We need to stick together as Afrobeats artists & continue with our sound - Ayra Starr

In an interview with ELLE Magazine, Nigerian international sensation Ayra Starr speaks on being an Afrobeats superstar and her upcoming second album.

On the possibility of Afrobeats getting watered down and losing its originality due to international collaborations and its rising global appeal, Ayra Starr opined that as as long as Afrobeats artists stick together and continue propelling the music, the genre will continue to thrive.

It’s not fair at all. People want to put negativity on Afrobeats because it has become so mainstream. The generations of African artists who worked to this extent for people like me to be able to be global with this sound worked for this. The genre’s not being diluted, it’s becoming mainstream. People are going to want to try things and do their own versions of things. The key is that when we stick together as Afrobeats artists and continue with our sound; it can never be diluted. Nobody is ever going to be able to do it like us. That’s just the truth and it’s a beautiful thing to see and lovely to hear," Ayra Starr tells Tariro Mzezewa of ELLE Magazine.

On how she has been able to curate a distinctive sound in the Afrobeats space, Ayra Starr credits this to her unique voice and her eagerness to push her sonic boundaries

"It’s my voice. 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, from the Spanish world to David Guetta dance music, one thing that has been very consistent in every aspect is my voice. It isn’t just a voice, it's my sound and it’s distinctive from the first “yeah, yeah” you hear in my songs. Just that and people feel good. I don’t want to be bragging!"

Ayra Starr is set to release her second album titled 'The Year I Turned 21'. On what listeners should expect from the album, the Grammy nominee stated that positive feeling and greatness.

"A roller coaster of emotion, but in a way that is masterful and euphoric. 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."

Ayra Starr's sophomore album is set to be released on May 31, 2024, with guest appearances from Asake, Seyi Vibez, Giveon, Coco Jones, Aniita, and her brother Milar.

*Ayra Starr's full interview with ELLE Magazine is available on their website.*