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The Ingenuity of Ayra Starr’s Afropop

August/September 2024Nigeria
Ayra Starr

Oyinkansola Sarah Aderibigbe, known professionally as Ayra Starr. AXLE JOZEPH FOR AYRA STARR / IG. Collage by THE REPUBLIC.

the ministry of ARTS / MUSIC DEPT.

The Ingenuity of Ayra Starr’s Afropop

On The Year I Turned 21, Ayra Starr proves to be a limitless star—undefined and unconstrained by musical boundaries or rules.
Ayra Starr

Oyinkansola Sarah Aderibigbe, known professionally as Ayra Starr. AXLE JOZEPH FOR AYRA STARR / IG. Collage by THE REPUBLIC.

the ministry of ARTS / MUSIC DEPT.

The Ingenuity of Ayra Starr’s Afropop

On The Year I Turned 21, Ayra Starr proves to be a limitless star—undefined and unconstrained by musical boundaries or rules.

In Yoruba culture, an oríkì is a powerful declaration of a person’s character, lineage, or destiny. It often tows the line between poetry and music, to deliver a carefully curated message of praises and affirmations—rendering its subject as the centre of attention. It is the ultimate tool for feeding the ego and reminding the inner self of its power. According to the anthropologist Karin Barber,  

Oríkì are felt to capture and evoke the essential characteristics of the subject: to have the most profound and intimate access to its inner nature. In utterance, therefore, they evoke the subject’s power, arouse it to action, and enhance its aura.  

Ayra Starr’s 2024 album, The Year I Turned 21, begins with this form of oríkì. On the first song, ‘Birds Sing of Money’, a man’s voice introduces Ayra Starr and tells her audience—in Yoruba—that a ‘glorious child is speaking’. Within seconds, the oríkì- and fújì-inspired focus transitions to a contemporary musical landscape, as a string of violins transports the listener to a hip-hop inspired beat. The signature ‘London’ producer hook is then heard, signalling that he crafted the intricate production as he has done for Ayra Starr on other hits, such as ‘Bloody Samaritan’ and ‘Fashion Killer’.  

On ‘Birds Sing of Money’, Ayra Starr seamlessly blends several genres, as she welcomes the audience to her inner world of confidence, self-assuredness, candid vulnerability and afro-pop excellence. To say the least, it is an audacious introduction, as Ayra Starr reminds the listener that ‘[she] won’t change her tone’ because ‘[she] likes how she sounds’.  

THE INTRODUCTIONS: DISSECTING A MEMORABLE ASPECT OF AYRA STARR’S DISCOGRAPHY

Ayra Starr is no stranger to great introductory songs, as seen on ‘Away’, the first song and lead single from her January 2021 self-titled EP. At the time of its release, ‘Away’ was a far cry from the standard Afrobeats tempo, as it was much softer due to its clear R&B influence. The song highlights Ayra Starr’s willingness to explore darker themes and emotions within her music, as its subject matter revolves around escaping or running away from a failed relationship. Although Ayra Starr is often adorned in bright, warm, and inviting colours in her stage performances, some of her lyrics warn that this is not the entirety of who she is as an artiste. There are darker textures to Ayra Starr’s musical make-up and ‘Away’ was an early indicator of this, therefore presenting it as a bold and risky choice for a new artiste.  

‘Cast (Gen Z Anthem)’ is an important part of Ayra Starr’s discography. The song expresses and centres the collective feelings, struggles and emotions that many young people face, therefore showing that Ayra is speaking directly to her target audience—people within her Generation Z (or ‘Gen Z’) age demographic. As explained in an article written by McKinsey & Company, ‘[Generation Z’s] identity has been shaped by the digital age, climate anxiety, a shifting financial landscape, and COVID-19.’ In addition to this, Nigerian Gen Z’s have also felt the additional weight of navigating unprecedented and politically unsettled times, as the 2024 ‘End Bad Governance Protests’, the 2020 #EndSARS protests, sporadic university strikes, fuel shortages and a volatile exchange rate are recent events which indicate a season of continued hardship in Nigeria. Against this backdrop, Ayra Starr’s lyrics on ‘Cast (Gen Z Anthem)’ show an impressive determination to rise above the chaos as she sings on the song, ‘I know my blessings [won’t] pass me by. I’m going to live my life.’ Despite the adversity and struggles that come with being a young adult in a volatile country, the song demonstrates Ayra Starr’s commitment to living life on her own terms. 

