AYRA STARR LIGHTS UP GLOBAL CITIZEN FESTIVAL STAGE
GRAMMY-nominated global Afrobeats superstar Ayra Starr lit up the Global Citizen Festival stage, live from New York City last night. Bringing her world-renowned stage presence to the purposeful event, the 23-year old was every inch the commanding voice of African Gen Z as she delivered an electrifying set with wall-to-wall empowering anthems.
Ayra Starr kicked off the set with her unapologetic hit ‘Bloody Samaritan’ and kept up the confident vibes with ‘Woman Commando’ – a fan-favourite from her sophomore album “The Year I Turned 21”. Tantalising Afro-fusion selections like ‘Gimme Dat’, ‘Goodbye (Warm Up)’ and her latest hit ‘Hot Body’ followed before she ramped up the energy again with her stadium-ready anthem ‘Sability’ and GRAMMY-nominated smash ‘Rush’. She closes with a tender dedication, mashing up her single ‘All The Love’ with Coldplay’s ‘Strawberry Swing’.
For a special surprise performance later in the evening flexing the unstoppable force of Afrobeats, Ayra Starr brings out Rema as a special guest to perform ‘Rush’, ‘Calm Down’ and ‘Baby (Is It A Crime)’ before asking the audience to hold up their camera torches in the darkened Great Lawn of Central Park to shine a light on the issues around access to power in Africa. This is one of the focuses of this year’s Global Citizen Festival: generating energy access for 1 million people in Africa to power homes, schools and hospitals, as well as creating green jobs and sparking private investment in clean energy.
African singer-songwriter Ayra Starr grew up between borders, languages and ethnicities criss-crossing Cotonou, where she was born, and Lagos and Abuja. The experience of moving between these cultures informed her discerning worldview, as well as affording her the ability to communicate in Yoruba, Nigerian Pidgin, English and French.
Speaking to Teen Vogue, Ayra Starr said: “I’m a voice for young girls around Africa – young Black girls. That’s one thing that makes me know I’m doing something right with my music. I’ve been put here for a reason and I have to do what’s right for the people that are counting on me. I want to be known as that person that worked hard for her people – for Africa.”
Now with over 3 BILLION global streams, 1 BILLION YouTube views and a string of instantly-recognisable collaborations across different genres, it is clear Ayra Starr brings her culture with her wherever she goes – breaking barriers and creating ‘firsts’ for African artists.
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