Ayra Starr was raised between borders, languages, ethnicities, and principles. Growing up in the contained, conservative Nigerian capital city of Abuja differed from the relaxed serenity of her birthplace of Cotonou, Benin. Then there was lively Lagos, where she spent her teen years, which felt most like home for the model-turned-award-winning musician.
But before Starr felt at home, she was angry. When she was 13, her family told her they were moving to Lagos, and she burst into tears. Uprooted, again. Her mother, however, had a premonition of sorts. “My mom was like, ‘When we move [to Lagos], this will be the time for you to do music…," the acclaimed singer-songwriter tells Teen Vogue. "'You will be able to blow in. Lagos is a place for you to pursue your music career.’”
Starr then shifted her outlook on the move and, in true Gen Z fashion, decided to vlog the entire experience. She no longer viewed the displacement as a negative; she became determined.
Ayra Starr, née Oyinkansola Sarah Aderibigb, describes growing up in Benin, Abuja, and Lagos as “a crazy experience.” “I feel like God really saved me,” she says jokingly. But moving from city to city with her family and living in such contrasting environments came with more pros than cons: Ayra can speak Yoruba, Nigerian Pidgin, English, and French, and she’s developed the ability to be adaptable without conforming. “That's why my music is very versatile.”
Starr's ascent occurred within a vital context: As worldwide interest in new African sounds has crystallized the mainstream presence of Afrobeats on the global stage, the genre's most established and lauded male musicians have captured the international lens of recognition; simultaneously, the proliferation of social media has cut down the barrier to entry for new stars.
Starr is situated at the intersection of the genre’s evolution in sound and representation. Women, whether widely acknowledged or not, have majorly contributed to the lasting power of Afrobeats and the popularity of new iterations in the genre and culture. And right now, a new generation of young women stand among them, honoring and reinventing the music, the fashion, the business, and everything in between. It’s the next era for a new genre, and Starr is at the helm — ready for whatever phase comes next.
“Different people from different generations can listen to me because I grew up around different places and I learned to adapt,” she says. “I learned to adapt my mindset, I learned to adapt my way of life. I even learned to adapt my accent sometimes. I feel you can hear that in the music.”
It’s a few days before her 21st birthday, and Starr is too excited not to gush over it. She often stops herself mid-sentence before finishing a thought. Upon her discovery that we are both Geminis, she asks slyly, “Aren’t we the best? People don't like us for some reason, but it’s fine.” She laughs easily. She jokes that she’s so tired she could sleep for two weeks, but adds, “There's so much work to do.”
The work started in 2018, when Starr was signed to Quove Models, an agency in Lagos. A year later, she began posting song covers by artists like 2Baba and Andra Day, and then modeled in campaigns and music videos for other artists before becoming a musician. She uploaded a few videos of herself covering songs by other artists before deciding to pen and post her own original song in December 2019. It garnered thousands of views prior to reaching the music executive who changed the trajectory of Starr's life with one DM.
“I first saw a video of her singing one of her original songs on Instagram. Her voice was so powerful, yet she looked so young,” Mavin Records founder and veteran producer Don Jazzy explains. “Immediately, I knew I would like to work with her. I sent her a direct message inviting her to our studio with a guardian.” Three days later, he signed Ayra Starr to his label.
She has since amassed a slew of accolades. In 2021, the single “Away,” from her eponymous debut EP, peaked at number 17 on the Billboard Top Triller global chart, and the music video amassed more than 10 million views on YouTube. That same year, Starr released her first album, 19 & Dangerous, which went on to become the number one album on Nigeria's iTunes, and on Apple Music in four other countries, garnering more than 15 million streams across Spotify, YouTube, and Audiomack. The infectious single "Bloody Samaritan” became the first solo song by a female artist to reach number one on Nigeria’s TurnTable Top 50 chart. The following year, Starr set more records: With her 2022 single “Rush,” she became the youngest African woman to surpass 100 million views for a single video on YouTube.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I am Ayra Starr and I am the future,” she prophesied last year during her Viewer’s Choice award acceptance speech at the 15th annual Headies. The young newcomer beat a roster of mostly male heavy-hitters; the people voted for Ayra Starr. Her win was unexpected but apt given the state of Nigeria’s new music scene and what is resonating with the next wave of fans and musicians.