The first song on an album is reminiscent of the opening scene in a film. It does not need to be the ‘loudest’ song or ‘hit single’, but it should hold the listeners attention and set the tone for the rest of the project. The introductory song has one major aim and that is to captivate the listener. Ayra Starr clearly understands this, as seen through the three introductory songs in her discography— ‘Away’, ‘Cast (Gen Z Anthem)’, and ‘Birds Sing of Money’.  

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AFROBEATS AND BEYOND: THE MUSICAL INFLUENCES ON THE YEAR I TURNED 21

On The Year I Turned 21, Ayra Starr presents an expansive and versatile approach to music creation. She blends varied genres to create a melting point of Black music, rooted within the fluidity allowed and encouraged by contemporary Afrobeats. This is evident through the mix of Amapiano and Afrobeats on ‘Woman Commando’, which features R&B singer, Coco Jones and Brazilian pop artiste, Anitta. The use of highlife instrumentals on ‘Orun’ are reminiscent of the early 60s to 70s music of Ebenezer Obey and King Sunny Ade, adding a nostalgic tone to The Year I Turned 21. Hints of gospel are heard on the chorus of ‘Bad Vibes’ featuring Seyi Vibez. There is also a clear R&B influence on the album, with ‘Last Heartbreak Song’, featuring Giveon, ‘Lagos Love Story’, and ‘Control’ demonstrating Ayra Starr’s ability to deliver lyrics about love, romance and heartbreak in a sonically memorable way.  

Although Ayra Starr weaves through different genres on her sophomore album, she does not lose sight of her North Star—Afrobeats. The two lead singles from the album—‘Rhythm & Blues’ and ‘Commas’ are quintessential Afrobeats. On every song, Ayra Starr’s delivery is firmly influenced by Afrobeats, as she blends pidgin, English and sometimes Yoruba with ease, infusing her distinct melodies over beats that bring her vocals to life. The Year I Turned 21 is a clear indication of Ayra’s words in her May 2024 Interview with Elle Magazine: ‘I’ve opened myself up to so many possibilities when it comes to sound because I don’t like to hold myself in a box. I’m a very proud Afrobeats artist, but I am in different spaces and different genres.’  

Ayra Starr has always embraced the past through her music. On her 2021 song, ‘Sare’, she sampled ‘Orere Elejigbo’ by the Lijadu Sisters. The first words on 19 & Dangerous are taken from Eartha Kitt’s 2001 interview from the TV talk-show, ‘Speaking Freely’. In addition, Awilo Longomba’s song, ‘Coupé Bibamba’, is included as an interpolation on ‘Sability’.  These music choices helped set the scene for ‘Jazzy’s Song’—an ultimate moment on The Year I Turned 21.  

Through ‘Jazzy’s Song’, Ayra Starr continues her intentional work of celebrating the past and embracing the legends before her. However, this time it hits closer to home as she celebrates Don Jazzy—the person responsible for signing her into Mavin Records. ‘Jazzy’s Song’ is significant for two main reasons. From a cultural perspective and macro level, Ayra Starr is acknowledging the wide scale impact that Don Jazzy has had on Afrobeats and Nigerian pop culture, as she says (on the song), that even people sitting in ‘the corner’ dance and feel uplifted when they hear a ‘Jazzy Song’. This suggests that Don Jazzy’s music cuts across all social classes and types of Nigerian people. Secondly, from a sonic perspective and more micro level, Ayra Starr and P.Prime (the producer of ‘Jazzy’s Song’), samples ‘You Bad’ from Wande Coal’s Mushi 2 Mo’Hits album released in 2009 under Don Jazzy’s former record label, Mo Hits. Don Jazzy also produced the sampled song, which adds an extra layer of ingenuity and care to the homage being paid. ‘Jazzy’s Song’ is a special and sentimental moment on the album, as it signifies a culmination of joy, success, and Afrobeats history. It is a celebration not just of Don Jazzy, but of the sound he pioneered and the Afrobeats history he played a part in shaping.  

