In order to further her international career, Afrobeats sensation Ayra Starr has announced that she is moving to New York City.
The 23-year-old musician, who has been living in the American metropolis for less than two months, cites the city’s big African community and familiar atmosphere as major draws.
In a recent video interview, she disclosed the news, saying that the city’s similarities to her homeland of Lagos made the transfer easy.
According to her, New York reminds her of Lagos, with its similar energy, speed, and cultural rhythm, admitting to finding comfort in the city’s African diaspora community.
She also noted that there’s a huge Nigerian presence, making it feel like home.
“New York reminds me so much of Lagos. So it feels like home. There are a lot of Nigerians here. There’s a huge African diaspora here, so it feels like home,” she said
ALSO READ: Don Jazzy Reveals How He Discovered Ayra Starr
In September Don Jazzy, a music executive, shared how he found and spoke with Ayra Starr.
Don Jazzy claimed in an interview that he was struck by Ayra Starr’s potential after discovering her Instagram posts.
He claims that after asking a young Gen Z contact if they knew anyone in their school or social circle who was a singer, the contact sent him several Instagram sites, including Ayra Starr’s page.
He claimed that a freestyle video that Ayra Starr shared that included topics pertinent to Gen Z experiences was what initially drew his interest.
Don Jazzy claimed he sneaked into her direct message, introduced himself, and expressed interest in collaborating with her because he was drawn to her youthful enthusiasm and the newness she offered to Afrobeat music.
He claimed that to help with communication, he also contacted her brother, even though she didn’t reply right away.
“I don’t know whether it’s a genius idea or not. It just felt like the industry needed it, you know what I’m saying
For somebody like Ayra, there was a space for a young teenage Afrobeat superstar from Nigeria that we want to make sure becomes global. So it was very intentional.