The name Ayra Starr has become the bellwether for a burgeoning genus of African artists. The last five years have been the most formative for Afrobeats, as the music and culture have grown into a globally recognized force, all while spawning newer subgenres, scenes, and fusion sounds in Africa and across the diaspora. Meanwhile, social media has paved new roads to discovery and stardom for artists in places where music industry infrastructures are still underdeveloped for established and upcoming artists alike.
The pool of talent is now as vast as it is visible. Artists are circumventing traditional industry and societal constraints, building their own platforms in and around the industry, cultivating craft and communicating directly with fans; they’re forging their own paths to success, then drawing major label attention, instead of the other way around.
Mavin Records has become a household name in Nigeria as an incubator for talent and a staple of success in the African entertainment ecosystem. “Being signed to Mavin was definitely one of the best things to happen to me as an artist,” Starr says. But major Nigerian record labels are not signing women as often as they do men. Since Mavin's inception in 2012, there have been only three women signed to the label, including Starr. So, when her secondary school math teacher told her that one day she would be discovered and signed to the label, it seemed unlikely.
Don Jazzy has signed and collaborated with artists who have become blueprints for young, aspiring African artists of this generation — from Afrobeats legends like Tiwa Savage and Wande Coal to today’s heavyweights like Rema, Ladipoe, and now Ayra Starr. “I remember the first time meeting him, I was just so shy,” she says. “I would be in the studio with my brother and if he leaves the room, we look at each other and scream, ‘Oh, my God!’ But when I met him, he was the coolest person ever. He just wanted to speak to me, to understand where my mind was. He saw that I wanted it so much."
Starr continues, "There's guidance, and I appreciate it so much because I don't know everything. My first year recording music, Jazzy left me in the studio and he said, ‘Just make music.’ He didn’t say, ‘Make this type of music or sing about this.’ Everything was left up to me and I discovered myself. I feel like I'm still discovering my sound.”
That sound can be classified mainly as Afrobeats, but Starr traverses through alté, pop, and R&B. She describes her music as “high vibrational.” “It makes you happy,” she says. Her voice is distinct and unmistakable — deep and rich with a range that is as smooth as it is powerful. The texture of her vocal tone is a striking contrast from the expected soft, high-pitched singing standard for young pop acts. On its own, Starr's voice is a cardinal characteristic of what sets her artistic identity apart from others.
To Don Jazzy, there is no universal tried-and-true formula for developing artists. “It’s almost impossible to deal with humans the same way,” he says. He was inspired to sign and invest in Ayra Starr just hours after hearing her sing because of her “talent, vision, star power, and a likable persona to match,” he says, listing her traits matter-of-factly. Though it may sound simple, that combination isn’t common for an artist: “It is something that is somewhat rare to find in the industry; she is young, quite confident in herself, and in her craft,” he says.
Truthfully, the work for Ayra Starr began earlier, as play. She grew up with four siblings, and all were encouraged by their mother to do music. Almost all are still in the arts: Her younger sister is a model, her older brother is a video director, and her younger brother is a songwriter with whom Starr makes music.
She has had support from the important figures in her life, including select teachers who gave her words of encouragement, siblings who lent their talents to help Starr hone her own, and friends who showered her with praise. Her mother gave her direction and resources.
Starr recalls her mother telling her to post on Instagram so the world would be able to see her talents. Her mother purchased a two-string guitar in an attempt to fuel her children’s musicianship, and it was Starr who made the best of it. This reality contrasts the longstanding narrative of African youth being admonished and harangued by their parents for pursuing a career in the arts, pushing more traditional, stable professions onto their children.
Starr came of age at the crux of an older generation's birth into major stardom in music and as a new generation picked up the mantle of global Afrobeats expansion. She is of the generation that had a blueprint for worldwide success as young, African artists making a new kind of music. When Starr saw a then-18-year-old Nigerian artist named Wizkid, before his rise to superstardom, the idea of professional musicianship materialized for her. Now, she has become a generational talent who inspires a new era of stargazers. “With us, there was Wizkid, there was Davido. We saw more examples of what could be,” recalls Starr. “For people in my generation, [success in music] wasn't out of reach.”
Some of the artists who inspired Starr along the way are now her peers. She rubs shoulders and records music with the same people she grew up idolizing, such as Tiwa Savage, Wizkid, and Kelly Rowland. “I feel like I've not really taken everything in yet. It just feels so surreal," Starr says. "I was on a call with Nicki Minaj…. She doesn't understand how much I love her. I grew up listening to her. I was like, ‘You made me feel confident. Because of you, I could tell my teachers no!'” she says with a laugh.
