Music sensation Ayra Starr has released her 16-track, third studio album, Starr Girl.
Sixteen tracks to blow your mind. On clicking the play button, what you hear is something you’d probably never expect.
Starr Girl is euphoric.
Released on Friday, August 14, the album sees Ayra Starr move beyond just Afrobeats, exploring different sounds and genres.
Ayra Starr has managed to do this effortlessly. In this project, she keeps her Nigerian identity while exploring different international sounds, from soft rock to R&B. Her music doesn’t feel like she is trying to copy an international sound; it still feels natural and true to who she is.
Across all 16 tracks, she explores different genres and manages to excel in each. All 16 songs have distinct personalities; none sounds alike or feels like the same thing repeated over and over again.
Starr Girl welcomes listeners with “Dangerous.” The beats and ambience feel familiar not exactly the same, but evolved.
“Starr girl, I don’t play around” feels like an introduction to the woman behind the name of the album. Even on the chorus, it’s not just her vocals that stand out. The backing vocals add so much depth, with her voice sounding almost separate from the backing chorus, as though the vocals have been layered over each other.
“Amazing” is where the shock comes in. The beginning beats and sound give you no idea of what is coming. It sounds like you’re about to hear another version of “Worst Behaviour,” where KWN featured Kehlani, until Ayra’s vocals come in and sync perfectly with the sound despite it not being her usual style.
Featuring KWN, the British singer-songwriter and rapper delivers her verse, while both artists sing together and, at some points, over each other’s voices.
Then the Starr Girl meets the Starboy — Wizkid on “Gimme Dat.”
Released ahead of the album on April 25, 2025, “Gimme Dat” samples Mary J. Blige and Wyclef Jean’s 2000 single “911” and marks Ayra Starr and Wizkid’s second collaboration.
The song comes with a catchy chorus that easily sticks in your head, while Wizkid’s presence adds another layer to the record.
Then comes “Pressure,” featuring Leon Thomas. The collaboration brings a different feel to the album, with Thomas’ vocals and songwriting adding another texture to the song. Thomas also has songwriting credits on Ayra Starr’s previous album, The Year I Turned 21, including “Last Heartbreak Song.”
Then comes “Tornado,” released ahead of the album. The single somewhat prepared listeners for what was coming on the album. It also contained FOLA’s vocals, which came as a surprise because his name was not included in the song title.
“Midnight in New York” is extremely catchy, with danceable beats that would shake your body some way. It doesn’t sound like the usual Afrobeats sound, and that is part of what makes it stand out.
“Hot Body,” another song released ahead of the album, was dearly embraced by audiences.
Ayra Starr said “Hot Body” came from wanting to make music that matched her real life again. She explained that she was stepping into a new phase as a woman and business owner, and that mindset inspired the line, “look what a hot body can do.”
“Ms. Paper,” featuring Theodora, comes with fast-paced beats, and TikTok is loving this track. Sabi Girl really syncs with the collaboration, while both artists fit naturally over the fast-paced beat.
“Dance,” as the name implies, is catchy and energetic. It feels made for movement, and audiences have embraced the song on TikTok, dancing and vibing hard to it.
“Where Do We Go” brings out a deeper side of Ayra Starr. Her vocals are powerful, while the beats are charming and so move-your-body-provoking. The song also shows another side of her sound outside the usual Afrobeats formula.
“Who’s Dat Girl,” featuring her fellow Mavin artist Rema, was released ahead of the album and was already a banger.
Both artists are at their absolute best and complement each other perfectly. Rema switches into a fast, slick rhyme style on the song, adding another layer to Ayra’s delivery.
The song has also been certified platinum by TurnTable Charts, cementing its status as one of the project’s biggest Afrobeats hits.
“Who’s Dat Girl” was the first official collaboration between Ayra Starr and Rema, even though both artists had come up through Mavin Records together.
“Misunderstood” shifts to a much more emotional tone. Ayra’s vocals sound deeper, softer and so soothing here. It is one of those moments where she doesn’t need to do too much with her vocals for the emotion to be felt.
“Letter To God” takes that emotional side even further. She does a lot with her vocals here, stretching them and giving the song so much depth.
Ayra Starr has spoken about how spiritual the beat felt to her when she first heard it and how she wanted the song to be about her family. She described the song as something she wanted to feel like a spiritual hug for her mum, grandmother and sister.
“Heaven Baby” is another softer moment on Starr Girl. The song has been embraced by listeners, particularly on TikTok, where it has found an audience among couples using the track for their videos and edits.
The album has also made a strong commercial opening, recording 1.82 million streams on its first full day on Spotify Nigeria and crossing 200 million streams on Spotify overall. The milestone makes Starr Girl Ayra Starr’s third project to surpass 200 million Spotify streams, meaning all three of her albums have now crossed the mark.
“Treasure” is smooth and rhythmic, giving the album another change of pace.
Lastly, we get the revamped “Hot Body” with Danny Ocean. His verse brings a new feel to the record. He sings mostly in Spanish, but it still fits the song’s aesthetic and gives the familiar record another dimension.
Beyond the music, Starr Girl has also created a visual moment. The album cover features Ayra Starr in a purple gele, and audiences have been putting up pictures and videos inspired by the look, either recreating it or showing their own interpretation of the album cover.
The anticipation surrounding Starr Girl was evident even before its release, with audiences already engaging with the songs released ahead of the album. Since its release, that anticipation has also translated into listeners embracing both the music and the visual identity surrounding the project.
Starr Girl ultimately feels like Ayra Starr refusing to be boxed into one sound. She moves from Afrobeats to R&B, from softer and emotional moments to records built for the dance floor, and somehow manages to make each version of herself sound believable.
It is not simply Ayra Starr doing different genres for the sake of versatility. It seems like Ayra Starr testing how far her voice, personality and identity can travel without leaving the Sabi Girl behind.
