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I Want To Collaborate With Burna Boy – Nigerian Singer, Ayra Starr Opens Up

Sarah Oyinkansola Aderibigbe, the Nigerian singer, who is better known as Ayra Starr, has expressed her desire to collaborate with Burna Boy, identifying the Afrobeats star as the artiste she most wants to work with.

The music star made this known during a Billboard interview released on Thursday, January 29, 2026, while discussing her 2026 Grammy nominations with Love Island USA personality Chelley Bissainthe.

Ayra explained that even though she has worked with several artistes, Burna Boy remains her top choice for a future project.

“Everybody knows Burna Boy is like my number one person I want to collaborate with.

“I’ve collaborated with a lot of people, and I still want to collaborate with many more people,” Ayra Starr said.

Ayra Starr, whose real name is Sarah Oyinkansola Aderibigbe, recently earned a Grammy nomination in the Best African Music Performance category.

The nomination came from her song Gimme Dat, a collaboration with Wizkid that was released on April 25, 2025.

The full list of nominees was announced in November 2025 ahead of the award ceremony scheduled for February 1, 2026.

Reacting to the nomination, the singer described the moment as comforting for her career.

She said it made her feel more confident about her talent and reminded her that she is on the right path.

According to her, while her first Grammy nomination felt shocking, the second one gave her inner peace and belief in her ability as an artiste.

Ayra also spoke about the making of Gimme Dat, revealing that she only learned about the song’s sample during recording.

The track draws from 911 by Wyclef Jean and Mary J. Blige.

She explained that she was unaware of the song’s background until Don Jazzy pointed it out, which later pushed her to research and understand its origin.

She added that the recording experience became even more meaningful when she later discovered that the studio used for the session once belonged to Wyclef Jean.

According to her, the coincidence made the entire process feel purposeful.

The singer also opened up about challenges she faced while recording the song.

She said her voice was not in good shape on the first day, and even on the second day, she still struggled.

Despite this, she remained determined to deliver her best, relying on effort and studio support to achieve the final sound.

Ayra Starr further revealed that Gimme Dat was originally planned as a solo track.

She recorded the song several months before its release, long before Wizkid became part of the project.

She explained that once Wizkid joined, everything fell into place naturally and the timing felt right.

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Nigerian Singer, Ayra Starr Was My Ex-Girlfriend’s School Daughter, I Discovered Her Talent – Ceeza Milli Says (Video)

Nigerian singer Ceeza Milli has claimed that he played a key role in discovering and nurturing the talent of fellow artist Ayra Starr.

Speaking in a recent interview with Yanga FM Lagos, Milli explained that he discovered Ayra Starr when he was dating a lady who was her school mother.

He also claimed that he was accommodated Ayra Starr, emphasising that the ‘Rush’ hitmaker can’t deny his impact on her career.

“When I discovered Ayra Starr, I wasn’t really paying attention to keeping artists but I like to watch artists grow… She can’t deny my impact on her career. I discovered her at a very young age.

“She was still in school then. She was my ex-girlfriend’s school daughter so she was even staying at my place a point,” he claimed.

Ayra Starr came into the spotlight with the release of her self-titled debut extended plays in January 2021 through Mavin Records.

Starr has previously revealed that Mavin boss, Don Jazzy contacted her in December 2019 after discovering her Instagram page where she shares her music.

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Nigerian Singer, Ayra Starr Laments Of Loneliness And Cold Weeks After Relocating To New York

Ayra Starr, the Nigerian Afrobeats singer, has shared insights about her life in New York, weeks after moving from Lagos to the U.S. city following a management deal with Roc Nation.

In a new Substack post titled ‘I’m not scared, I promise,’ Starr got candid about loneliness and cold in New York, describing her apartment as “almost-empty” and the city as “a walk-in freezer.”

The singer revealed that sometimes she struggles with the regret of relocating.

“It’s so cold it feels like the city is actively trying to unalive my motivation. It’s the kind of cold that makes you realize happiness was just a summer hallucination, and I can’t stop the tiny voice at the back of my mind sarcastically saying, ‘Who sent you work?’”

Ayra Starr added that she would have been enjoying Detty December with her fellow citizens in Nigeria but she is stuck in the cold and loneliness of New York because she took a rebellious risk.

The ‘Rush’ crooner said she is now in her “nobody gets me era,” stressing that she no longer cares about proving herself to others.

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Nigerian Singer, Rema Throws Shade At Colleague, Ayra Starr For Relocating To New York

Popular Nigerian musician Rema has stirred online reactions after aiming a subtle dig at his close colleague and associate, Ayra Starr.

Earlier, 626Blaze reported that Ayra Starr, during a recent interview, confirmed her relocation abroad.

Reacting to the songstress’s relocation, Rema shared a cryptic post reflecting on the effect of financial success on community ties.

While referencing a Bible verse that urges people to love their neighbours, he wrote: “Love ur neighbor as yourself but once money land you change neighborhood. No wam”.

The post prompted an immediate response from Ayra Starr in the comment section.

Ayra Starr wrote: “Wait… Remyyyyy”.

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It Feels Like Home – Nigerian Singer, Ayra Starr Confirms She Has Moved To New York (Video)

Sarah Oyinkansola Aderibigbe, the Nigerian music sensation, who is better known as Ayra Starr, has confirmed that she has relocated to New York City.