Even with the genre's expansion, though, the conversation of crossing over into the global (but predominantly Western) mainstream for Afrobeats artists is a perpetual one. But Starr doesn’t think much about catering to audiences overseas: “I'm not trying to make music that's gonna blow up in America; I just do my thing.” She understands that because of strides made before her parlay into the industry she benefits by default, but it’s also her time to shine.
What’s in a name? To Nigerians, everything. A person’s purpose and destiny are instilled into them; one’s path is paved at birth. After you arrive, it's your duty to fulfill it.
In the ethos of that tradition, Ayra (pronounced “eye-rah”) Starr crafted her artist name with intention and direction. She, Don Jazzy, and label-mate Rema decided on Ayra, an Arabic name that means “highly respected, honorable, and awe inspiring.” Starr wants it known that she is in control of how she defines herself and her moment — and how she’s making her mark.
In the music industry, we’ve seen young women get prepped and primed to be mega pop stars, but with someone else in control. Executives, label heads, men behind the scenes, all pulling the strings, writing the music, and enforcing ideas of who they want these young women to be. So when someone comes into the industry doing their own thing, people can have cloudy judgment over who exactly is calling the shots.
“The biggest misconception about me is, people think I don't have a say in what I do," says Starr. "People don't actually know that these ideas are mine. They think the label comes up with everything. The label is my partner in everything,” Starr emphasizes. “This is my vision. I'm very intentional about every single thing I do.”
She is steadfast in showing what Gen Z is capable of in Nigerian music. Before the release of her debut album, her goal was to be a “teenage superstar” for Black girls across Africa. Growing up, she didn’t feel represented while watching major African acts who were older than her or American entertainers to whom she couldn’t relate culturally. Starr wanted to fill that void in representation for herself and others.
The same year Ayra Starr inked her record deal and began recording music at Mavin Studios in Lagos, the city — and by extension, all of Nigeria — experienced a reckoning over police brutality, corruption, and decades of political and social injustice that had boiled over into a series of protests and state-sanctioned killings. The world watched as the youth-led uprising made waves in the news and across social media. Though Nigeria's median age is 18 — among the youngest in the world — the country has always seemed to be in conflict with its youth, and the End SARS (Special Anti-Robbery Squad) protests in October 2020 were a culmination of that.
Millennials and Gen Z'ers — who had been yearning for an upheaval of the many isms that have plagued Nigeria since colonial times — called for an end to political abuse, economic instability, violent patriarchy, and misogyny. Though the protests and demonstrations have lulled since then, the driving sentiments and struggles remain. Remnants of that strife are showcased within the music industry, as women continue to fight for structural support, recognition, and autonomy over their art.
Related: After Tragedy, Afrobeats Outlaw Victony Isn’t Scared of Anything
Those remnants are why Starr continues to advocate for herself, despite constant criticism over her wardrobe choices and image. In her song “Ase,” she chants, “F*ck society… f*ck your hypocrisy, Don't want any part of it.” It’s a testament to her daring spirit.
“I'm just going to do me. I'm going to do what God sent me to do. I'm gonna make my mama proud. I'm going to make my fans proud. Aside from that, I really couldn't care less,” she says. “If you feel a certain way about me and my music and the way I dress, you'll be fine. I've always been my own person. I'm not going to change for anybody…. especially not now. I was very much my own person at the age of, like, 13.”
There’s pride in Starr's voice. She recalls a defining time from her childhood, when she attended a strict religious school, that sowed the seeds of her desire to forge and follow her own rules. “My teachers would say something like, ‘Women are not supposed to wear trousers.’ I would ask why, and I would get flogged for it,” Starr remembers. “It's normal to ask questions everywhere else…. Why can't I ask questions here? One time I painted just one of my nails pink, my teacher saw it in school, knelt me down and was like, ‘You are not gonna move forward with this type of behavior.’”
Adds Starr, “I feel like this made me who I am now. I learned not to conform to other people's mindsets.”
Starr sings about what she feels, what she’s seen, and what she wants. Her music is the soundtrack to her world, where the reality of overbearing societal standards are confronted by carefree rebellion. Despite her accomplishments and aptitude, though, she still experiences occasions when people underestimate her. As she steps deeper into stardom and adulthood, being an entertainer and maintaining professional and real-life relationships has come with a different set of growing pains.
