Ayra Starr electrifies Global Citizen Festival with surprise Rema performance

GRAMMY-nominated global Afrobeats superstar Ayra Starr lit up the stage at the Global Citizen Festival in New York City last night. Hailed as the "Voice of African Gen Z," the 23-year-old delivered a showstopping and purposeful performance, underscoring her role at the forefront of Nigeria’s youth music movement.

Ayra Starr launched her set with the unapologetic hit ‘Bloody Samaritan’ and maintained the confident energy with ‘Woman Commando’, a fan-favourite from her sophomore album, The Year I Turned 21. Her exhilarating Afro-fusion set included tracks like ‘Gimme Dat,’ ‘Goodbye (Warm Up),’ and her latest single ‘Hot Body,’ before she ramped up the energy with her stadium-ready anthem ‘Sability’ and the GRAMMY-nominated smash ‘Rush.’ She closed her solo segment with a tender dedication, mashing up her single ‘All The Love’ with Coldplay’s ‘Strawberry Swing.’

For a special moment flexing the unstoppable global force of Afrobeats, Ayra Starr brought out fellow star Rema as a surprise guest. The duo performed ‘Rush’ together, followed by Rema's hits ‘Calm Down’ and ‘Baby (Is It A Crime).’

Following the performance, Ayra Starr asked the audience to hold up their camera torches, shining a light on one of the festival’s core focuses: the critical need for energy access in Africa. The Global Citizen Festival is dedicated to generating power access for one million people across Africa, helping to power homes, schools, and hospitals, while creating green jobs and clean energy investment.

With over 3 billion global streams and 1 billion YouTube views, Ayra Starr is an undeniable force, consistently breaking barriers for African artists while remaining committed to her roots and her generation. As she told Teen Vogue, "I want to be known as that person that worked hard for her people – for Africa.”