Ayra Starr on Secret Relationship, Teasing Stevie Wonder Over Grammy Call
Nigerian singer Ayra Starr has opened up in a candid new interview about the personal experiences shaping her third studio album, “Starrgirl,” including a secretive relationship that inspired one of its standout tracks and a memorably playful phone exchange with music icon Stevie Wonder.
Speaking to the BBC ahead of the album’s release, Starr revealed that her single “Where Do We Go,” which blends a swaying Afrobeats rhythm with a hypnotic electronic pulse, was inspired by a secretive relationship that had grown stagnant but that she kept returning to nonetheless. She explained that the fear of starting over with someone new, having to rebuild familiarity from scratch, made it easy to settle for a partner who no longer matched her standards, but that she ultimately chose to prioritise her music and personal growth over staying in the relationship, even though she had enjoyed it while it lasted.
Starr also recounted a memorable moment with soul legend Stevie Wonder, who phoned to congratulate her on a Grammy nomination. Rather than a straightforward exchange of pleasantries, the conversation turned into a playful back-and-forth argument about zodiac signs, with each artist trying to outdo the other, eventually prompting Starr to tell Wonder, a Taurus, that “Tauruses ain’t crap.” She said she suspected the legendary musician was left wondering who she was and what she wanted from him, but described the entire exchange as a cute and mutually respectful conversation.
The 24-year-old, who rose to fame after being discovered singing covers on YouTube at 18, went on to become the first African woman to win Best International Act at the MOBO Awards and the first Nigerian woman to surpass one billion YouTube video views. She made history in 2024 as the first Afrobeats artist to play Glastonbury’s Pyramid Stage, closing her set with a declaration that she would return one day as a headliner.
“Starrgirl” marks her first project under a new management deal with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation and follows her relocation from Lagos to New York, a move she described in a personal essay as a significant upheaval driven by a desire to explore new musical influences and expand her sound. The album features collaborations with fellow Afrobeats stars Wizkid and Rema, alongside One Direction’s Zayn Malik and rising R&B artist KWN.
Starr also addressed criticism from some fans in Nigeria who feel she is diluting her musical heritage by pursuing a more global sound, arguing that she is able to honour her culture while still experimenting creatively. She pointed to her album cover, which pairs a club-ready gold dress with a traditional gele headwrap, as her own response to that criticism, explaining that she wanted young girls in places like Kwara State to see the image and feel represented in their own culture.
Reflecting on the pressures of balancing mainstream appeal with artistic evolution following the success of her breakout single “Rush” and her second album, “The Year I Turned 21,” Starr said she refuses to conform to expectations or create solely for passive listeners, insisting that rebelling against preconceptions is simply who she is as an artist.
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