Like her surname, Starr uses her sophomore album to demonstrate her own ‘Star’ qualities. Her newest release The Year I Turned 21 gives us an insight into the past year of her life while cementing her name within the music industry.
Until the release of her self-titled EP in 2021, Nigerian star Oyinkansola was known by her nickname ‘Oyin’. Now more famously known as Ayra Starr, the Afrobeats singer has surpassed over one billion streams on Spotify and dominated the airwaves with her hit single ‘Rush’ in 2023. Anticipation is high for this album, particularly since she teased its release with the video ‘Road to 21’.
‘Birds Sing of Money’ opens the album and starts with a familiar producer tag from LONDON. It’s nice to see some continuity from project to project as the Nigerian music creator has featured on her debut 19 & Dangerous on tracks like ‘Fashion Killer’ and ‘Snitch’. The melody has an Old-School R&B feel to it. Starr’s talent is the centrepiece here as she lays down vocals over a track which differs from her usual style.
Starr asks us to “Follow the woman commando”, on the female-fronted fourth track, with encouraging lyrics like “Nobody’s gon’ be left behind / As a lioness I dey move with squad”. Given that ‘Woman Commando’ includes not one but two collaborators, it seems like artists are more than happy to be a part of the Nigerian singer’s squad. When the tracklist was announced earlier this May, expectations were high with the song featuring both Anitta and Coco Jones. Brazilian star Anitta flaunts her flexibility to work with any flow, even Afrobeats, while embedding a lyrical reference to ‘1942’, the 13th track of this album, “Má’ botellas llegando / 1942, tomand”. Jones displays a self-confidence that is reflected in her own work, her playful and powerful tone resonates within her verse. It would be a shame if this anthem didn’t get the single treatment.
The lively atmosphere of ‘Woman Commando’ continues and builds with the start of ‘Control’, another upbeat track which helps you forget your inhibitions. The track begins, “Ladies and gentlemen / It’s my pleasure to introduce to you / The beautiful Ayra Starr”. We may be five songs in, but the preface is necessary, as this song may surprise you. The Afrobeats singer embeds the Shakira classic ‘Hips Don’t Lie’ throughout every chorus of this number. Although the lyrics and melody experiment with the Latin hit, Starr plays to her strengths, singing over an amapiano beat. The nod given to Shakira not only shows respect to the Latin artist but also represents Starr’s own growing self-confidence.
Although the young singer is very grounded as an artist, lyrics such as “To be real, I’m still eatin’ off my last hit” in ‘Bad Vibes’ show that she isn’t afraid to acknowledge her hard work and success. ‘The Kids Are Alright’ is a great example of this too, as not only does she celebrate her achievements but also those of her family. The low-tempo ballad honours her late father. Starr’s relatives are present on this heartfelt closer at the beginning and end of the track. Starr’s mother provides powerful words set over emotive violins; “Caleb / Nlẹ o, sun re o / Awọn ọmọ se daada” which translates to “Caleb, Good day. Rest in peace. The kids are doing alright”.
The album isn’t just about turning 21, it’s about this musical artist’s journey to 21 and adds to her growing list of projects. As a collective, the tracks on this record are distinctly balanced. Each song thrives individually, through Starr’s ability to adapt and experiment with various genres and music styles.
By Thomas Melia
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