Two-time Grammy nominee Ayra Starr has revealed that Afrobeats superstar Burna Boy tops her list of artists she hopes to collaborate with. The singer, born Sarah Oyinkansola Aderibigbe, shared the insight during a candid conversation with Love Island USA star Chelley Bissainthe in a Billboard interview released on Thursday.
“Everybody knows Burna Boy is like my number one person I want to collaborate with,” Ayra Starr said. “I’ve worked with a lot of amazing artists already, and I’m looking forward to collaborating with many more.”
Ayra Starr’s recent Grammy nod came in the Best African Music Performance category for her hit Gimme Dat, a collaboration with Wizkid released on April 25, 2025. The nominations were unveiled in November 2025 ahead of the Grammy Awards ceremony scheduled for February 1, 2026.
Reflecting on her second nomination, the Sabi Girl singer described it as a reassuring milestone in her career. “The first time I got nominated, I was like, ‘Oh my God, this is crazy.’ But the second nomination felt different—it was like confirmation. It reminded me, ‘I know what I’m doing. I’m good at this.’ Maybe I just need to trust God and myself a little more.”
Ayra Starr also shared the backstory of Gimme Dat, which cleverly samples 911 by Wyclef Jean and Mary J. Blige. “Honestly, I was born in 2002, so I didn’t really know the song until I was recording it. Don Jazzy told me it was a 911 sample, and I went to do my research—it blew my mind,” she said.
She added that the studio where she recorded the track actually belonged to Wyclef Jean, a fact she only realized later. “It felt like everything was just meant to be,” she said, describing the experience as almost fated.
The journey to the final recording wasn’t easy. Ayra admitted she struggled vocally during the first sessions. “Honestly, I sounded horrible at first. The engineer knew it, I knew it. But I came back the next day determined to get it right. My voice was still all over the place, but I gave it my all—and thank God for technology, because it came out beautifully.”
Interestingly, Gimme Dat was initially intended as a solo track. “I recorded it maybe six or eight months before it actually came out. Wizkid wasn’t on it at the time. It was supposed to be just my single,” she revealed.
With her rising star power and this growing list of dream collaborations, Ayra Starr is clearly cementing her place as one of Afrobeats’ most promising talents.
