Two-time Grammy nominee Ayra Starr has revealed that Afrobeats superstar Burna Boy remains her top choice for a future music collaboration.
The singer made the disclosure during a recent Billboard interview shared on Thursday, January 29, 2026, where she spoke with Love Island USA star Chelley while reflecting on her 2026 Grammy nominations.
“Everybody knows Burna Boy is like my number one person I want to collaborate with,” Ayra Starr said.
“I’ve collaborated with a lot of people, and I still want to collaborate with many more people.”
Ayra Starr earned a Grammy nomination for Best African Music Performance for Gimme Dat, her 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.
Ayra Starr Grammy Reaction
Reacting to the recognition, the Sabi Girl crooner described her second Grammy nomination as a deeply reassuring moment in her career.
“I remember I was so excited. I was like, ‘Oh my God. Oh my God. I knew it. I knew it,’” she said.
“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.’”
Comparing both nominations, Ayra Starr explained that while her first nomination felt surreal, the second boosted her confidence as an artiste.
“The first time I got nominated, it was like, ‘Oh my God, I got nominated. This is crazy,’” she said.
“But the second time felt like reassurance, 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 revealed that she only discovered the song’s origin during the recording process.
“I was born in 2002, so I didn’t really know until I was recording the song and Don Jazzy said, ‘Okay, this is a 911 sample,’” she explained.
“Then I went to do my research and I was like, wow.”
She also disclosed that the track was recorded in Wyclef Jean’s studio a detail she only learned afterward.
“The crazy thing was that the studio I was recording in was also Wyclef’s studio, and I didn’t know that at the time,” she said.
“So it felt like everything was just meant to be.”
Ayra Starr further revealed that she struggled vocally during the early recording sessions but stayed determined.
According to her, Gimme Dat was initially recorded as a solo track months before Wizkid eventually 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,” she added.
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