She joins fellow Nigerian Tiwa Savage, the only other African singer to hold both the Spotify EQUAL Africa and Global singer titles.
Oyinkansola Sarah Aderibigbe, a famous Nigerian singer better known as Ayra Starr in the music industry, has been named Spotify's Equal Africa and Global Artist for the month of May.

She joins fellow Nigerian Tiwa Savage, the only other African singer to hold both the Spotify EQUAL Africa and Global singer titles.
Ayra Starr, whose February release Commas has already received over 35 million Spotify streams, discussed her emotive musical style, which has allowed her carve out a space in the music industry, and what it means to her to be selected as Spotify's EQUAL artist.

“I would describe my sound as highly vibrational, eccentric, unique, and beautiful,” says, describing her style of music.

In response to the honor, she said, "I am grateful to become a Spotify EQUAL Ambassador." It means a lot to me to be able to represent female Afrobeats artists and African women in general. There are so many women in music right now, and the EQUAL program is doing a fantastic job of recognizing their hard work."


"It means everything to me because I am a girl and I have to support my gender and level the playing field."

Spotify's EQUAL program helps female musicians get a global exposure through playlists, content centers, and partnerships.

Monica Kemoli-Savanne, Spotify's Senior Artist & Label Partnerships Manager, Sub-Saharan Africa, states, "Our commitment at Spotify is to encourage and empower women in the music industry, contributing to the creation of more level playing field.

Seeing artists from the continent, such as Ayra Starr, attain global acclaim is a great tribute to Africa's potential; all that is required is a platform. It has been an incredible experience to witness the progress of female artists who are inspiring future generations, demonstrating our commitment to supporting female artists equally."


Spotify sponsored 15 EQUAL activations, resulting in over 14.8 million artist discoveries, and EQUAL artists received 11,800 editorial playlist adds in 2023, confirming the program's influence and reach.