. Upon its release, the album debuted at No. 1 on the Nigerian Albums Chart and entered the Billboard 200 at No. 195, making Starr the first Nigerian female artist to achieve this milestone. Pitchfork described the album as "a bold and reflective work that redefines modern Afropop." Billboard praised the album for its "universal themes of growth and ambition that resonate across cultures."
Following the album's release, she served as an opening act for Chris Brown's 2024 11:11 Tour across 26 North American cities from June to August. In June 2024, Starr made history as the first African female artist to perform on Glastonbury Festival's Pyramid Stage. She also headlined Afro Nation Detroit in August. She collaborated with Coldplay on the song "Good Feelings" from their album Moon Music and was a supporting act for the band's Music of the Spheres World Tour in Australia and New Zealand.
In February 2025, Starr released "All The Love". That same month she won Best African Music Act at the MOBO Awards. On 25 April, she released "Gimme Dat" featuring Wizkid, which pays homage to Wyclef Jean and Mary J. Blige's "911". In June, Starr won her first BET Award for Best International Act. Her Summer 2025 Tour kicked off on 20 June with a performance at Summerjam Festival in New Jersey. In mid-July, Starr signed an international management deal with Jay-Z's Roc Nation while remaining signed to Mavin Records for music releases. On 25 July, she released "Hot Body", which Billboard called a "steamy slow-wine groove".
On 27 September, Starr performed at the Global Citizen Festival in New York City's Central Park. During her performance, Starr brought out her labelmate Rema as a surprise guest, and they performed "Rush" together. Following the performance, Starr and Rema released their first official collaboration as co-lead artists titled "Who's Dat Girl" on October 17. In November 2025, she headlined the Tidal Rave Festival at La Palm Royal Beach Hotel in Accra, becoming the first major non-Ghanaian artist to headline the event.
In January 2026, Starr was featured in Spotify's "Our Frequency" zine Issue 033, where she discussed her aspirations and confirmed she was working on her third studio album, expected later in the year. In February 2026, she was added to the lineup for BRED Abu Dhabi's fourth edition at Yas Marina Circuit. In March 2026, she released her single "Where Do We Go" and appeared on the song "Aye Kan (Are You Coming Back)" from Angélique Kidjo's 2026 album Hope!!. On 26 March 2026, she won Best International Act at the MOBO Awards, becoming the first African artist to win the category in consecutive years.
Starr's sound has predominantly been categorized as Afropop and R&B, with music critics noting the dynamic nature of her range and emotional delivery. Her lyrics are a mixture of English, Nigerian Pidgin English and Yoruba. She often sings about contemporary topics such as love, relationships, empowerment and freedom.
Her album 19 & Dangerous explored mainly Afropop and R&B, but also introduced influences from neo-soul, jazz, and EDM. Critics praised her genre-fluid approach, with Oris Aigbokhaevbolo of Music in Africa noting that she "can work across genres while not quite sounding like anybody else." This versatility is also exemplified in her second studio album, The Year I Turned 21. The Year I Turned 21 adopts a more introspective tone than her previous work, navigating themes of self-discovery and independence.
Starr grew up in a musically inclined family. She considers her mother, a former singer, and her brother Dami, a guitarist and songwriter, as her earliest inspirations for her interest in a music career.
In her interviews, she has stated that throughout her childhood she had a wide range of musical influences primarily including Beyoncé and Rihanna She has called herself a "Disney girl," recalling how she would regularly watch Disney Channel shows, mainly Hannah Montana, while aspiring to become "the Nigerian Hannah Montana." The Disney film Let It Shine and its lead female co-star Coco Jones also left a lasting impression on Starr's early creative development.
Following the success of "Bloody Samaritan" in 2021, Starr developed a mentorship relationship with Kelly Rowland, who joined the song's remix after it gained traction in the UK.
Starr has received various music accolades. In 2022, she was named the breakout artist of the year by Nigerian Entertainment Today. In 2023, she was included in the list of Forbes 30 Under 30 in music category. Spotify ranked Starr number one on its "Top 5 Female Afrobeats Artists in the Last 12 Months" list in 2025, describing her as "the pop star of Afrobeats." She is also the most-streamed female artist in Nigeria, having led Spotify's year-end ranking for four consecutive years (2022–2025), and became the first artist to achieve the same standing concurrently in Ghana and Kenya during 2023 and 2024.
She became the first female artist in the history of the Official Nigeria Top 100 Songs to reach number one with a solo single, and later set the record for the most number-one entries on the chart by a female artist, with four chart-topping credits. Her breakout single "Rush" achieved commercial success, becoming the most-streamed solo song by a Nigerian female artist on Spotify and making her the youngest African female artist to surpass 100 million views on a single YouTube video. The song earned multiple international certifications, including Platinum in the UK, Canada and New Zealand, and a Diamond in France. Her 2023 collaboration with Ninho, "No Love", was also certified Diamond by the SNEP in France and earned her first Gold certification in Switzerland.