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VULNERABILITY AND GRIEF ON THE YEAR I TURNED 21

Ayra Starr clearly treats ‘21’ as a key milestone worth capturing, savouring, and documenting in all its glory. On The Year I Turned 21, she is committed to exploring the highs of being young and carefree, on ‘Lagos Love Story’ and ‘Bad Vibes’, as well as the lows, on songs like ‘21’ and ‘Last Heartbreak Song.’ The Year I Turned 21 captures the contradictory feelings and emotions, which often come with growing older and stepping into a new era of adulthood.  

Ayra Starr sits comfortably in the joy and light of her upbeat records—such as ‘Woman Commando’ and ‘Goodbye’—while honouring the grief, fear, or apprehension in her more introspective records like ‘1942’, ‘21’, and ‘The Kids are Alright’. There is no bravado or pop perfectionism on the latter three songs. Instead, Ayra Starr displays vulnerability, honesty, and unfiltered emotions. On ‘1942’, featuring Ayra Starr’s brother, Millar, she sings about her fears of ‘losing it all’, despite how hard she’s worked. On ‘21’, one of the softer moments on the album, she takes the listener through a snapshot of her life and rhetorically asks, ‘where did all the time go?’ It is clear that ‘21’ is a wake-up call, as Ayra Starr sings that she is ‘counting on [herself]’ and ‘crying by [herself]’, because she is no longer a child.   

‘The Kids are Alright’ is a clear standout on the album. The song begins with a voice note from Ayra Starr’s mother, which encourages Ayra to enjoy the fruits of her labour. It is clear from the voice note that Ayra Starr’s father has passed away. This realization brings her mother’s words into harrowing focus, as she pleads for Ayra (and in turn, the listener) to live and enjoy life before it is too late. Ayra Starr’s voice is radiant and carries with it a tone of rich warmth as she sings, ‘Hope no clouds are blocking the view, hope you can see what I turned into.’ In this moment and for the entirety of the song, Ayra Starr is addressing her father, speaking to him through her art and hoping that she has made him proud. There is a clear sense that although her father’s physical body is no longer present, his soul and spirit are still alive and watching over Ayra Starr from heaven. The song ends with a series of positive messages from her siblings, and Ayra Starr’s mother assures her late husband (in Yoruba), that their children are doing well.  

There is a sacred quality to ‘The Kids are Alright’. The song belongs to Ayra Starr and her family, and the listener is merely a spectator in their personal and cathartic navigation of grief and loss. Through this song, Ayra Starr peels a layer of distance between her and her ‘Sabi Nation’ or ‘Mobstars’ fanbase. She invites them to look behind the curtain, as Ayra Starr discards any illusions of pop perfectionism they may have had about her life. The ‘Kids are Alright’ is a strong ending. It showcases an immense level of vulnerability by presenting a poignant message: even in the midst pain and grief, joy is possible. 

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AYRA STARR: THE SABI NATION LEADER AND AFROBEATS PRINCESS

When interviewer, Tariro Mzezewa, asked Ayra Starr to describe The Year I Turned 21, the artiste summed the album up perfectly, as ‘a roller coaster of emotion, but in a way that is masterful and euphoric.’ Ayra Starr goes on to say, ‘Don’t expect any one thing. Instead, expect different genres intertwined into one. Expect to have a great time, to walk away with a positive feeling. Expect greatness.’  

There is an internal understanding that Ayra Starr’s craft and contributions to music are special. Ayra Starr does not need to be told; she embodies this knowing and carries herself with the same air of greatness she associates with her sophomore album. In a music industry that often tries to minimize the achievements of women in comparison to men (as seen during the 2023 Headies female categories were left unannounced and only posted on social media) it is refreshing that Ayra Starr knows exactly who she is and stands firm in it.  

On The Year I Turned 21, Ayra Starr celebrates the familiarity and undiluted warmth of early Afrobeats (through ‘Jazzy’s Song’), while infusing different sounds and embracing the genre’s current globalization (through ‘Woman Commando’). The song features the Brazilian pop artiste, Anitta, which caters to Ayra Starr’s growing fanbase in Brazil. Although this indicates the globalized nature of late-stage Afrobeats, Ayra Starr does not dilute the quality of her music to appeal to global or western sensibilities. She carries her Nigerian fans along and centres their musical perspectives by keeping the tempo, beat structure and delivery of her verses on ‘Woman Commando’ firmly rooted in Afrobeats. This presents The Year I Turned 21 as a liminal album, where the past and present state of Afrobeats converge with ease ⎈

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