The Ingenuity of Ayra Starr’s Afropop

On The Year I Turned 21, Ayra Starr proves to be a limitless star—undefined and unconstrained by musical boundaries or rules.

In Yoruba culture, an oríkì is a powerful declaration of a person’s character, lineage, or destiny. It often tows the line between poetry and music, to deliver a carefully curated message of praises and affirmations—rendering its subject as the centre of attention. It is the ultimate tool for feeding the ego and reminding the inner self of its power. According to the anthropologist Karin Barber,  

Oríkì are felt to capture and evoke the essential characteristics of the subject: to have the most profound and intimate access to its inner nature. In utterance, therefore, they evoke the subject’s power, arouse it to action, and enhance its aura.  

Ayra Starr’s 2024 album, The Year I Turned 21, begins with this form of oríkì. On the first song, ‘Birds Sing of Money’, a man’s voice introduces Ayra Starr and tells her audience—in Yoruba—that a ‘glorious child is speaking’. Within seconds, the oríkì- and fújì-inspired focus transitions to a contemporary musical landscape, as a string of violins transports the listener to a hip-hop inspired beat. The signature ‘London’ producer hook is then heard, signalling that he crafted the intricate production as he has done for Ayra Starr on other hits, such as ‘Bloody Samaritan’ and ‘Fashion Killer’.  

On ‘Birds Sing of Money’, Ayra Starr seamlessly blends several genres, as she welcomes the audience to her inner world of confidence, self-assuredness, candid vulnerability and afro-pop excellence. To say the least, it is an audacious introduction, as Ayra Starr reminds the listener that ‘[she] won’t change her tone’ because ‘[she] likes how she sounds’...