Oyinkansola Sarah Aderibigbe known professionally as Ayra Starr, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter and mode with a huge future.
Oyinkansola Sarah Aderibigbe was born on 14 June 2002 in Cotonou, Bénin and grew up there and in Lagos, Nigeria. She was born to Nigerian parents from Kwara State and has four siblings: brothers Ade and Dami, two sisters Tolulope and Jesutunmise.
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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.
Having been raised in a music-loving family, her interest in singing comes mostly from her family. At the age of 10, she sang in a high school choir and began writing songs with her brother.
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She attended Les Cours Sonou University and received a BA degree in international relations and political science. 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 mother was very supportive of her musical ambitions, and always encouraged her to pursue a singing career.
Ayra Starr began a fashion career at the age of 16 with Quove Model Management before deciding to pursue music. After covering several songs by popular artists on Instagram, she posted her first original song on her page in December 2019. This brought her to the attention of record executive Don Jazzy, and led to her signing to Mavin Records.
In early 2021, Ayra Starr achieved mainstream recognition with her eponymous debut extended play.
Categorized mainly as Afropop and R&B, the album has been met with favorable critical reception. It spawned two top forty hits in Nigeria. The lead single “Bloody Samaritan” peaked atop the Top 50 chart, becoming the first solo song by a female artist to reach the number-one position.
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