The singer shared the update during a video call with Buck n Regg, explaining that while she has always spent significant time in the city, the move is now formal.

“Um, like less than a, like less than two months… officially,”
Ayra Starr said, adding that she has always felt connected to New York.

“I’m a New Yorker in my spirit. I feel it. New York reminds me so much of Lagos… there’s lots of Nigerians here, a huge African diaspora, so it feels like home.”

The statement confirms that Ayra Starr is not only traveling frequently but has also made New York her base, reflecting the growing presence of Nigerian artists in international music hubs.

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Nigerian Singer, Ayra Starr Storms Accra To Headline Tidal Rave Beach Festival (Video)

Nigerian Afrobeats sensation Ayra Starr arrived in Accra on Friday ahead of her headline performance at the Tidal Rave Beach Festival.

The 22-year-old singer, known for hits like Rush and Sabi Girl, was welcomed by excited fans at Kotoka International Airport as she shared her enthusiasm for the upcoming show.

Ayra Starr will headline the festival’s fifth edition at La Palm Royal Beach Hotel from November 14 to 15, performing alongside top Ghanaian acts including Black Sherif and Gyakie.

The annual event blends music, art, and beach experiences, drawing thousands of attendees to celebrate West African culture.

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Rema and Ayra Starr spark dating speculations as they lock lips

Celebrity singers, Rema and Ayra Starr have sparked excitement and dating rumours as they lock lips during their recent stage performance.

The duo delivered an electrifying performance after they took the stage at the Global Citizen Festival in New York.

In a video that was shared online, Rema and Ayra Starr were seen performing his hit track, ‘Calm Down’ to a crowd of fans that gathered to watch them.

 

After their stage performance, they briefly locked lips, stirring hysterical shriek from fans who were caught off guard and no doubt excited at the sudden turn the concert took.

 

Dating Speculations

Netizens have taken to comment sections to react to the video as they opined that the singers were probably dating singer they could share a kiss in full view of fans.

Although, neither Rema nor Ayra Starr has made any comments about whether they are now in a relationship, or still testing the proverbial waters.

 

@zaddyswanky who shared the video wrote:

 

“So Rema and Ayra Starr are dating!!😳

Is the kiss for me🥹”

Ayra Starr and Rema’s relationship

Ayra Starr had previously clarified her relationship with Rema, describing him as a friend who inspires her musically, and listens to her songs.

The duo had started out as artists under the same record label, Marvin Records.

Watch the video below …

Here

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Music Executive, Don Jazzy Recounts How He Signed Ayra Starr To Mavins (Video)

Music executive Don Jazzy has recounted how he discovered Afrobeats star Ayra Starr and signed her to his record label, Mavin Records.

Speaking in an interview with Echo, Don Jazzy, who heads one of Africa’s biggest record labels, said there was a gap in the industry at the time for a teenage Afrobeats superstar, and he was actively searching for new talent to fill it.

He explained that he asked one of the people he followed to scout for promising singers in their universities. Among the names and handles that were sent to him was Ayra Starr’s Instagram profile.

According to Don Jazzy, what caught his attention was a freestyle Ayra Starr had posted about drug abuse — a theme he noted was particularly relevant to the challenges facing Gen Z. That performance, he said, convinced him that she was the one he had been looking for.

The producer added that he initially reached out to Ayra Starr directly but when she did not respond to his message, he contacted her brother.

Watch Below

Here

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Spotify Names Ayra Starr Biggest Female Afrobeats Artist

Nigerian singer, Ayra Starr has been named Spotify’s biggest female artist.
The streaming giant announced this after releasing its list of ‘Top 5 Female Afrobeats Artists In The Last 12 Months.’
Spotify hailed Ayra Starr as “the pop star of Afrobeats”.
Grammy-winning Nigerian singer Tems is number two on the list. At number 3 is American-Cameroonian singer, Libianca.
Malian-French star Aya Nakamura took the fourth spot, while British-Nigerian singer Darkoo completed the top 5.
South African singer, Tyla, was surprisingly missing from the list despite winning all the major Afrobeats awards in the past one year.
Spotify also released the list of Top 5 Afrobeats Artists In Latin America. The list was entirely occupied by Nigerian musicians.
Rema is number one of the list, Ayra Starr took the second spot, while CKay completes the top 3.
Burna Boy and Wizkid are number 4 and 5, respectively.
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AFRIMA: Davido, Ayra Starr, Burna Boy Battle For Artiste Of The Year

Nigerian music stars Ayra Starr, Burna Boy, and Davido are set to compete for Artiste of the Year at the 11th All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA).

Burna Boy, Davido, and Shallipopi dominated the list of the 2025 AFRIMA nominations across Africa.

Davido and Burna Boy bagged five nominations each while Shallipopi got four, including Artiste of the Year and Song of the Year.

Rema secured three nominations including Artiste of the Year.

Ayra Starr who was nominated in two categories is also in the Artiste of the Year contest with other big stars, Burna Boy, Davido, and El Grande Toto.

Global public voting commences from September 10.

This year’s AFRIMA awards ceremony will be hosted in Nigeria between November 25 to 30, 2025.