Ayra Starr tok about her secret relationship and how she tease Stevie Wonder

Resilience dey, and den Ayra Starr dey.

Two weeks before she release her new album, Starrgirl, di Nigerian singer post picture of hersefbfor hospital afta she undergo "major surgery".

"I bin dey hope say na quick recovery go be, but e more complicated pass wetin dem expect," she tell fans, witout revealing di kind procedure wey she undergo.

Witin seven days, she don return to dance studio, dey rehearse for upcoming performances wit one big band, wit large bandage tie across her stomach. TV appearances, fan events and live performances follow.

"I dey heal," she tell di US breakfast TV show, Today. "Today I get strength. I happy say I even fit dey hia today and fit do dis."

Na one display of di determination and ambition wey don define Starr career so far.

Dem discover her when she dey sing cover songs for YouTube at di age of 18. She become di first African woman to win Best International Act for di Mobo Awards, and di first Nigerian woman to pass one billion video views for YouTube.

For 2024, she bicom di first Afrobeats artist to perform for Glastonbury's Pyramid Stage – and she finish her performance by declaring say she go return as headliner.

Last year, she model for Di Petsa during London Fashion Week, closing dia show wearing white lace two-piece, wit one angel wey dey stand beside her.

So e no really surprise say Starr come for our interview wit one kind celestial confidence.

She dey make big declarations like "I dey unstoppable", or "I go exist in multitudes". But somehow, she never sound arrogant or conceited.

E fit be sake of her sense of humour, wey dry enough to soak up tsunami. Starr dey use sarcasm well well, and she enjoy dey wind pipo up.

For example: Wen music legend Stevie Wonder call to congratulate Starr on Grammy nomination, she tease am enter playful argument about zodiac signs.

"I dey try outdo am every single time, and e dey try to outdo me. E almost be like battle," she remember.

Starr eventually reach point wia she tell Wonder, wey be Taurus, say "Tauruses no be crap".

"I sure say e bin dey like, 'Who be dis? Wetin you want from me?' But na very cute conversation. I respect am."

Na unusual way to make friends, but e look like say e dey work.

During her career, Starr don work wit Coldplay, Tyla, David Guetta, Le Sserafim and Kelly Rowland from Destiny's Child.

Her new album get collaborations wit Afrobeats legends Wizkid and Rema, as well as One Direction Zayn Malik and rising R&B singer KWN.

Di album na her first under new management deal wit Jay-Z Roc Nation, and afta she relocate to New York. Leaving Lagos na big change for her, she admit for one essay wey she post for her Substack last year.

"New York na basically walk-in freezer wit rent," she write. "E cold reach like say di city dey actively try kill my motivation… I no dey scared, I promise."

Secret relationship

Behind di move na her desire to explore new influences and expand her sound. So you get track like Where Do We Go, wey join one smooth Afrobeats rhythm wit hypnotic electronic pulse.

"Like, as di rebel wey I be, I love to juxtapose," she say.

"I no like to be normal and boring. So di idea of writing heartbreak song on beat like dat, wia you fit dance to am, just dey very enticing. I love tins like dat."

Di lyrics come from one secret relationship "wey dey stuck for one place but e keep sey come back to am".

All of us don dey dia. E easy to settle for imperfect partner bicos dem be comfortable and familiar person.

Starr admit say di thought of starting afresh wit anoda person dey make her scared.

"You dey back to square one, and somebodi dey ask you your favourite colour again.

"I dey like, 'Oh my God! Can we, like, no do dat?'"

But di wahala to stay for di relationship na di way e affect di rest of her life.

"You go keep accepting tins wey dey lower dan your standard, and dat dey influence evribsingle tin for your life - bicos when you let yoursef go, romantically and emotionally, e dey affect you physically, and di music, and all of dat.

"So even though I enjoy [di romance] while e last, I pick my priorities and wetin dey most important to me. And dat relationship no be as important as di music… or anytin else."

Di story fit serve as metaphor for di entire album. Afta di huge success of her breakout single, Rush, and her second album, The Year I Turned 21, Starr begin feel trapped by other people expectations.

"Just like any oda pop artist, passive listeners dey attach to di songs wey dem know - di popular songs.

"Den you dey stuck between creating for passive listeners and creating for your core fans wey want you to do more.

"So dat fit limit you, bicos you stop to tink like artist and start to tink about making music just for consumers.

"But I no dey meant to conform. Na just not who I be. I go rebel against evri single preconception and evrivstereotype."

So she don leave di teenage angst of her debut, but also di poise of her follow-up. Dis album na about following her own rhythm, as Starr dey grow into independence and womanhood.

For Misunderstood, she laugh at people wey tell her say she "never go make am on her own"; while di laid-back groove of Treasure allow Starr to pause and enjoy her success.

"Give me some fun / Pure enjoyment / Take a photo of me," she sing for Yoruba.

Di most infectious song for di album na Ms Paper, wey take one turn into Bouyon – one Dominican music style wey dey characterised by high tempos and frantic percussion. Dem record am almost by accident at di end of one session wit French-Congolese star Theodora on one hot and sticky February night for LA.

Dem actually finish work for di day, and just finish one boozy dinner of Congolese food when inspiration come.

"Di AC for di studio no dey work, so everybody dey delirious, evribodi dey sweat, evribodi don drunk," Starr tok.

"At one point we probably dey remove tops. I change outfit twice bicos sweat don soak me."

E sound like recipe for disaster, but when you play am back, you fit almost see di steam dey rise from your speakers.

Live snippets of di song don already go viral, showing say Starr fit get another big hit for her hands. At di same time, she don face criticism for Nigeria from pipo wey feel say she dey dilute her musical heritage by chasing more global sound.

"Pipo get one particular template wey dem tink say I suppose follow, and e be like, you no fit tell me how to dream," she say.

"I fit honour my culture, but also try new things, because na who I be."

Starr answer her critics indirectly for her album cover - wia she combine club-ready gold dress with traditional gele headwrap.

"I wan young girls for Kwara State or Erin-Ile to see dis and feel represented," she tell Capital Xtra.

"I no be di first person to do am, I no go be di last person to do am - but I want pipo to feel confident for dia culture and wear [di gele] like di crown wey e be."

No be di first time her instincts prove say she right. Starr stunning, retro-futuristic look don go viral, inspiring dozens of copycats, and reducing at least some of di criticism about her new direction.

As she sing for her new song, Amazing: ""If they're gonna talk, I'll give them something to talk about".".

"Na definitely my mantra," she tok.

"And you know wetin? I tink say I gatz to listen to mysel more sake say I get all di answers inside my music."