Ayra Starr: On the 22nd of January, 2021, Mavin ushered a mini² skirt wearing, angelic voiced star-r into the Nigerian music industry with her self titled EP, “Ayra Starr,” and we’ve since been in love with her. Ayra, being the Starr that she is, embodied the aura of a veteran popstar whose pen game, vocals, and delivery had been sharpened by extensive years of experience. Barely 6 months later, she blessed us with the immaculate album, “19 and dangerous” which spun incredible hits like Cast and Bloody Samaritan amongst others. Ayra went on to dope the album up by giving it an incredible deluxe version which spun the global hit, Rush. Rush went on to secure Ayra a Grammy nomination for the very first Best African Music Performance category.
The year I turned 21: At this point in time, we’re no longer strangers to how well our favorite Starr can curate a music project so the moment ‘The Year I Turned 21’ got released, we were there…front row..side court view, and we were not disappointed. The 14+1 song album which featured guest Artistes in persons of Coco Jones, Asake, Seyi Vibez, Anitta, and her brother, Milar is 40 minutes, 31 seconds of pure artistry.
1. Birds sing of money: Starting off with the cultural apala-esque panegyric rendition which transitioned into a reggaeton-pop vibe, I struggle to see how the album could have started any better. Ayra Starr’s goal with the song must have been to tell the world that she’s now a fully grown adult who’s now in charge of her own business and is going to be ruthless while attending to it. The global Starr just wants you to know she’s here to dominate…no nonsense energy.
2. ‘Goodbye (warm up)’ featuring Asake: Enlisting Mr Money on the second song on the album, Ayra sure knows how to appeal to her own people. A song about not acknowledging a bad ex’s attempt at getting back together while anticipating a better future love interest. Some may argue that the link up wasn’t fitting but I beg to differ as Mr Money is too composed to be bodied. Bringing in his unique street flows, Asake did HIS THING.
3. Commas: A fan favorite lead single. With its strong message and catchy melodies infused into the hooks, this song about getting your money up against all odds, self preservation, and bringing your potential to life doesn’t just speak to you, it makes you groove. The bopping instrumental mixed with Ayra Starr’s melodies are a beauty to behold.
4. ‘Woman commando’ featuring Anitta & Coco Jones: Ayra took making a feel good anthem for her girlies like in ‘skinny girl anthem’ a step further with ‘woman commando’. This ladies-centric song emphasizes the beauty, strength, and power every woman irrespective of class is capable of embodying. Anitta brought in her interesting latino style music while Coco Jones makes sure her powerful voice and range is heard.
5. Control: This one feels like it was made for live performances more than just regular individual listening pleasure. The beautiful MC-esque introduction and the ‘go Ayra, go Ayra, go’ chant at the outro brings so much more life to this song. Control is an easy going song with a melodious production.
6. Lagos love story: This track explores the highs and and seemingly little things that spark feelings attached to being a lover in lagos. The storyline goes to establish how much being in love can make you open to. The hook is catchy and reminiscent of the popular proclamation of typical Nigerians who have found themselves in love – “I don fall in love.”
7. Rhythm and blues: Another lead single loved by all, rhythm and blues feels like a compilation of hooks that’s impossible to not have you going back to listen for a second time. She describes her love for her love interest, likening his vibe to the beauty of Rhythm & Blues.
8. 21: Ayra describes life as a youngin with this one. The first verse encapsulates how our society looks down on young people (especially young ladies) and how she found her way around it by damning the standards and sticking to doing what works for her. By the second verse, she breaks down her personal years from 1 through 21 and the peculiarities around the age stages in the most melodious way.
9. ‘Last heartbreak song‘ featuring Giveon: A song that has been likened to beggie beggie off her debit album, 19 and dangerous. Here, Ayra sings of the sorrows of being a lover girl who’s finally done with love after experiencing unrequited love and heartbreaks. Giveon cruises in with his silky baritone voice as he attempts to play the knight in shining armour coming to save her from herself.
10. Bad vibes: This lead single comes with its alluring verses, crowd-esque chorus, and a feature from Seyi Vibez, creatively calling out the expectations placed on mainstream Artistes and how they navigate a life full of expectations.
11. Orun: This track uses highlife to mask depressive lyrics. On first listen, you feel like it should be played at every owambe event you plan to attend so everyone can dance their feet off while screaming “Olorun k’orun ke loni” but then you listen again, this time paying attention to the lyrics and you discover it’s a song about loss and navigating life without a loved one.
12. Jazzy’s song: Ayra honors her label boss, Don Jazzy, by weaving in the intro of Wande Coal’s ‘You Bad,’ a track originally crafted by the Don. More than just the nostalgic feeling this song comes with, Ayra ridiculously delivers incredible verses and a hook that’s bound to become a club jam.
13. ‘1942‘ featuring Milar: Ayra enlisted her brother’s vocal input on her personal song for the first time since they’ve been writing music together. Milar’s voice which seemed almost indistinguishable from Ayra’s goes to show his vocal virtuosity. The song describes how far they’ve come from being regular siblings who wrote music together to it all paying off now with one of them being a global superstar.
14. The kids are alright: Like a soundtrack to give ending credits, the mellow vibe and the deeply emotional lyrics and voice notes on this song paying homage to her late father makes it the perfect ending to the beautiful album. This one is for everyone who has lost a parent to death’s embrace hoping they look down on the family they’ve been separated from and see that they’re doing alright.
