Ayra Starr originally known as Oyinkansola Sarah Aderibigbe (born June 14, 2002), aka Ayra Starr, is a Nigerian singer and composer. Ayra Starr rose to international prominence in 2022 with the release of her song “Rush”. The song charted in several countries, including Switzerland, Ireland, and the United Kingdom (where it reached number 24). At the 66th Annual Grammy Awards, Starr was nominated for Best African Music Performance.
Ayra Starr Biography: Early Life
Oyinkansola Sarah Aderibigbe was born in Cotonou, Benin, on June 14, 2002, and raised in Lagos, Nigeria. She was born to Nigerian parents in Kwara State and has four siblings: brothers Ade and Dami and sisters Tolulope and Jesutunmise.
Her family relocated frequently during her high school years due to her father’s business, and as a result, she struggled to make close relationships. Having been raised in a music-loving family, her interest in singing comes mostly from her family. At the age of ten, she joined a high school choir and started writing songs with her brother.
Education
Ayra Starr attended Les Cours Sonou University and earned a BA in international relations and political science; nonetheless, her classmates frequently ridiculed her because of her age and appearance. To cope with her sentiments of being taunted, Ayra Starr resorted to music, listening to Nicki Minaj’s music on her walk to school. Ayra Starr’s mother was always supportive of her musical interests and pushed her to pursue a singing career.
Career
In August 2018, Starr signed with Quove Models, a modeling agency based in Lagos. She went on to model for companies including Mazelle Studio, Complete Fashion Magazine, and Esperanza Woman. In 2019, she began publishing internet versions of songs by Andra Day and 2Face Idibia.
She chose her stage name because, as she explains, “it means woke and eye-opening, and that’s what I stand for.” She appeared in the music video for Eri Ife’s song “Dear Future Wife.” In December 2019, she shared an original song called “Damage” on her Instagram account. This was heard by thousands, including label executive Don Jazzy, and led to her first music contract with Mavin Records.
In 2020, she started recording at Mavin Studios in Lagos with producers Louddaaa and Don Jazzy. Her self-titled debut extended play was released on January 22, 2021, via Mavin Records. The album has been described as “a topsy-turvy chronicle of love or love-themed situations” that “merges elements of R&B/neo-soul with Afropop percussion.”
Ayra Starr noted that her goal for the album was to make music that would appeal to both young and old audiences. Starr created one of the EP’s tunes on her own, while the remaining four were co-written with her brother Dami. Soon after its release, the EP topped Nigeria’s iTunes and Apple Music album charts. As of March 2021, it had ranked the same on Apple Music in four more countries, with over 15 million streams on Spotify, YouTube, and Audiomack.
The initiative generated the hit track “Away,” which peaked at number four on Nigeria’s TurnTable Top 50 and 17 on the US Billboard Top Triller Global. The accompanying music video was featured on MTV Base’s Official Naija Top 10. OkayAfrica included the song in their list of the top nine Nigerian songs of January 2021.
In March and April, Ayra Starr collaborated with Tokimonsta and Lilo to release remixes of “Ija” and “Away”. Around the same time, Crayon’s EP Midnight was released, which included her vocals on the track “In Sync.”
She performed at The Olori Awards, a virtual culture event organized by the UC Berkeley Nigerian Students Association. On April 28, 2021, Mavin released the official music video for her track “DITR” on YouTube. The music video for the song “Sare” premiered in June 2021. Afolabi Olalekan directed both music videos.
On July 11, 2021, Ayra Starr competed in the season finale of Nigerian Idol. On August 6, 2021, her debut studio album, 19 & Dangerous, was released. She worked on the album with previous collaborators Louddaaa and Don Jazzy, who also produced her EP Ayra Starr, as well as new musicians London and Andre Vibez. Her debut album includes cameos by Fousheé and CKay.
It got excellent reviews, with most critics defining the music as primarily Afropop and R&B. It yielded two top forty singles on the TurnTable Top 50, the highest of which was “Bloody Samaritan,” the album’s only single and Starr’s first number-one single on the chart. The song reached the Top 50 for several weeks before reaching number one on the 27 September 2021 chart, making Ayra Starr the first female artist to do it with a solo single.
She debuted on the Pandora Predictions chart, and on August 28, 2021, she ranked second on Billboard’s Next Big Sound. She performed “In the Light” on Johnny Drille‘s Before We Fall Asleep. On September 4, 2021, she was named Pepsi Nigeria’s brand ambassador. The following day, Starr participated in a live eviction episode of Big Brother Naija. She collaborated with Cheque on the second song from his album Bravo, “Dangerous.”
She received a Best Newcomer nomination at the 8th African Muzik Magazine Awards. Awards and honors. Starr began recording her second studio album, The Year I Turned 21, in late 2023. The piece represented a fundamental shift in her craft, with themes of self-discovery, love, bereavement, and empowerment.
Recording sessions began at Mavin Studios in Lagos and proceeded until 2024, with contributions from longstanding colleagues Louddaaa, London, and Johnny Drille, as well as Grammy-nominated producer Rvssian. Starr described the recording process as “a journey of experimentation and self-expression, where I allowed myself to be vulnerable.”
During the album’s development, Starr began generating momentum through remarkable opportunities and partnerships. On March 5, 2024, American R&B artist Chris Brown revealed that Starr would be one of the opening acts for his 2024 11:11 tour in North America, bolstering her international profile. The following month, on April 8, 2024, Jamaican record producer Rvssian released the tune “Santa,” which was a duet with Starr and reggaeton artist Rauw Alejandro.
Starr released numerous singles leading up to the release of TYIT21. “Rhythm & Blues,” released on September 13, 2023, explored themes of romance and nostalgia, but “Commas,” released on February 2, 2024, emphasized confidence and financial independence. “Santa,” which was launched on April 8, 2024, quickly became a fan favorite due to its vibrant rhythm and amusing lyrics. Each single was backed by visually stunning music videos directed by prominent African creatives, heightening excitement for the whole album.
The Year I Turned 21 was officially released on May 31, 2024, by Mavin Records. The album includes duets with Seyi Vibez, Coco Jones, Giveon, Asake, Anitta, and Rauw Alejandro. Tracks like “Woman Commando,” which features Coco Jones and Anitta, showcase Starr’s ability to combine Afrobeat rhythms with Western pop influences. She reflected on the collaborations, saying, “Each artist brought something unique, pushing me to explore new sides of my artistry.”
Ayra Starr Husband
Ayra Starr is a single lady. She is presently thought to be unmarried, as there have been no stories or speculations about her dating anyone, and she has not been spotted with anyone. As a result, she’s unmarried. She seems to be more concerned about her job than about being in a relationship right now. She is pleased with her current situation and is not troubled by anything. She has the sexual orientation of a heterosexual lady.
AyraStarr net worth
Ayra Starr is a successful singer, composer, and model. As of 2021, Ayra Starr’s net worth is expected to reach $700,000. Her main source of revenue is the music industry, where she has released several songs that have gotten over 20 million listens across all digital platforms. She also earns a lot of money from modeling and brand influence for a range of companies. On September 4, 2021, she was named Pepsi Nigeria’s brand Ambassador. She now lives a stylish lifestyle. She has kept her wage earnings hidden from the press. She is a vehicle fanatic and even owns one.
Social Media
Ayra Starr is active on social media. She has 6.2 million Instagram followers @ayrastarr and 1.8 million Twitter followers @ayrastarr . She has around 520,000 Facebook followers.
