It was never a matter of if the stars would align for Ayra Starr, but rather when.

The timing of the Afrobeats star manifesting her dream came at age 18 when she released her single “Away” off her eponymous debut EP in 2021.

In the same year, after turning 19, Starr dropped her debut album 19 & Dangerous. The 2021 release was the catalyst for Starr’s career to take off. Along with her hit songs like “Rush,” “Commas,” and “Bloody Samaritan,” Starr’s collaboration list is not only epic, but massive. The “Sability” singer has worked with Kelly Rowland, Wizkid, Tiwa Savage, Asake, Tyla, and more.

As Starr’s career continues to soar to higher heights, below are 13 facts you may not have known about her.

1. She is Beninese and Nigerian

While she comes from Nigerian parents, Starr was born in Benin, West Africa. In Spotify RADAR Presents: Ayra Starr, she recalled growing up in both Benin and Nigeria. Specifically, she lived in Cotonou, Abuja, and Lagos. She credits living across the cities for shaping her unique sound.

2. She knew at a young age that she was going to be a musician

At age 6 or 7, Starr knew that she was destined for greatness. In her Spotify documentary, she shared that even before becoming a pre-teen that she was confident that she would one day become a music superstar.

“Growing up, I knew I was going to be a musician,” said Starr. “I didn’t know when or how, but I just always knew. Since I was 6,7 I used to argue in church with choir when they say I can’t take the lead role. And I’m like, ‘When I become a superstar, you’re not going to tell me that.’”

3. Starr’s mom encouraged her dream from the start

Before becoming a music star, Starr’s mother has always been her biggest supporter. Starr recalled to YouTuber Korty Eo when she was age 7 or 8 and her mother bought a guitar for her and her siblings.

“She paid someone to get us a guitar and the person got us a second-hand guitar, a thrifted guitar with only two strings,” said Starr. “So, my brother learned to play the guitar on those two strings and I learned to start writing.”

4. She wanted to be the Black Hannah Montana

The popular Disney Channel show “Hannah Montana” follows the life of Miley Stewart (played by Miley Cyrus), who lives the best of both worlds as a high schooler and music star. Growing up, Starr wanted to share the same story except to represent for young African girls. She was able to live out her teen star dreams as she released her debut album 19 & Dangerous in 2021.

“[It] was literally a flex when I named my first album 19 & Dangerous,” Starr told Billboard. “It was very key for me to be a teenage superstar. It was very key to represent a teenage African girl. I wanted to become the Black Hannah Montana from Lagos, Nigeria.”

5. She credits Google for her stage name

In an interview with Cosmopolitan UK, Starr explained that the name “Ayra” was inspired by the Yoruba name “Ira.” However, she wanted to have a different pronunciation. So, she went to Google for assistance.

“I spelled A-Y-R-A and I Googled it and it’s this Arabic name,” Starr told Cosmopolitan UK. “It means open-minded, respected. And I’m just like, it just fits so much.”

Then, the “celestial being” added “Starr” of course, which she credited Don Jazzy for helping with.

6. Starr learned how to sing with YouTube tutorials

On “Way Up With Angela Yee,” Starr shared that she had never taken singing lessons growing up. Instead, around age 11, she would use her mother’s phone to watch singing tutorials on YouTube. Specifically, she searched for videos like “How to sing like Beyoncé” and “How to sing like Rihanna.” Starr would also search for things like “How to be a superstar.”

7. The music star was accepted into university at age 14

Although Starr set out to become a musician at an early age, her mother required her to first earn a degree. During an interview with The Beat 99.9 FM, she revealed that she was accepted into university at age 14. What’s more, she shared that she majored in international relations and political science. She attended university with her older brother and younger brother.

8. Starr was discovered by Nigerian music icon Don Jazzy via social media

Starr was discovered through social media. After uploading a video of her singing one of her original songs, Don Jazzy, founder of Mavin Records, sent her a DM on Instagram and invited her to the Mavin studio to record in 2020. According to Teen Vogue, Starr was signed to Mavin Records just three days later. Starr’s eponymous debut EP was released in January 2021 and was her first project under the label.

9. One of her brothers is also a musician

Starr’s younger brother, Milar, is a fellow musician. The producer and songwriter co-wrote on songs such as “Fashion Killa” and “Beggie Beggie” featuring CKay. The sibling duo collaborated on Starr’s sophomore album The Year I Turned 21 on “1942.” On Instagram, Milar shared that the song was his debut release as a solo artist.

10. Starr’s label had to push her to release “Rush”

Starr shared with Billboard that she was very hesitant to drop “Rush.”

“I wasn’t sure,” said Starr. “I put out different sounds all the time, but ‘Rush’ was very different from anything I had put out … Everybody was like, ‘Trust me, Ayra. Just trust your team.’”

“Rush” transformed into one of her biggest songs and made her the youngest African female artist to surpass 100 million views on YouTube, as previously shared by REVOLT.

In addition to making history, the hit record earned her a Grammy nomination for “Best African Music Performance” at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards.

11. Her sophomore album initially had a different release date

In July 2023, Starr announced 21: The World Tour — marking her first-ever headlining tour. In Starr’s YouTube video that gave a look into the making of The Year I Turned 21, it was revealed that the album was supposed to be released in September 2023. The original release date aligned with the timing of her tour. However, she and her team made the move to push the album back to May 2024.

12. There were 15 versions of her hit “Commas”

Starr released her hit single “Commas” in February 2024.

During the YouTube video “Road to 21,” it included footage of Starr and her team in album mode in Barbados. The behind-the-scenes showed a clip of them listening to what is described as the “first version of ‘Commas.’”

Starr told Billboard that there were 15 versions of “Commas,” to be exact.

13. Along with music, Starr is avid about philanthropy

In the midst of being on-go as an artist, Starr still ensures to find time in her busy schedule for her philanthropic efforts. In an Instagram reel, she announced that in 2023 she started her E Dey Rush campaign. Within the initiative, she partnered with Mavin Records and Hope Spring Water for a borehole installation in the Orimolade Ifako community in Lagos.

Along with providing clean, safe water in Nigeria, Starr teamed up with Lagos Food Bank Initiative to provide food boxes to families and introduce them to poultry farming.