Amid the flurry of flashing cameras, sold-out arena crowds and international jet-setting that currently define her life, Ayra Starr is keeping herself grounded. But then the Nigerian sensation isn’t your typical artist. She’s a firecracker, a hustler and a purveyor of sound who’s on a mission to build a legacy — not just for herself but for every girl growing up in Lagos with dreams too big for the boxes they’re told to fit them into.
‘I feel like the most important thing for me right now is to enjoy the process,’ Ayra tells M from Australia, where she’s just flown to from Kenya after performing a special live show for YouTube. ‘It’s all about making it worth it and slowing down enough to enjoy every single moment.’
Enjoying the ride hasn’t always been Ayra’s strong suit, though this is understandable — after all, the journey she’s embarked on since 2021, when her debut album 19 & Dangerous set the music world ablaze, has been stratospheric. Here was a young artist capable of blending trap, highlife music and the irresistible pull of Afrobeats into a singular, unmistakable sound, epitomised by her Grammy-nominated breakout single Rush (439m Spotify streams and counting).
‘It went from zero to 100,’ Ayra recalls, her eyes brightening as she reflects on her career beginnings. ‘People would tell me about shows I performed or parties I attended, and I don’t even remember how I felt [then]; I was on autopilot. But now I try to be present with every single thing I do, because it can happen so fast.’
'The most important thing for me right now is to enjoy the process.'
Ayra’s second album, The Year I Turned 21, reflects this newfound grounding. The 2024 record blends genres with a fluency that could only come from an artist who has worked tirelessly to hone her sound and creative spirit since her breakthrough. ‘I was 19 when I made 19 & Dangerous; it was raw [and] a little chaotic,’ she says.
In The Year I Turned 21, Ayra refines those early influences by condensing them into a cohesive, ripened sound that feels as expansive as it is intimate. ‘I entered different genres, going from highlife to trap and 808 beats, and made it all work together,’ she tells M while beaming. ‘It’s crazy when you think about it, all these genres that inspired me in one album.’
One track, Last Heartbreak Song, stands out for its vulnerability and its raw ache. It’s not just a song, but a moment captured — a testament to Ayra’s growth as an artist unafraid of her own emotions. ‘I remember performing it for the first time. It didn’t feel real to me,’ she recalls. ‘My vocal trainer told me I wasn’t singing from my heart. I thought I was, but he said, “You’re not singing your own lyrics.”’
That realisation hit her hard. Before a performance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, she rewrote the lyrics by hand, reading them back like they were a letter from her past self: ‘I started crying. It was like I was meeting myself again.’
This self-awareness and commitment to her craft extends beyond creating music. For Ayra, every decision is deliberate: her sound may be rooted in Lagos, but her vision is global. Each song and each performance is a step towards something greater, a legacy that will endure long after the lights fade.
‘I’m very competitive with myself,’ she says, her tone intense. ‘I want to be the best artist, the best performer, the best version of myself. I enjoy being on stage, rehearsing, recording — it’s not just work, it’s my life.’
Her blossoming international fanbase is indicative of the wide reach of her music. ‘Progress for me is just being here, being able to release music that I love, having fans who want to hear me,’ she says, her voice softening. She recently signed deals with global brands including New Balance and Infinix, signifying her expanding influence and the power of her brand: ‘I’m very grateful. I just continue to work hard because I know where it’s taking me.’
While Ayra’s music is blazing its own path, she’s also keenly aware of the hard realities of the music industry. Money matters here: royalties, publishing deals and an alliance with PRS for Music have all ensured that her talent is translating into tangible success.
‘When I see a credit from PRS, I’m just like, “Yes, my people,”’ Ayra says with a laugh, recalling the early days of her PRS membership. This wasn’t just a pay cheque — it was proof that she was no longer just a kid from Lagos making good music but a global artist with real, quantifiable value.
‘Before PRS, Nigerian artists were mainly making money from shows,’ she explains. ‘There was no system for publishing, no royalty structures in place. We needed that infrastructure.’
‘When I see a credit from PRS, I’m just like, “Yes, my people.”’
Ayra’s relationship with PRS goes deeper than simply receiving royalty cheques. Her partnership with the society represents the structural change African artists have long been waiting for — the kind of global legitimacy that artists like Ayra need to secure financial independence. ‘Without PRS, we wouldn’t be getting those royalties and publishing money. Now, we have the technology [and] the systems we need to thrive,’ she says, her voice brimming with pride.
Ayra’s journey isn’t just about personal success — it’s about setting a new standard for artists from Africa, especially young women. She’s breaking down the stereotypes, redefining what it means to be a Nigerian artist on the global stage.
‘Ten years from now, I want young women in the Nigerian music industry to look at me and see what’s possible,’ she says resolutely. ‘I want to break whatever box they try to put me in.’
For Ayra Starr, music is more than just a passion. It’s a mission, a calling, a way to rewrite the rules for herself and every girl with a dream. As she takes the next steps on her journey, she leaves no doubt about her purpose.
‘I just want to be the best at what I do,’ she says, her voice carrying both resolve and hope. ‘This isn’t just a phase for me — it’s a legacy.’ 'I want to be the best artist, the best performer, the best version of myself.'
This article is taken from M's special Future Makers edition — you can read the magazine in full here. Arya Starr's new single All The Love is out now.
