Global musical sensation Ayra Starr is taking all 8 nods for The 2022 Headies Awards with stride. With over 2.5 million monthly listeners on Spotify, the “Away” singing Afro Pop/R&B star continues to deliver hit after hit. Understanding the power and responsibility of being an artist, she’s careful to brand her message of empowerment, freedom, love, and relationships into each soulful delivery as she entertains fans around the world.
As a reigning Afrobeats artist, Starr describes what the 8 nods mean to her. “The Headies Awards is a prestigious award to come from Nigeria and the organizers have done a great job in sustaining the relevance of the awards ceremony over the years. Young artists like me grew up watching the awards show and knowing it as our biggest awards ceremony. Nobody will celebrate us, Afrobeats artists, like the people who understand what we do and know how far we have come like us. And that’s exactly what the award does,” she says.
In 2021, Starr’s studio debut album “19 & Dangerous” spawned two top 40 hits in Nigeria. In August of 2021, Starr ranked number 2 on Billboard’s “Next Big Sound.” Her “silky,” “sturdy,” and “arresting soulful” vocals could not be denied. Her music went on to captivate the likes of Kelly Rowland and Rema.
With over 20 million views on YouTube, Starr’s performance video for “Bloody Samaritan,” the lead song on her debut album, continues to impact the music space. In January of 2022, Billboards Hip Hop editor Carl Lamarre named Starr as one of “15 Hip Hop & R&B Artists to Watch in 2022.”
Starr danced with all of her heart and soul, surrounded by a violinist and saxophonist, in the music video for her biggest hit. But it was the songs catchy hook that has the whole world singing along.
“Vibe killer, bloody Samaritan/ Protect my energy from your bad aura/ Na my pastor say I be my healer/ Everythin’ I desire, I go receive/ My rhythm flow like a river/ If you get yawa, come on, go and sit down/ I go just para/ Comot my jigga/ I go just dey/ Floow my dreams,” she sings in the hook of her biggest hit to date “Bloody Samaritan.”
This year The Headies Awards will host its 15th Annual show in Atlanta, Georgia at the Cobb Energy Theatre. It will be the first time in history that a major awards show from another continent will have its biggest showcase on American soil – they’re bringing the sounds of West, East, and South Africa to the U.S.
“It was the need to export our culture … we’re the ones that need to just do more in terms of showing the world who we are. And every opportunity should be absolutely welcome. When the world superstars do concerts, and they do their world tours – how many world tours do you see or have you have seen and you see Nigerian culture that goes up? Not saying Nigeria is the parent country- but you know what? We are the ones that need to showcase what we have on a global scale,” says Ayo Animashaun (Headies Awards Founder).
“We want the world to see, and they won’t see in our backyard. They will see other awards performed in Nigeria – we have decided to expand our scope,” he added.
After describing the feeling of being a lead nominee as “surreal,” Ayra Starr shared more of her heart. “The award ceremony that I grew up watching is one I’m being nominated for and I’m not just being nominated but I am one of the lead nominees at what many would describe as the early stage of my career. Which of the blessings of the Lord can I really deny haha pinch me!” she says.
As the global diaspora continues to close the gap while embracing Afrobeats, Starr shares the type of impact she wants The Headies to have on the culture.
“I would love for people to feel connected to their roots. For them to embrace it just as much as we enjoy making the music and putting Afrobeats on the map,” says Ayra Starr.
For more information on Ayra Starr, visit her on IG @ayrastarr
For more information on The Headies, visit TheHeadies.com.
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