Ayra Starr
Biography
Ayra Starr, born Oyinkansola Sarah Aderibigbe on June 14 2002 in Cotonou, Benin Republic to Nigerian parents and raised in Lagos, is a Nigerian singer and songwriter who became one of the most celebrated new artists of 2021 following her signing to the Mavin Records label. Her self-titled debut EP Ayra Starr (2021) introduced an artist of remarkable vocal confidence and thematic maturity, with songs that addressed youth disillusionment, desire, and identity with a directness unusual in an artist releasing her debut at eighteen. Her debut album 19 & Dangerous (2021) was named one of the best African albums of the year by multiple publications and produced the hit Bloody Samaritan, which became a viral sensation and one of the most recognisable Nigerian songs internationally in 2021. Its empowering message and genre-fluid production — blending Afropop with rock guitar elements — demonstrated Mavin's ability to identify artists with genuinely international commercial potential. She was named Apple Music's Up Next artist and signed management deals that positioned her for sustained international expansion. Ayra Starr's follow-up album The Year I Turned 21 (2023) confirmed her status as one of the most artistically serious young acts in Nigerian music, addressing themes of young womanhood with intelligence and vulnerability. She has collaborated with CKay, Chlöe, and international artists, and her profile continues to grow internationally. She represents the forward edge of a generation of Nigerian women in music who are demanding and achieving global audiences on their own terms, and she is widely regarded as one of the most exciting emerging talents in global pop.
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Discography (5)
