Early life Oyinkansola Sarah Aderibigbe was born in
Benin and raised in
Cotonou and
Lagos, Nigeria. She is of Nigerian and
Yoruba heritage, with both parents from
Kwara State. She is multilingual, knowing
Yoruba,
French,
English, and
Nigerian Pidgin. She is the second of five children. She and her older brother, Dami, played music together during their childhood. Though she gravitated toward the arts as a teen, her father often urged her to prioritize academics.
2018–2020: Career beginnings Starr finished in second place on the Nigerian television talent show Maltina Dance All as a child. In August 2018, Starr signed with Quove Models, a
Lagos-based modeling agency. In 2019, Starr started posting song
covers by artists such as
Andra Day and
2Face Idibia on social media. She also appeared in the music video for Eri Ife's song "Dear Future Wife." In December 2019, Starr uploaded an original song called "Damage" to her
Instagram page. After this,
Mavin Records founder
Don Jazzy sent her a message expressing interest in her music and inviting her to meet. Starr's first sessions at Mavin Studios were her introduction to professional recording. Throughout 2020, she recorded at Mavin Studios in
Lagos with producers
Louddaaa, Don Jazzy, and Dayogrey.
2021–2023: Ayra Starr and 19 & Dangerous Her
self-titled debut EP was released in January 2021 through
Mavin Records. The mixing and mastering of the EP was by Ikon, Louddaaa, and
Johnny Drille. Shortly after its release, the EP became the number-one album on Nigeria iTunes and
Apple Music. By March 2021, the song had racked up over 15 million streams across
Spotify,
YouTube, and
Audiomack. The EP included the track "
Away", which peaked at number four on Nigeria's
TurnTable Top 50 and number 17 on US
Billboard Top Triller Global. Its accompanying music video also debuted on
MTV Base's Official Naija Top 10.
OkayAfrica included the song in their list of
The 9 Best Nigerian Songs of January 2021. In early 2021, Crayon's EP
Twelve A.M was released, including her as a featured artist on "In Sync." She then performed for the
UC Berkeley Nigerian Students Association's Olori Awards. In July 2021, Starr performed for the season finale of
Nigerian Idol. On 6 August 2021, her debut studio album titled
19 & Dangerous was released. The album marked her first time recording alongside guest artists such as
Fousheé and
CKay. It included two top forty hits on the
TurnTable Top 50 and Starr ranked number two on
Billboards
Next Big Sound. She was concurrently featured on "in the light," a track on
Johnny Drille's
Before We Fall Asleep. Starr was nominated for the "Best Newcomer Award" at the
8th African Muzik Magazine Awards in October. In September 2022, Starr released the song "
Rush" as part of the deluxe edition of
19 & Dangerous. The song charted in several territories, including Switzerland, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. On 10 November 2022, Starr was featured on "2 Sugar," a track from
Wizkid's fifth studio album
More Love, Less Ego. The song reached number 1 on
Billboard's Hot Trending, and debuted at number 5 on the
Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart. In March 2023, she was credited on ''
Creed III's'' soundtrack with "Ogogoro". Shortly after this, in July 2023, she announced her first headlining world tour,
21: The World Tour, with 40 stops across
North America,
Europe,
Africa, and
Australia. The lead single from her next album, "
Rhythm & Blues," was released in September 2023, exploring themes of romance and vulnerability. She was also featured on the
David Guetta song "
Big FU," along with rapper
Lil Durk, which reached No. 23 on the U.S. Afrobeats Songs and No. 18 on
New Zealand Top 40 charts.
2024–2025: The Year I Turned 21 and international expansion , where she spoke about her song "
Commas". The album's second single, "
Commas," was released on February 2, 2024. In April, Jamaican record producer
Rvssian released "
Santa," a collaboration with Starr and reggaeton artist
Rauw Alejandro. The track made Starr the first Nigerian female artist to reach 20 million monthly listeners on
Spotify. "
Bad Vibes," featuring
Seyi Vibez, was released on 10 May as the final single ahead of the album. Starr's second studio album,
The Year I Turned 21, was released through Mavin Records on 31 May 2024. The album explores themes of self-discovery, love, grief, and empowerment. The album features guest appearances from
Coco Jones,
Giveon,
Asake,
Anitta and Rauw Alejandro. Upon its release, the album debuted at No. 1 on the Nigerian Albums Chart and entered the
Billboard 200 at No. 195, making Starr the first Nigerian female artist to achieve this milestone.
Pitchfork described the album as "a bold and reflective work that redefines modern Afropop."
Billboard praised the album for its "universal themes of growth and ambition that resonate across cultures." Following the album's release, she served as an opening act for
Chris Brown's 2024 11:11 Tour across 26 North American cities from June to August. In June 2024, Starr made history as the first African female artist to perform on
Glastonbury Festival's Pyramid Stage. She also headlined
Afro Nation Detroit in August. She collaborated with
Coldplay on the song "
Good Feelings" from their album
Moon Music and was a supporting act for the band's
Music of the Spheres World Tour in
Australia and
New Zealand. In February 2025, Starr released "
All The Love". That same month she won
Best African Music Act at the
MOBO Awards. On 25 April, she released "
Gimme Dat" featuring
Wizkid, which pays homage to
Wyclef Jean and
Mary J. Blige's
"911". In June, Starr won her first
BET Award for Best International Act. Her Summer 2025 Tour kicked off on 20 June with a performance at
Summerjam Festival in
New Jersey. In mid-July, Starr signed an international management deal with
Jay-Z's
Roc Nation while remaining signed to
Mavin Records for music releases. On 25 July, she released "
Hot Body", which
Billboard called a "steamy slow-wine groove". On 27 September, Starr performed at the
Global Citizen Festival in New York City's
Central Park. During her performance, Starr brought out her labelmate
Rema as a surprise guest, and they performed "
Rush" together. Following the performance, Starr and Rema released their first official collaboration as co-lead artists titled "
Who's Dat Girl" on October 17. In November 2025, she headlined the
Tidal Rave Festival at La Palm Royal Beach Hotel in
Accra, becoming the first major non-Ghanaian artist to headline the event.
2026–present: Starr Girl In January 2026, she was announced as a contributing artist on the
original motion picture soundtrack for
GOAT, an
animated film produced by
Sony Pictures Animation, appearing on the track "Brought the Family", a collaboration with
Jon Bellion. Starr was featured in Spotify's "Our Frequency" zine Issue 033, where she discussed her aspirations and confirmed she was working on her third studio album, expected later in the year. In February 2026, she was added to the lineup for BRED Abu Dhabi's fourth edition at
Yas Marina Circuit. She provided a verse for the remix of "Mon Bébé" by French artist
RnBoi. In March 2026, she released her single "
Where Do We Go" and appeared on the song "
Aye Kan (Are You Coming Back)" from
Angélique Kidjo's 2026 album
Hope!!. On 26 March 2026, she won Best International Act at the
MOBO Awards, becoming the first African artist to win the category in consecutive years. During April 2026, Starr performed "Where Do We Go" on
The Jennifer Hudson Show, where she officially announced her third studio album, titled
Starr Girl, scheduled for release in July 2026. == Artistry ==