Meet Ayra Starr: Fast-Rising Afropop Singer Who’s Always Known She’s a ‘Sabi Girl’
The fast-rising Afropop singer Ayra Starr says she always knew she was destined for greatness. It didn’t take long: She’d signed with the major African label Mavin, racked up hundreds of millions of streams, headlined a U.K. tour and gotten cosigns from many of her idols, all before her 21st birthday this coming June. After her debut single “Away” shot her to stardom in her native Nigeria, her hit single “Rush” has surpassed 100 million streams on both Spotify and YouTube, and she just dropped a tag-team single with labelmate DJ Big N and singer Oxlade called “How Many Times.”
It all began simply enough: She’d been singing with her brother for most of her life, and one day when she was 18, “I posted a video — it was the first original song I posted online,” she recalls, “and the next day my executive producer called me and invited me to the studio. Literally three days later I was signed.” The label in question is Mavin Records, the powerhouse Nigeria-based company (founded by Don Jazzy) that launched the global careers of industry icons such as Tiwa Savage, Rema and others. Her career vaulted to the next level with “Bloody Samaritan” — an R&B banger that took off in the U.K. and caught the attention of Kelly Rowland, who later joined the remix and became a mentor to Starr.
To date she’s released a self-titled EP and an album, “19 & Dangerous,” and her versatility has made her a highly sought-after collaborator in the Afropop community. She recently featured on Cameroonian singer Libianca’s remix of “People” with Omah Lay, and lent her vocals to Tiwa Savage and Young Jonn’s “Stamina.” Yet “How Many Times” showcases a more vulnerable side of the singer: The music video subverts gender roles, with Starr in a girls club being served by male bartenders while collaborator Oxlade and his guys hang out at a salon. DJ Big N can be seen performing with both singers between scenes. The track was released by Mavin Records and distributed by UnitedMasters.
She’s got a busy few months ahead, with a performance at Pharrell Williams’ Something in the Water festival at Virginia Beach on the weekend of April 28-30, followed by a slew of European festival dates this summer. She caught up with Variety over Zoom earlier this month.
In your songs you reference being a “sabi girl” quite a bit — what does that actually mean?
The American equivalent to “sabi girl” is baddie. “Sabi,” in Nigerian pidgin [a mix of native languages and English] means “to know, to be informed,” someone who is good at everything. So sabi girl is like, “I’m the best – that girl, the ‘It’ girl.”
Have you always thought that about yourself?
I had a lot of ridiculous confidence as a child (laughter). I don’t know where it came from but it was ridiculous. Ever since I was young I always stood out in my own way. Not “I’m the finest person in the room,” I was just always me.
Did that confidence ever get you in trouble?
The amount of times I got in trouble for being like this (chuckles)… In school I would do my own thing and when they would punish me I would say, “When I’m a superstar I’m not going to do this.” I always had a mouth. Even my mom would smack me and I’d be like (whining), “Oh, you just don’t believe me!”
Did your parents support your music as a child and a teenager? Sometimes within the Nigerian culture our parents want us to go into science or medicine, and they don’t get the art until we prove ourselves.
They definitely did support. Ever since I was 5 years old, I said I would be here now. Me and my brother wrote songs together — when my mom would come home, tired from work, my other siblings would be giving her a massage while me and my brother would sing to her. She always knew this was what we were going to do, so she always supported it. When I was a teenager she would tell me, “You have to post on Instagram so people can see your talent.” She always said school first, if I went to school I could sing whatever I want.
One time she got us a guitar – it only had two strings, she was scammed. She didn’t really know what it was, but she knew we wanted a guitar so she made it happen. And we made it work! We serenaded the whole neighborhood with those two strings!
How did that musical relationship with your brother start and what’s it like now?
My brother has always been the music genius. I used to a little jealous by how beautiful he could write and sing. He would play me something and then I’d go to the bedroom and try to write something better (laughter). I was very competitive as a child and I would try to do it just like him. Now he’s doing his own music and will hopefully be releasing an EP very soon. I’m excited — we’re still really cool. He sent me music last night.
So healthy competition in the home inspired you to go harder and be the best you can be?
My aunty and my mom made us compete for the tiniest thing. Literally, if there was chocolate, they would say “Everyone — write the best song about chocolate.” If we wanted the TV remote control, we would have to learn every word of a Nicki Minaj song. That’s the type of environment I grew up in (laughter).
Mavin Records is one of the biggest labels in Africa — how did you get connected with them?
My mom used to encourage me make song covers. Since I didn’t have a good phone, I would go to my friend’s house and use her iPhone to record. I used to do that a lot. Then I posted a video one Sunday — it was the first original song I posted online — and the next day my executive producer called me and invited me to the studio. Literally three days later I was signed.
What was it like working with Tiwa Savage and Kelly Rowland, artists you were a fan of before you met them?
It feels amazing — these woman I grew up listening to. With Tiwa, whenever she calls me I start singing her songs before I can even say hello. She’ll say, “Ayra, calm down,” and I’m like, “No, I actually have your number and you’re calling me!” I’m very proud of where I am right now, and I’m grateful they love and believe in me.
Have they shared any helpful career or personal advice?
One time I was complaining about how tired I was to Kelly, and she said, “Sorry, you can’t rest — this is not the time to rest.” I remember the look on her face when I said “rest” (laughter). She reminded me of her Destiny’s Child days – you have to keep going, you have to work hard. I can tell she actually did it and does it.
Who are some of your dream collaborations?
Whew. Definitely Doja Cat, Nicki Minaj and Rihanna — those are my trinity. Kendrick Lamar, Burna Boy, definitely.
On the new collaboration with DJ Big N and Oxlade, you take a different vocal approach, a calmer melody. What inspired the change?
I just really love that song. Whenever I do features I give maximum effort. I usually go very intense — I want you to feel, “Ayra is here.”
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