Ferdinand Ekechukwu
Since the release of ‘Starrgirl’, Ayra Starr‘s third full-length studio album, the two-times Grammy-nominated, three-times MOBO award-winning artiste has recorded an impressive 1.82 million streams on its first full day on Spotify Nigeria, marking another major milestone for the Nigerian Afrobeats star.
In addition, setting an inspiring fashion trend that has received applause from fans and celebrities alike.
Released on August 14, 2026, the album feat makes ‘Starrgirl’ the biggest opening-day album by a female artist on Spotify Nigeria, surpassing Ayra Starr’s own ‘The Year I Turned 21,’ which opened with 1.27 million streams.
The success means Starr now holds the top two spots for the biggest opening-day streams by a female artist on the platform. Starrgirl, the follow-up to the singer’s ‘The Year I Turned 21’ album, is a collection of 16 tracks.
Starr expanded her sound on the project, bringing in more dance and R&B notes. With “Starrgirl,” Ayra Starr continues to raise the bar for female Afrobeats artists while adding another major achievement to her growing career.
Starr Girl (stylised as Starrgirl) was released through Mavin and Republic Records. The album features guest appearances from Kwn, Danny Ocean, Rema, Theodora, Leon Thomas, Wizkid and Zayn. Ayra collaborated with various producers on the album, including Alissia, Johnny Drille, Ilya, Stefan Johnson, Jordan K., London, Mamii, Ragee, and Shizzi, among others.
The project is anchored by her recent hit singles, “Where Do We Go” and “Tornado.” “I’m so proud of the woman I’ve allowed myself to become through the making of this album and every version of me that had to exist to get here,” Starr wrote on Instagram on release week. Following the release, the singer got fans and many Nigerian girlies standing in solidarity with the creativity of her album cover, rocking the iconic Nigerian gele in purple, with a simple dress.
The Afro-fusion-inspired look quickly caught the attention of her fans, which began recreating the style in their own unique ways. One noted that “What made the trend more interesting was that it was not limited to women alone. Men, including label boss Don Jazzy, and others, also shared pictures of themselves hilariously joining the purple gele trend to drum up support for the singer.
“Interestingly, this is not the first time the singer has donned a gele in that manner. She had earlier been spotted rocking a pink gele to the club, showing that the traditional headpiece has become part of her fashion expression. With the album attracting attention and her purple gele look becoming a fan favourite, Ayra Starr may have found another way to make her mark beyond music.”