Ayra Starr is Nigerian singer and songwriter Oyinkansola Sarah Aderibigbe (born in Cotonou, Benin, on 14 June 2002). In early 2021, 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 chart and peaked at number 17 on the US Billboard Top Triller Global chart, paving the way for the release of her 2021 debut full-length album, "19 & Dangerous". Ayra describes her sound as Afrosoul, drawing from influences like classic Yoruba and Beninese music, and artists like 2Face and Wande Coal. Her eponymous 5-track EP produced the No. 1 single, “Away”. Starr achieved mainstream international recognition in 2022, with the release of her song "Rush". The song charted in several territories, including Switzerland, Ireland and the United Kingdom, where it peaked at number 24. It earned Starr her first nomination at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards for Best African Music Performance. With the song, Starr became the youngest African female artist to surpass 100 Million views on a single video on YouTube, and also the first to do so within five months. Her second album, "The Year I Turned 21" was released in May 2024. The album made her the first Nigerian female artist on the US Billboard 200 chart; the album debuted at number 195 on 10 June 2024 .
