Ayra Starr's Starrgirl hits #1 in Nigeria, South Africa top 10 | NOW in SA
LAGOS, Nigeria— Nigerian Afrobeats star Ayra Starr has entered a new global era with the release of her highly anticipated third studio album,Starrgirl, on Friday, August 14, 2026. The release comes during a. . .
LAGOS, Nigeria— Nigerian Afrobeats star Ayra Starr has entered a new global era with the release of her highly anticipated third studio album,Starrgirl, on Friday, August 14, 2026. The release comes during a stacked week ofnew musicacross the continent and has already triggered a wave of chart and streaming milestones across Africa and international platforms. To mark the release, Lagos’s skyline lit up with purple fireworks at the Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge. The display reflected the album’s vibrant aesthetic as early streaming figures began to emerge from around the world. Ayra Starr crosses 3. 9 billion Spotify streamsBeforeStarrgirlarrived on streaming services at midnight, Ayra Starr’s global fanbase mobilised around a catalogue-streaming campaign. The push took herpast 3. 9 billion cumulative streams across all credits on Spotify, marking another major milestone in her career. The achievement makes Ayra Starr:The second African female artist in historyto cross 3. 9 billion streams. The seventh Nigerian act overallto join the multi-billion-stream club. The momentum also carried intoStarrgirl’sopening hours. During its first partial day of release, the album recorded657,346 Spotify streams, giving it a strong start on the platform. Starrgirl reaches #1 on Apple Music NigeriaStarrgirlquickly made its mark on the 2026 streaming charts, particularly in two of Africa’s biggest music markets. Historic #1 in NigeriaWithin four hours of release,Starrgirlclimbed to#1 on the Apple Music Nigeria Top Albums chart. The milestone also represents a significant moment for women in African music, with the album becoming the first project by a female artist to top the Nigerian chart since 2024. Ayra Starr breaks into South Africa’s Top 10Ayra Starr’s growing appeal beyond Nigeria was also evident in South Africa. ‘Starrgirl‘ debuted at#10 on the South Africa Apple Music Top Albums chart, placing the album among the country’s leading releases on its opening day. The South African debut adds another important marker to the album’s early performance as Ayra Starr continues to build an audience beyond her home market. Starrgirl’s opening chart performanceApple Music Nigeria:#1 peakApple Music South Africa:#10 debutSpotify:657,346 partial-day streamsStarrgirl brings together Afrobeats and global collaborationsThe early chart success comes asStarrgirlcombines Afrobeats with a wide range of international sounds and collaborations. The album featuresWizkidon the highly anticipated track“Gimme Dat”, alongside Rema, Danny Ocean, Leon Thomas, Theodora and KWN. Ayra Starr’s Starrgirl rollout pairs bold visuals with the album’s boundary-pushing sound and global collaborations. The album’s streaming numbers are also receiving attention around“Heaven Baby”, Ayra Starr’s midnight-released collaboration with British pop star Zayn Malik. With her multi-billion-stream milestone already secured andStarrgirlmaking an immediate impact across continental charts, Ayra Starr has given the new album a powerful start. Ayra Starr’s Starrgirl launch at a glanceAyra Starr released her third studio album,Starrgirl, on14 August 2026, with the project arriving after she crossed3. 9 billion Spotify streamsand quickly reached#1 in Nigeria and the Top 10 in South Africa. The album’s rollout has also generated plenty of online conversation. Custom celebratory packages reportedly arrived from Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty, while Wizkid publicly backed the release. A viral tech glitch also saw Ayra Starr’s celebratory livestream mistakenly flagged for “nudity” because of a traditional Yoruba-inspired outfit. The Rihanna conversation has drawn comparisons with South Africa’s own global breakout star,Tyla, whoperformed at the World Cup opening ceremonyearlier this year. Some critics questioned the reported Rihanna snub, while fans pointed to Tyla’s own international backing, noting thatshe never signed to Roc Nationbut still attracted the attention of Beyoncé and Jay-Z. Listento theStarrgirlalbum on your preferred streaming platform:Listen/Stream StarrgirlNOWinSAwill follow up with a closer look at the celebrity co-signs and Hollywood shoutouts shaping Ayra Starr’s Starrgirl rollout. Tankiso KomaneA Tshwane University of Technology journalism graduate, Tankiso Komane has a vast experience in print & broadcast media business and has worked for some of the country’s biggest daily newspapers, including The Sowetan, The Citizen, The Times, and The New Age. Through her varied work as a journalist, notably as a copywriter for SABC1 (On-Air promotions) and as a publicist for Onyx Communications, she has developed an in-depth understanding of the nature of the media business and how to use it for the purpose of exposure. Her expertise in journalism across various disciplines, coupled with a good reputation, has laid the foundation of a new kind "trust in Journalism" as the media ecosystem continues to digitally evolve.