LAGOS, Nigeria — Ayra Starr don make history as di first Nigerian female artist wey don pass 1 billion total views for YouTube. Dis landmark achievement go down for music records as di 22-year-old Mavin Records singer, popularly known as di ‘Sabi Girl,’ announce am on her Instagram account on Monday.
Di milestone na huge recognition for her hit single ‘Rush’, wey don gather over 458 million views alone on di platform. According to di News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), dis achievement fit her among di elite group of Nigerian artists like Burna Boy, Wizkid, Rema, and Davido, who don also surpass di billion views mark.
“I dey feel so honored and grateful for dis achievement. My love for music and di support from my fans no get boundaries,” Ayra Starr talk in her post after di announcement. “Rush” no only brings her local fame, but also propel her into di international spotlight. E even earn her Grammy nomination for di 66th Annual Grammy Awards.
Since her debut in 2021, Ayra Starr don grow significantly for di digital landscape. As of May 2025, she dey rank among di most-followed African artists for Spotify, wey she get more than 4.8 million followers.
Di song ‘Rush’ na di first single wey earn her platinum certification for di United Kingdom, after e surpass 600,000 combined sales and streams. Dis achievement confirm her status as one of di leading forces in di Afrobeat genre globally. Earlier for dis year, she also achieved diamond certification in France for di song.
Dis 1 billion views for YouTube show di shift in di global dynamics of African music, wey dey gain traction among younger audiences especially for Gen Z. Di commercial success of ‘Rush’ na clear indication of how importantly streaming and social media presence dey for today’s music scene.
In recognition of her impact, Ayra Starr’s music has charted across plenty countries, making her di first Nigerian female artist to enter di UK Official Top 100. Dis achievement no just reflect her personal success, but also a significant step for female artists wey wan compete in di music industry.
As Ayra Starr continues to break boundaries, her story inspire many young talents across Africa, showing sey even female artists fit achieve greatness in a space where male artists dey traditionally dominate.
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