Nigerian singer Ayra Starr has shared her interest in working with Burna Boy, naming the Afrobeats star as the artiste she wants to collaborate with the most.
9news Nigeria reports that the music star made this known during a Billboard interview released on Thursday, January 29, 2026, while discussing her 2026 Grammy nominations with Love Island USA personality Chelley Bissainthe.
Ayra explained that even though she has worked with several artistes, Burna Boy remains her top choice for a future project.
“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,” Ayra Starr said.
Ayra Starr, whose real name is Sarah Oyinkansola Aderibigbe, recently earned a Grammy nomination in the Best African Music Performance category.
The nomination came from her song Gimme Dat, a collaboration with Wizkid that was released on April 25, 2025.
The full list of nominees was announced in November 2025 ahead of the award ceremony scheduled for February 1, 2026.
Reacting to the nomination, the singer described the moment as comforting for her career.
She said it made her feel more confident about her talent and reminded her that she is on the right path.
According to her, while her first Grammy nomination felt shocking, the second one gave her inner peace and belief in her ability as an artiste.
Ayra also spoke about the making of Gimme Dat, revealing that she only learned about the song’s sample during recording.
The track draws from 911 by Wyclef Jean and Mary J. Blige.
She explained that she was unaware of the song’s background until Don Jazzy pointed it out, which later pushed her to research and understand its origin.
She added that the recording experience became even more meaningful when she later discovered that the studio used for the session once belonged to Wyclef Jean.
According to her, the coincidence made the entire process feel purposeful.
The singer also opened up about challenges she faced while recording the song.
She said her voice was not in good shape on the first day, and even on the second day, she still struggled.
Despite this, she remained determined to deliver her best, relying on effort and studio support to achieve the final sound.
Ayra Starr further revealed that Gimme Dat was originally planned as a solo track.
She recorded the song several months before its release, long before Wizkid became part of the project.
She explained that once Wizkid joined, everything fell into place naturally and the timing felt right.
