Meet Sarah Aderibigbe aka AYRA STARR

 

Oyinkansola Sarah Aderibigbe (born 14 June 2002), known professionally as Ayra Starr, is a Nigerian singer. Born in Cotonou, Benin to Nigerian parents from Kwara State, Ayra Starr musical career started way back when she was little. 

At age 10, she sang in a high school choir and began writing songs with her brother. Ayra Starr grew up in a musically inclined family. She considers her mother, a former singer and her brother Dami, a guitarist and songwriter as her earliest inspirations for her interest in a music career. 

Growing up between Bénin and Nigeria, she was exposed to different cultures that influenced her perspective on life and her personality. Ayra Starr and Dami began writing songs from a very young age under the tutelage of their mother and aunt.  She received a BA degree in international relations and political sciences from Les Cours Sonou university.

 After covering several songs by popular artists on Instagram, she posted her first original song on her page in December 2019. This brought her to the attention of record executive Don Jazzy, and led to her signing to Mavin Records.

In early 2021, Ayra Starr achieved mainstream recognition with her eponymous debut extended play and its hit track "Away" which spent two consecutive weeks at number four on Nigeria's TurnTable Top 50 and went to number 17 on US Billboard Top Triller Global, paving the way for the release of her first full-length studio album, 19 & Dangerous in August 2021. 

Categorized mainly as Afropop and R&B, the album has been met with favorable critical reception. 

It spawned two top forty hits in Nigeria. The lead single "Bloody Samaritan" peaked atop the Top 50 chart, becoming the first solo song by a female artist to reach the number-one position.

 Although musically diverse, Ayra Starr's sound has predominantly been categorized as Afropop and R&B. Her voice has been described in the media as "silky", "cozy", "delicate", "sturdy", "arresting" and "soulful", with music critics noting the dynamic nature of her range and emotional delivery.

Her lyrics are a mixture of English, Pidgin English and Yoruba, often exploring contemporary topics such as love, relationship, empowerment and freedom.

Ayra Starr has cemented her status with her new song ‘Rush’ released on the 19th of September as the music industry “sabi girl’s” single dominates the Apple Music top songs’ charts in the country. 

Coming after the record had moved from the fourth position to the third on Apple Music Nigeria’s Top 100 charts, ‘Rush’ has now toppled Asake’s reign on the top songs chart with the YBNL singer’s Joha ranking as the second top song. 

Ayra, the celestial being. 🔥

Compiled by – Docktor Ment