Ayra Starr Is Living the Dream and Owning the Moment

Since the merchandise of her debut EP successful 2021, Ayra Starr has cemented her spot arsenic 1 of the astir internationally acclaimed African artists of her generation. In nether 5 years, she has grown into the prima she named herself, collecting milestones that galore walk decades chasing. A Grammy nominee, MTV Europe Music Award nominee, Billboard Music Award nominee, and astir recently, victor of the 2025 BET Award for Best International Act, Ayra continues to beryllium that her endowment flows effortlessly, and arsenic she sings successful “Rush”, e dey rush.

Beyond awards, she has graced immoderate of the world’s biggest stages, adjacent sharing the spotlight with the iconic Coldplay. On September 27, she volition instrumentality connected the Global Citizen Festival successful New York, performing alongside The Weeknd, Cardi B, Shakira, and chap African breakout, Tyla.

Ahead of her Global Citizen Festival performance, I had a chat with Ayra to speech astir what it means to person travel this far, this fast.

You’re performing astatine the Global Citizen Festival successful New York this month, sharing the signifier with The Weeknd, Shakira and others. When you deliberation of moments similar this, sharing stages with planetary artists, what does it symbolise for you personally and for the aboriginal of Afrobeats connected planetary stages? 

Oh my God, it takes maine backmost to erstwhile I was increasing up listening to their songs and being the astir adorable fangirl; it takes maine to the moments erstwhile I would practise dancing similar Shakira due to the fact that I was, and I inactive am, specified a immense fan. Overall, I consciousness a consciousness of gratitude and designation for my music. There are Afrobeats superstars who person done unthinkable things by paving the mode for artists similar me. I’m conscionable gladsome to beryllium capable to lend my ain quota successful a mode similar this that promotes the culture.

How bash you transportation the “Sabi Girl” vigor into a show of this scale, and what goes done your caput successful the last moments earlier stepping onto the stage? 

Have you watched maine execute connected stage?! Sabi miss nary dey transportation last, and this is evident successful my performance, successful the mode my setlist is curated, my creation routines, styling and wide coordination. Before I get connected immoderate stage, I springiness myself a pep speech to person amusive and bask the show myself.

Do you person a pre-performance ritual that helps you link with yourself and your audience before you get connected stage?

It varies; I don’t person acceptable rituals per se. You’ll ever find maine goofing astir backstage earlier immoderate performance, and you’ll beryllium shocked to find retired I instrumentality a speedy nap erstwhile I tin earlier hitting the stage.

A nap?

Yep!

Alrighty! It was a societal media joke, but you erstwhile mentioned that you transportation Afrobeats connected your back. Does wherever you are present springiness you a consciousness of work for the genre?

Of course! Being wherever I am, gracing the stages I’m fortunate to, gives maine a consciousness of responsibility, not a crippling consciousness of responsibility, but...