Ayra Starr, Mavin Records’ youngest performing artist, is a delight to the ears of her fans and followers as she has grabbed the attention of many Nigerians with her sonorous vocals and melodious lyrics. She is also one of the youngest artists in Nigeria to sign a major endorsement deal with Pepsi.
There’s so much to know about this youngster and how far she has gone in the industry since her signing with Mavin Records. This article is here to answer everything you need to know about Ayra Starr.
Table of Contents
Biography
This section spot-lights all about Ayra Starr’s personal life.
Who is Ayra Starr?
Oyinkansola Sarah Aderibigbe is a gifted and well-known Nigerian singer, composer, and model better known by her stage name “Ayra Starr.” She gained recognition following the release of her contentious single, “Away”, when she posted about it on the photo sharing platform, Instagram, on the 21st of December 2019.
How old is Ayra Starr?
Oyinkansola Aderibigbe was born on the 14th of June 2002 which puts her age at 20 years. She is currently Mavin’s youngest artist and one of the youngest performing artists in Nigeria.
Early Life and Family Background
Oyinkansola Sarah Aderibigbe was born in Cotonou, Benin, and grew up there and in Lagos, Nigeria. She was born to Nigerian parents from Kwara State and has four siblings. Her family moved frequently during her high school years because of her father’s business, and as a result, she had a hard time forming close friends.
Her interest in singing comes mostly from her family and listening to different sounds and music genres from childhood and from joining her church choir as a teenager.
In an interview, when asked about how she started writing songs at an early age, Ayra Starr had this to say:
I started remixing songs when I was seven or eight. I would remix Michael Jackson songs and I’d put my own words. I’d take it to school and act like this is my song, and people would be like “you’re a liar, it’s not yours.” I would put my own words every time. When I was ten and my brother was nine, we began writing songs together. When I was 12, my mother bought us a guitar, and we began writing music properly. A song from my album, I wrote when I was 14 and my brother was 13. “
During her college years, she was often bullied by her classmates because of her age and appearance. To counter the feelings, she experienced from being taunted, Ayra Starr turned to music. I would listen to Nicki Minaj on my way to school, and I’d feel like the second Nicki Minaj.
Ayra Starr’s friends advised her to start off by recording covers of well-known songs and uploading them on her Instagram profile. Her mother was very supportive of her musical aspirations and always encouraged her to pursue a singing career.

What does Ayra Starr mean?
Her stage name, Ayra Starr, is a combination of the words AYRA and STARR.
According to the artist, the name “AYRA” is an Arabic one that denotes “honorable and revered” as well as “STAR,” emphasizing one’s status as a dazzling bright star in the profession.
Education
She got into the University at age 14 and she attended Les Cours Sonou University and received a BA degree in International Relations and Political Science.
Modelling Career
Her modeling career started professionally in 2018, although she had been modeling since she was 14 years old.
Ayra Star joined Quove Model Management in August 2018, a modeling agency well known for discovering and developing up-and-coming models in Nigeria.
Her modeling career was developed and promoted by the company.
During her modeling days with Quove model management, she was able to work with top brands like Concept Magazine, Mazelle Studios, Krisari Entertainment, and Esperanza Woman’s Wear brand.
She also starred as a video vixen for the song “Dear Future Wife” by Eriife Music.
Music Career
In December 2019, she uploaded an original song called “Damage” to her Instagram page. This was heard by thousands of people, including label executive Don Jazzy, and led to her first recording contract with Mavin Records.
In 2020, she started recording at Mavin Studios in Lagos with producers Loudaaa and Don Jazzy. Her self-titled debut extended play was released on January 22, 2021 through Mavin Records. Ayra Starr said her intention with the record was to make music that would resonate with both young and old listeners. Starr wrote one of the songs on the EP alone and co-wrote the remaining four with her brother Dami. Shortly after its release, the EP became the number-one album in Nigeria on iTunes and Apple Music. As of March 2021, it reached the same position on Apple Music in four other countries, racking up over 15 million streams across Spotify, YouTube, and Audio Mack. The project spawned the hit track “Away”, which peaked at number four on Nigeria’s TurnTable Top 50 and number 17 on the US Billboard Top Triller Global. Its accompanying music video also debuted on MTV Base’s Official Naija Top 10.
