Two-time Grammy nominee Ayra Starr has revealed that Afrobeats superstar Burna Boy remains her dream collaborator, even as she celebrates her second Grammy nomination.
The singer, born Sarah Oyinkansola Aderibigbe, shared the insight in a Billboard interview with Love Island USA star Chelley Bissainthe on Thursday, reflecting on her growing international recognition.
“Everybody knows Burna Boy is like my number one person I want to collaborate with. I’ve collaborated with a lot of people, and I still want to collaborate with many more people,” she said.
Ayra Starr earned her latest Grammy nod for Best African Music Performance for Gimme Dat, a collaboration with Wizkid released on April 25, 2025. The nominations were announced in November 2025 ahead of the Grammy Awards ceremony scheduled for February 1, 2026.
Describing her reaction to the second nomination, the Sabi Girl singer called it a career reassurance. “The first time I got nominated, it was like, ‘Oh my God, I got nominated. This is crazy.’ But the second time felt like reassurance and just like, ‘Oh, I’m good at this. I know what I’m doing.’ Maybe I need to trust God and myself a bit more,” she said.
Ayra Starr also shared insights into the making of Gimme Dat, which samples 911 by Wyclef Jean and Mary J. Blige. She admitted she only discovered the source of the sample during recording. “I didn’t really know until I was recording the song and Don Jazzy was like, ‘Okay, this is a 911 sample.’ Then I went and did my research, and I was like, wow,” she said.
Adding a twist of serendipity, she revealed that the song was recorded in Wyclef Jean’s studio, a fact she only learned afterward. “The crazy thing was that the studio I was recording in was also Wyclef’s studio, and I did not know that at the time. So it felt like everything was just meant to be,” she said.
Reflecting on the recording process, Ayra Starr admitted she initially struggled vocally. “First of all, I sounded horrible. The engineer knew I sounded horrible. I sounded bad the first day,” she said, noting her determination to perfect her performance the following day. “My voice was still all over the place, but I was very, very determined. I wanted to sound great. I gave my all, and we thank God for technology. It came out beautiful.”
