Ayra Starr has opened up about the lessons she’s picked up from working closely with Afrobeats icon Wizkid, following her latest Grammy nomination.
Speaking at an intimate Grammy Museum spotlight event in Brooklyn on Tuesday, December 16, the MAVIN Records star reflected on how her encounters with Wizkid reshaped her understanding of confidence and self-assurance in the music industry.
Fresh off her second Grammy nomination, the singer described the Starboy as more than just a collaborator, calling him a real-life example of calm authority.
“Wizkid is a living legend,” Ayra Starr said during the A New York Evening With Ayra Starr session. “The first time I worked with him, I couldn’t believe it. By the second time, he was coming to my set, and he was just so relaxed. That’s when I realised confidence doesn’t have to be loud.”
She explained that observing Wizkid’s composed nature helped her understand that true confidence lies in being grounded and secure in one’s purpose. “He’s very calm as a person, but extremely confident in what he’s here to do. I learned a lot just watching him move,” she added.
The event was held to celebrate her 2026 Grammy nomination in the Best African Music Performance category for Gimme Dat, her collaboration with Wizkid. It marks her second consecutive nod from the Recording Academy, following her 2024 nomination for Rush.
A Partnership That Keeps Delivering
Ayra Starr and Wizkid’s creative relationship has quietly grown into one of Afropop’s most impactful pairings. Their first collaboration, 2 Sugar from Wizkid’s More Love, Less Ego album in 2022, topped Nigeria’s TurnTable Top 100 chart and became a fan favourite.
Their latest effort, Gimme Dat, has pushed that partnership even further, earning international recognition and heavy airplay across Africa and beyond.
Despite the influx of new stars in the industry, Wizkid’s influence remains firm. He wrapped up 2025 as Nigeria’s most-streamed artist on both Spotify and Apple Music, while his 2024 album Morayo finished as the country’s most-streamed project of the year.
With a joint EP alongside Asake, Real Vol. 1, set to drop later this month, Wizkid continues to shape the sound and direction of Afrobeats on a global scale.
New City, Bigger Vision
Ayra Starr’s reflections come shortly after she confirmed a major personal move relocating permanently from Lagos to New York City.
In a November 2025 interview on Hot 93.7FM’s Buck N Regg, she revealed that she had officially moved to New York less than two months earlier. According to her, the city feels familiar.
“New York reminds me so much of Lagos,” she said. “There are so many Nigerians here, so it feels like home.”
The move signals a deliberate step toward global expansion. Backed by her Grammy recognition and streaming success including being named Nigeria’s most-streamed female artist on Spotify in 2025 Ayra Starr is closing the year positioned firmly on the world stage.
For her, learning from Wizkid’s quiet dominance may be just as valuable as the accolades themselves.
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