The 22-year-old Nigerian singer Ayra Starr
By Joshua Olomu
Grammy-nominated Afrobeat superstar Ayra Starr has become the first Nigerian female artiste to hit one billion views on Youtube.
The 22-year-old Mavin Star girl announced the milestone in a post on her Instagram fan page.
The landmark achievement is largely propelled by her hit single “Rush,” which alone has garnered over 458 million views, underscoring her growing global influence and the widespread appeal of her music.
The new feat has made the “Sability” crooner join Burna Boy, Wizkid, Rema, Davido and Omah Lay as Nigerian artistes who have surpassed a billion total views on Youtube.
Other artistes who have also hit the one billion Youtube milestone include Kizz Daniel, Tekno, P-Square, Flavour, and Fireboy.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the young singer also known as “sabi girl” has continued to grab both local and international accolades since her debut in 2021.
Ayra was also on the list of the top most followed African Artistes on Spotify, with over 4.8 million followers on the streaming platform.
Her Grammy-nominated track ‘Rush’ has smashed over 450 million views, boosting her popularity and global reach.
Earlier in May, she earned the prestigious Platinum Certification in the United Kingdom for her hit single “Rush”, for surpassing 600,000 units in combined sales and streams.
The hit song marked Ayra Starr’s debut on the UK Official Top 100, cementing her growing status as one of the most sought-after African music artistes in recent times.
She had earlier in 2023 earned a Diamond Certification in France for “Rush”, a song released in Sept, 2022, and quickly gained viral success, charting in the top ten across several countries.
The track’s massive popularity also contributed to Ayra Starr’s first Grammy nomination for Best African Music Performance at the 66th annual Grammy Awards.
“Rush” has also earned platinum status in Canada and New Zealand, and 3-time Platinum in Nigeria, demonstrating its widespread acclaim and commercial success. (NAN)