The practice of setting boundaries, she notes, is a process she’s only recently started to implement. Developing friendships and professional relationships comes with ease for Starr, but maintaining and separating them has been strenuous. “I've had, like, three incidents [recently] that made me realize not everybody has to be my friend, we can just be working together," she says.
"I've been the kindest person. People that work for me that are way older than me — I would call them ‘ma’ or ‘sir.’ I'll put ‘auntie’ in front of their names,” she adds, referencing common Nigerian signs of respect when greeting older people. While detailing how respect from them would not be reciprocated, she sighs, reliving these moments of disappointment. “There's some things that happened that completely broke my heart.”
In Nigeria, the customs of properly greeting, bowing, curtsying, and being prostrate in the presence of older people are cultural traditions. No matter what, deference to older people is the standard. But as a younger person in a position of power, with authority over her brand and business, Starr sometimes feels conflicted. “It’s definitely one of my biggest weaknesses," she says. "I’ve dealt with people where I want to say something but I'm just like, ‘Oh, God, they are older than me, ooh, I can't talk [back].’ It's our culture, at the end of the day. But even here in Lagos, I still set my boundaries.”
The politicizing of a pop star comes with some projections and some fundamental truths. For as much as Nigerian culture has changed over time, the country as a whole still has conservative values embedded in its society. For Starr, it isn’t so much a battle for her agency as an artist and young woman, but a constant compromise of old and new traditions. Fortunately, adaptability is her forte.
“I'm a voice for young girls around Africa — young Black girls. That's one thing that makes me know I'm doing something right with my music,” she says. Does she feel any pressure in being viewed as a voice of her generation? “I do now because I know my position now," she explains. “Before, if you had asked me that, I'd say, ‘No, I'm just doing my thing.’ But now that I know my position, I know I can't slack. I'm here for a reason. I've been put here for a reason and I have to do what’s right for the people that are counting on me.” She adds, "It makes me feel pressure, but I feel like a little pressure is good — it keeps me on my toes.”
Starr’s purpose is pointed, and she has all the right pieces to complete the perfect pop-star puzzle. But as an artist at the forefront of Nigeria's youth music movement, the question of whether she should be tasked with having to represent an entire generation, nation, and genre is warranted. It's a lot to ask of a 21-year-old. But Starr says she’s ready, willing, and able to accept the challenge — in all its stages of wonder, mistakes, and growth.
“I just want to be known as that person that worked hard for her people — for Africa,” says Ayra Starr. “I want to be known as the girl that inspired confidence in young girls around the world.”
Photo Credits
Creative Director: Ade Samuel
Photographer: Stephen Tayo
Digitech: Demola Heshin
Photo Retouching: Jinx Studios
Producer: According to Ade, Inc
Stylist: Jahn Affah
Prop Stylist: Desola Falomo
Hair Stylist: Kehinde Are
Makeup Artist: Ezeikel Onome
Manicurist: Jessica at Kachy Nails
Makeup Assistant: Obidike Uchechukwu
Market Styling Assistant: Jahn Affah
Line Producer: Salma Saliu
Line Producer: Tega Odje
Production Assistants: Wunmi Hassan, Benjamin Bulus, Elizabeth Bulus, Fad Saliu
Art & Design Director: Emily Zirimis
Designer: Liz Coulbourn
Senior Fashion Editor: Tchesmeni Leonard
Associate Entertainment Director: Eugene Shevertalov
Video Credits
Director: Ade Samuel
Videographer: Fedworks
Videographer: Victor Amango
Sound Engineer: Mr Sunday
Gaffer: Geetee
Editor: Oye Joseph
Colorist: Ben Aitar
Voiceover: Ayobamiji Komlafe
Food Stylist: Anu Bello
Editor: Melissa Lawrenz
Senior Director, Programming: Mi-Anne Chan
Senior Manager, Creative Dev: Logan Tsugita
Editorial Credits:
Editor-in-chief: Versha Sharma
Executive Editor: Dani Kwateng
Interim Features Director: Alyssa Hardy
Senior Culture Editor: P. Claire Dodson
Entertainment News Editor: Kaitlyn McNab
Copy Editors: Dawn Rebecky, Leslie Lipton
Audience Development Director: Chantal Waldholz
Senior Social Media Manager: Honestine Fraser
Social Media Manager: Jillian Selzer
