Two-time Grammy nominee, Ayra Starr, born Sarah Oyinkansola Aderibigbe, has revealed her desire to collaborate with Burna Boy, naming the Afrobeats star as her top choice.
She disclosed this during a Billboard interview shared on Thursday while speaking with Love Island USA star, Chelley Bissainthe, about her 2026 Grammy nominations.
“Everybody knows Burna Boy is like my number one person I want to collaborate with.
“I’ve collaborated with a lot of people, and I still want to collaborate with many more people,” Ayra Starr said.
Ayra Starr earned a Grammy nomination for Best African Music Performance for her collaboration with Wizkid, Gimme Dat, released on April 25, 2025.
The nominations were announced in November 2025 ahead of the Grammy Awards ceremony scheduled for February 1, 2026.
Reacting to the recognition, the singer described the nomination as a moment of reassurance in her career.
“I remember I was so excited. I was like, ‘Oh my God. Oh my God. I knew it. I knew it.
“Every day I feel happy. I’m very grateful. Every day it’s like a new feeling — ‘Oh, I’m actually a two-time Grammy nominee,” she said.
Comparing her first and second nominations, Ayra said, “The first time I got nominated, it was like, ‘Oh my God, I got nominated. This is crazy.’ But the second time felt like reassurance and just like, ‘Oh, I’m good at this. I know what I’m doing.’”
She added, “Maybe I need to trust God and myself a bit more.”
Speaking on the inspiration behind Gimme Dat, which samples 911 by Wyclef Jean and Mary J. Blige, the singer said she only discovered the origin of the sample during the recording process.
She said, “To be honest, I was born in 2002, so I didn’t really know exactly. I didn’t really know until I was recording the song and Don Jazzy was like, ‘Okay, this is a 911 sample.’ Then I went and did my research, and I was like, Wow.”
She added that the experience felt symbolic.
“The crazy thing was that the studio I was recording in was also Wyclef’s studio, and I did not know that at the time. So it felt like everything was just meant to be,” she said.
The ‘Sabi Girl’ also revealed that she struggled with her voice while recording the track.
“First of all, I sounded horrible,” she said. “The engineer knew I sounded horrible. I sounded bad the first day.”
She explained that she returned to the studio the following day despite still battling vocal issues.
“My voice was still all over the place, but I was very, very determined,” she said. “I wanted to sound great. I gave my all, and we thank God for technology. It came out beautiful.”
The singer disclosed that Gimme Dat was initially intended to be her solo single before Wizkid joined the project.
“I recorded this song maybe six or eight months before it actually came out. This was before Wizkid even jumped on it. It was supposed to be just my single.”
She added, “When we got Wizkid on the track, I was like, ‘You know what? It’s time.’ It came together perfectly at the right time.”
On the growing global recognition of African music, Ayra Starr said the moment reflects a broader shift.
“I feel like it’s Africa’s time music-wise,” she said. “We’ve always made amazing music, and the world is just catching up.”
Looking ahead, the singer said she is working on new music and a book.
“One thing I’m doing this year is creating whatever I want to exist,” she said. “I’m working on an album. I’m not done. By God’s grace — a book.
Leave a comment