Making a ubiquitous impact worldwide in 2025, GRAMMY-nominated global Afrobeats popstar Ayra Starr shares a brand new single entitled “Hot Body” out now.
The track revolves around a head-nodding Afrobeats groove that pulsates at a punchy and sultry pace. Simultaneously, loose electric guitar practically melts into a silky backdrop of handclaps and synths. Ayra Starr seduces over the production with a flirty and fiery cadence.
This Spring, Ayra starr linked up with Wizkid on “Gimme Dat.” The cinematic music video has landed plugs from DORK and Rolling Stone who promised, “Ayra Starr and Wizkid make it hot in ‘Gimme Dat’ music video.” Billboard touted it on “African Fresh Picks,” going on to rave, “Ayra Starr and Wizkid are ready to fill up the ‘freakin’ dancefloor’ this summer with ‘Gimme Dat.’”
“Gimme Dat” has surged as not only Ayra Starr’s biggest smash out of the gate, but also as a record-breaking making anthem. It impressively bowed at #6 on the Billboard U.S. Afro Songs Chart, earning “the biggest debut for a female artist in Nigeria’s history.” Moreover, it has generated over 40 million total streams in addition to receiving widespread acclaim. Additionally, she recently took the stage as a headliner during Summer Jam 2025, and earlier this year, she made her show stopping debut at the Met Gala, and was styled by Ozwald Boeteng.
With an action-packed year ahead, for her acting debut, she was recently unveiled as one of the cast of the highly anticipated film Children of Blood and Bone, a book adaptation by Tomi Adeyemi. She is also currently on tour with Coldplay through August and she will be taking the stage at Central Park’s Great Lawn in NYC for the Global Citizen Festival on September 27.
Since debuting in 2021, Ayra Starr has quickly become one of this generation’s most undeniable new voices in music. Renowned for her anthemic Afrobeats tracks and unapologetic style; the Beninese-Nigerian artist has amassed critical acclaim from tastemaker press, a huge international following, over 3 billion global streams and 1 billion YouTube views. Following the release of her defining debut album 19 & Dangerous (which has over 500 million streams); her position as Africa’s hottest rising star has seen Ayra Starr tapped for collaborations with some of music’s biggest names, including Wizkid, Stormzy, Tiwa Savage and Leigh-Anne, to name just a few. Ayra Starr has gained major traction over the last few years, but vaulted to the forefront of Afrobeats with 2022’s “Rush,” which gathered nearly 1 billion global streams and attracted R&B icon Kelly Rowland on a high-powered remix. Recognized as a phenomenon in 2023, she notably picked up a nomination for “Best International Act” at the BET Awards as well as two MTV VMA nominations in the category of “Best Afrobeats Song” for both “Rush” and WizKid’s “2 Sugar” [feat. Ayra Starr]. She picked up a GRAMMY nomination for Best African Music Performance for “Rush,” cementing her as the first and youngest Nigerian female artist to be nominated in that category. She garnered a Soul Train Award nomination in the Best New Artist category and a Billboard Music Award for Top Afrobeats Song. During 2024, Ayra Starr achieved one benchmark after another around the arrival of her sophomore LP, The Year I Turned 21, boasting “Commas” and more. On Spotify, it scored the “Top 5 Biggest Opening Day Streams for a Nigerian Album” and the “Biggest Opening Day Streams Ever for a NigerianFemale.” Moreover, she reached rarified air as “the first Nigerian female artist to receive a RIAA Latin Diamond certification” in recognition of the album’s smash “Santa” with Rvssian and Rauw Alejandro. She joined Coldplay on the “Music of the Spheres” World Tour and teamed up with the legendary band and The Weirdos for an unforgettable performance of “GOOD FEELiNGS” on TODAY. Among other standout performances, she graced the Pyramid Stage during her debut at Glastonbury Festival. Expanding her sphere of influence, she starred in Amazon’s Dare to Dream documentary and emerged as the first Afrobeats artist to be named Amazon Music’s Breakthrough Artist. Beyond three 2024 BET Award nominations and praise from UPROXX, Variety, Conde Nast Traveler and more, she graced the covers of Teen Vogue and Dazed Magazine. Additionally, she claimed a spot on BBC’s Sound of 2024 and a nod for MOBO Awards’ Best African Music Act for the second time. This marked her as the first African woman to win Best international Act and the first woman in 16 years to win Best African Music Act. However, this genre-breaking generational talent continues to turn up the heat in 2025 with “Gimme Dat” feat. Wizkid and more to come!
Stay tuned for more from Ayra Starr who will continue to bring Afrobeats to the forefront here in the U.S. and around the world.