Ayra Starr released remix versions of “Ija” and “Away” featuring Tokimonsta and Lilo, respectively, between March and April. Around the same time, Crayon’s EP Twelve A.M was released, with her vocals on the track “In Sync.” She performed at the UC Berkeley Nigerian Students Association virtual culture show titled The Olori Awards.
On April 28, 2021, the official music video for her song “DITR” was released on YouTube via Mavin. In June 2021, the music video for another song, titled “Sare”, was released. Both music videos were directed by Afolabi Olalekan.
On July 11, 2021, Ayra Starr performed for the season finale of Nigerian Idol.
On August 6, 2021, her debut studio album, titled 19 & Dangerous, was released. For the album, she worked with her previous collaborators Louddaaa and Don Jazzy, both of whom contributed to the production of her EP and new collaborators, London and Andre Vibez. The album marked her first time recording alongside guest artists such as Fousheé and CKay. It spawned two top forty hits on the Turntable Top 50, the highest being “Bloody Samaritan”, its lone single, which became Starr’s first number-one single on the chart. The song climbed the Top 50 for several weeks, and, on the chart dated September 27, 2021, it reached the number one spot, making Ayra Starr the first female artist to do so with a solo single. She debuted on the Pandora Predictions chart, and on August 28, 2021, she ranked number two on Billboard’s Next Big Sound. She was featured on “In the Light”, a track on Johnny Drille’s record, “Before We Fall Asleep”. She collaborated with Cheque on “Dangerous”, the second track on his album “Bravo”.
REAL NAME | Oyinkansola Sarah Aderibigbe |
STAGE NAME | Ayra Starr |
DATE OF BIRTH | 14th June 2002 |
RELIGION | Christianity |
NATIONALITY | Nigerian |
STATE OF ORIGIN | Kwara State |
GENRE | Afropop & R n B |
TRIBE | Yoruba |
RECORD LABEL | Mavins Record |
@ayrastarr | |
@ayrastarr | |
QUALIFICATION | BA International relations and political science |
ZODIAC SIGN | Gemini |
RELATIONSHIP STATUS | Single |
NETWORTH 2022 |
Record Label
She is currently signed to Mavin Records and has been since January 2021, owned by media mogul and businessman, Don Jazzy.
Talking about how she signed with Mavin with Viper Magazine, she says.
“I used to upload covers on Instagram, but then the first time I started to do an original song written by my brother. I uploaded it on Instagram. This is something I was overthinking for like a whole day before I posted, and it wasn’t even up to three hours before Don Jazzy sent me a message! He was like “we need to meet up at the studio. Just call me” and the rest was history. We met at the studio with my brother. The songs we recorded that day were on my EP, two songs on my EP.
Ayra Starr Songs
Her songs have topped charts and are well-liked by many Nigerians because her voice has been described in the media as “silky,” “cozy,” “delicate,” “sturdy,” “arresting,” and “soulful,” with music critics praising her dynamic range and emotional delivery. Her lyrics are a mixture of English, Pidgin English, and Yoruba, often exploring contemporary topics such as love, relationships, empowerment, and freedom.
