Burna Boy is my number one collaboration choice, says Ayra Starr

Two-time Grammy nominee, Ayra Starr, has said Afrobeats star Burna Boy remains her number one choice for collaboration.

The singer, born Sarah Oyinkansola Aderibigbe, made the disclosure in a Billboard interview shared on Thursday while speaking with Love Island USA star, Chelley Bissainthe, as she reflected on her 2026 Grammy nominations.

“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 recently earned a Grammy nomination for Best African Music Performance for her collaboration with Wizkid on Gimme Dat, released on April 25, 2025.

The nominations were announced in November 2025 ahead of the Grammy Awards ceremony scheduled for February 1, 2026.

Reacting to the recognition, the ‘Sabi Girl’ singer described the second nomination as reassurance in her career.

“I remember I was so excited. I was like, ‘Oh my God. Oh my God. I knew it. I knew it. Every day I feel happy. I’m very grateful. Every day it’s like a new feeling — ‘Oh, I’m actually a two-time Grammy nominee,’” she said.

Comparing both nominations, she added, “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.”

Speaking on the inspiration behind Gimme Dat, which samples 911 by Wyclef Jean and Mary J. Blige, Ayra Starr said she only discovered the origin of the sample during the recording process.

“To be honest, I was born in 2002, so I didn’t really know exactly. 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.

She also revealed that the studio where the song was recorded belonged to Wyclef Jean, a fact she only learnt later.

“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.

Ayra Starr further disclosed that she struggled vocally during the initial recording sessions.

“First of all, I sounded horrible. The engineer knew I sounded horrible. I sounded bad the first day,” she said, adding that she returned the next day determined to get it right.

“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.”

She added that Gimme Dat was originally recorded as a solo track before Wizkid later joined the project.

“I recorded this song maybe six or eight months before it actually came out. This was before Wizkid even jumped on it. It was supposed to be just my single.”

The post Burna Boy is my number one collaboration choice, says Ayra Starr appeared first on Vanguard News.