Nigerian singer and songwriter Ayra Starr has recorded material for two studio albums and one extended play, and has been featured on songs by other artists. After uploading covers and original compositions to Instagram, she was discovered by Mavin Records founder Don Jazzy, who signed her to the label in 2019 following a direct message exchange. [1] She spent over a year in artist development before releasing her self-titled debut EP Ayra Starr on 22 January 2021. The five-track record merges elements of R&B and neo-soul with Afropop percussive rhythms, addressing themes of romance, heartbreak, and empowerment from a teenage perspective. Starr co-wrote four of the five songs with her brother Oluwadamilare Aderibigbe, while working primarily with producers Louddaaa, Dayogrey, and Don Jazzy. The EP spawned the single "Away", which spent two consecutive weeks at number four on Nigeria's TurnTable Top 50 chart and peaked at number 17 on the Billboard Top Triller Global chart. [2]
Her debut studio album 19 & Dangerous was released on 6 August 2021, less than seven months after her EP. The 11-track concept album traces the journey of a Gen Z protagonist transitioning from adolescence to early adulthood, marked by growing confidence, ambition, emotional depth, and self-awareness. Primarily rooted in Afropop, R&B, trap, and alté, it also draws on influences from neo-soul, jazz, and EDM. Lyrically, it explores topics of unrequited love, romantic anguish, betrayal, heartbreak, self-empowerment, and self-worth. Starr reunited with her previous collaborators Louddaaa and Don Jazzy. She also worked with new partners including producers London and Andre Vibez, and featured artists CKay on "Beggie Beggie" and Fousheé on "Snitch". The album's lead single "Bloody Samaritan", released on 30 July 2021, became a cultural phenomenon and made Starr the first female artist to reach number one on Nigeria's TurnTable Top 50 with a solo single. [3] A deluxe edition of 19 & Dangerous followed in October 2022, featuring six additional tracks including "Rush", "Ase", "Lonely Refix" with Zinoleesky, "Running" with Lojay, "Skinny Girl Anthem" with Kayykilo, and a remix of "Bloody Samaritan" featuring Kelly Rowland. "Rush", released on 16 September 2022, became Starr's breakthrough international hit, peaking at number 24 on the UK singles chart, charting across multiple territories, and earning a nomination at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards for Best African Music Performance. [4] The track has been certified platinum in the United Kingdom, Canada, and New Zealand, diamond in France, and triple platinum in Nigeria. [5] [6]
On 10 February 2023, Starr released the standalone single "Sability", which charted in the top ten across several countries. Her second studio album The Year I Turned 21 was released on 31 May 2024 through Mavin Records. The project showcased significant evolution in her sound and artistic direction, blending R&B and Afropop with stylistic borrowings from Latin pop, dancehall, highlife, gospel, and amapiano. [7] [8] Thematically, the album touches on maturity, self-discovery, love, grief, parental loss, mental wellbeing, growing fame, fortune, and gender positivity. Starr co-wrote every song on the record, teaming up with an expanded roster of producers including London, Mason Tanner, P2J, P.Priime, and Milar. The album features high-profile collaborations with Asake on "Goodbye (Warm Up)", Giveon on "Last Heartbreak Song", Rauw Alejandro and Rvssian on "Santa", Anitta and Coco Jones on "Woman Commando", and Seyi Vibez on "Bad Vibes". It was preceded by singles "Rhythm & Blues", "Commas", and "Last Heartbreak Song". The Year I Turned 21 received widespread critical acclaim, with NME awarding it a perfect five-star rating and commending Starr for her versatility and storytelling. [8] The album debuted at number one in Nigeria and charted internationally. [9] [10]
In addition to her solo work, Starr has appeared on a number of releases by other artists, including "2 Sugar" from Wizkid's fifth studio album More Love, Less Ego (2022), which debuted at number five on the Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart. She has also contributed to film soundtracks, such as Creed III (2023), and collaborated with international artists such as David Guetta on "Big FU" (2023) and Aya Nakamura on "Hypé" (2024). [11] Starr's music has been noted for its fusion of contemporary Afrobeats with R&B, pop, trap, and neo-soul influences, earning praise for its genre-fluidity and cohesive sound. Her voice has been described as silky, cozy, delicate, sturdy, arresting, and soulful, with lyrics delivered in a mix of English, Nigerian Pidgin, Yoruba and French. [12]