Here’s a comprehensive list of her songs and major collaborations:
EP details
ALBUM TITLE | AYRA STARR |
RELEASE DATE | 22 January 2021 |
LABEL | MAVIN RECORDS |
INSPIRATION | She set out to create an honest, engaging body of work that reflected her journey so far. |
SONGS | Away, Ija, DITR, Sare, Memories |
Album
ALBUM DETAILS | 19 & DANGEROUS |
RELEASE DATE | 6 August 2021 |
LABEL | MAVIN RECORDS |
INSPIRATION | 19 & Dangerous was a concept album following a Gen Z girl transitioning from adolescence into early adulthood with growing confidence, artistic zeal, sentimentality and empathy |
SONGS | “Cast” (Gen Z Anthem), “Fashion Killer”, “Lonely”, “Snitch”, “Toxic”, “In Between”, “Beggie Beggie” (featuring CKay), “Karma”, “Bloody Samaritan”, “Bridgertn”, “Amin”. |
Other songs and major features
- Love Don’t Cost A Dime
- Overloading ft mavins crew
- Cast
- Karma
- Toxic
- Snitch
- Runaway
- Options
- Stars
- Love Don’t Cost a Dime
- Underwater
- Roadside
Ayra Starr Net worth
This section of the article is about her net worth and annual income
Ayra 2022 Net worth
As of the time of writing this article, there is no information to accurately know her 2022 net worth due to her short time in the music industry and the confidentiality of her record label. Based on research, her streams and income, her net worth can be estimated at $500,000.
Ayra Starr Source of Income
- Album Sales
- YouTube Channel
- Endorsement deals
- Music Appearance & Performance
- Spotify and other streaming platforms
Ayra Starr Relationships
Ayra Starr is not married yet and has not made her relationship status public, so it is believed that she is single or very good at keeping it off the media.
Ayra Starr relationship with Don Jazzy
Ayra Starr, in an interview with youtuber, Korty EO, talks about her relationship with her label boss and veteran music producer, Don Jazzy, as she sings his praises.
“A very intelligent man, there’s a way he carries himself, and the way he gives an artist complete creative freedom makes him stand out.”
Ayra Starr relationship with Tems
Although there has been rumors of a rivalry between Tems and Ayra Starr due to their similar sound, those speculations were aborted when a picture of both, fraternizing, surfaced online.
Ayra Starr relationship with Rema
Although dating rumours have been sparked between the record label mates, Ayra Starr and Rema, nothing has been confirmed by either artist or their record label. We believe that they have a good, cordial relationship.
In an interview with Rubbin Minds, Rema was asked about his record label mate, Ayra Starr. He only had nice things to say about her. He spoke.
“Ayra Starr is a talented young lady. She is an amazing person. Personality, 100… She is the life of the party; she brings energy to the studio. She’s the one… like, she’s an awesome person, “
Ayra Starr on social media
Although her time in the music industry has not been as long as her colleagues, she has been able to garner a large following and fanbase on social media. Her Instagram account (@ayrastarr) has 2.1 million followers, and her Twitter account (@ayrastarr) has over 450 thousand followers.
Endorsement deals
Pepsi Endorsement
Ayra Starr, along with her record label mate Rema, signed her first major endorsement deal with popular drink company Pepsi on September 4th, 2021.
Both youngsters have marked their names on the walls of great artists in Nigeria as they join top league artists to be endorsed by Pepsi.
Ayra Starr’s deal with Darling
Hair extension company, Darling officially announced their partnership with Ayra Starr on July 17, 2022.
Awards and Nominations
Award | Year | Recipient(s) and nominees(s) | Category | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
African Entertainment Awards | 2021 | Ayra Starr | Best New Artist | Nominated |
African Muzik Magazine Awards | 2021 | Ayra Starr | Best Newcomer | Nominated |
Mobo Awards | 2021 | Ayra Starr | Best African Music Act | Pending |
Net Honours | 2021 | Away | Most Played R&B Song | Nominated |
Net Honours | 2022 | Herself | Breakout Artist of the Year (Female) | Won |
Net Honours | 2022 | Herself | Most Searched Musician (Female) | Nominated |
Conclusion
As her name implies, Ayra Starr is indeed a very promising talent in the Nigerian music industry, and we wish her success in her career both locally and internationally.