"Santa" peaked within the top ten of charts in several Latin territories and made Starr the first Nigerian female artist to receive a Latin Diamond certification from the Recording Industry Association of America. "Santa" also achieved multi-platinum status in Spain and Mexico and peaked at number one in Spain and Bolivia, while charting across Italy, Portugal, Switzerland, and the Billboard Global 200. In 2024, her second album The Year I Turned 21 debuted at number one on the Official Nigeria Top 100 AlbumsShe is the first female Nigerian artist to surpass 20 million monthly listeners on streaming platform Spotify, where the album has garnered over 1 billion cumulative streams as of September 2025, making her the 6th most globally streamed black female artist.
In 2023, she became the youngest African female artist to headline a world tour, drawing audiences across North America, Europe, and Africa. In addition to her commercial and touring achievements, she was inducted into the Business of Fashion BoF 500, which identifies the most influential figures shaping the global fashion and creative economies.
In September 2021, Starr became a brand ambassador for Pepsi Nigeria.
In March 2023, she was announced as the spokesperson for Maybelline New York across sub-Saharan Africa.
In February 2025, she signed an endorsement deal with New Balance alongside actor and musician Jaden Smith, becoming the face of the sportswear brand's latest campaign.
She made her runway debut in 2025 at the London Fashion Week, walking for Di Petsa and closing the show for the brand's Autumn/Winter 2025 collection.
In 2021, Starr appeared in a Notion editorial. She was on the cover and appeared in an editorial for Wonderland magazine's winter issue, as well.
In July 2023, she was the cover star for *Teen Vogue'*s inaugural "Africa's New Wave" issue alongside fellow artists BNXN and Victony.
In September 2024, she appeared on the cover of Dazed Magazine's Autumn 2024 issue, photographed by Zora Sicher.
She has also appeared on covers for GQ South Africa, Numero, and Hunger.
In 2024, she made her acting debut in the movie Christmas in Lagos, appearing as herself.
In March 2025, she was announced as part of the cast of Children of Blood and Bone, Paramount Pictures' adaptation of Tomi Adeyemi's bestselling novel, marking her acting debut alongside Viola Davis, Idris Elba, and Cynthia Erivo. The Gina Prince-Bythewood-directed film wrapped production in Lagos on June 2, with a scheduled release date of January 15, 2027.
Studio albums
- 19 & Dangerous (2021)
- The Year I Turned 21 (2024)
Headlining
- 21: The World Tour (2023/2024)
Supporting
- Chris Brown – The 11:11 Tour (2024)
- Coldplay – Music of the Spheres World Tour (2024–2025)
| Award | Year | Recipient(s) and nominees(s) | Category | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Herself | Best New Artist | Nominated | ||
| 2021 | Best Newcomer | Nominated | |||
| 2026 | Best International Act | Nominated | |||
| Best African Music Act | Nominated | ||||
| 2021 | Best African Music Act | Nominated | |||
| 2025 | Best African Music Act | Won | |||
| Best International Act | Won | ||||
| 2021 | "Away" | Most Played R&B Song | Nominated | ||
| 2022 | Herself | Breakout Artist of the Year (Female) | Won | ||
| Most Searched Musician (Female) | Nominated | ||||
| 2022 | Next Rated | Nominated | |||
| "Beggie Beggie" (feat. CKay) | Best R&B Single | Nominated | |||
| Best Collaboration | Nominated | ||||
| "Toxic" | Best Vocal Performance (Female) | Nominated | |||
| "Bloody Samaritan" | Best Afrobeats Single of the Year | Nominated | |||
| Headies' Viewer's Choice | Won | ||||
| 19 & Dangerous | Best Afrobeats Album | Nominated | |||
| Album of the Year | Nominated | ||||
| 2024 | "Last Heartbreak Song" (with Giveon) | Best R&B Single | Won | ||
| 2022 | Herself | Best New International Act | Nominated | ||
| 2023 | Best International Act | Nominated | |||
| 2024 | "Commas" | BET Her Award | Nominated | ||
| Herself | Best New Artist | Nominated | |||
| Best International Act | Nominated | ||||
| 2025 | Best New Artist | Nominated | |||
| Best Female R&B/Pop Artist | Nominated | ||||
| Best International Act | Won | ||||
| 2022 | Herself | Prize for Music | Nominated | ||
| 2023 | "Rush" | Best Afrobeats | Nominated | ||
| "2 Sugar" (with Wizkid) | Best Afrobeats | Nominated | |||
| 2024 | "Last Heartbreak Song" (feat. Giveon) | Best Afrobeats | Nominated | ||
| 2025 | "Last Heartbreak Song" | Push Performance of the Year | Nominated | ||
| 2024 | "Rush" | Best African Music Performance | Nominated | ||
| 2026 | "Gimme Dat" | Nominated | |||
| 2024 | "Sability" | African Song of the Year | Nominated | ||
| Herself | African Act of the Year | Nominated | |||
| Best New | Nominated | ||||
| Best Afrobeats | Nominated | ||||
| Best Push | Nominated | ||||
| International Artist of the Year | Won | ||||
| Outstanding Achievement in Live Performance | Won | ||||
| "Hypé" (Aya Nakamura feat. Ayra Starr) | Best Music Video | Nominated | |||
| 2025 | The Year I Turned 21 | Rest of Africa | Won | ||
| "Hypé" (Aya Nakamura feat. Ayra Starr) | Morceau de l'année (Song of the Year) | Nominated | |||
| Featuring européen et/ou international (European and/or International featuring) | Nominated |
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List of artists who reached number one in Nigeria
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