Ayra Starr Reveals Second Album: ‘The Year I Became 21’
Ayra Starr performs on day 1 of Oyafestivalen 2023 on Aug. 9, 2023 in Oslo, Norway. Per Ole Hagen/Redferns
Ayra Starr will release her sophomore album The Year I Turned 21 on May 31, the Afropop starr revealed on Wednesday (May 1).
She also unveiled the album artwork, which features the 21-year-old Beninese-Nigerian singer sticking out of a red convertible, her windswept curly hair exposing her beautifully bejeweled floral dress. And she shared the track list for the 14-track project, which features collaborations with Asake (“Goodbye (Warm Up)”), Anitta and Coco Jones (“Woman Commando”), Giveon (“Last Heartbreak Song”), Seyi Vibez (“Bad Vibes”) and Milar (“1942”).
“Giiiirrrrrrlllll I’m so ready,” Anitta commented on Instagram.
Starr’s previously released singles “Commas” and “Rhythm & Blues” will also be included on the LP.
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“The Ayra Starr I want to introduce is excellent, sonically amazing. This album is unique, because I’ve been evolving sonically,” she said in a Billboard News interview back in February.
The Year I Turned 21 arrives three years after her debut studio album, 19 & Dangerous, which featured her “Rush” smash, which was one of the first songs to be nominated in the inaugural best African music performance category at the Grammys this year, and standout track “Bloody Samaritan,” which was later remixed by Kelly Rowland.
Starr recently collaborated with Rvssian and Rauw Alejandro on “Santa,” which is currently sitting at No. 13 on Hot Latin Songs (chart dated May 4) and debuted at No. 36 on Billboard Global Excl. US this week.
See Ayra Starr’s album announcement below.
The Year I Turned 21
—05/31—
Pre add https://t.co/P2w7dgObFv pic.twitter.com/HdhKSphmN8— Celestial being (@ayrastarr) May 1, 2024
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