Burna Boy is my number one collaboration choice— Ayra Starr

Two-time Grammy nominee Ayra Starr, has revealed that Afrobeats superstar, Burna Boy remains her top choice for a future collaboration.

The singer, made the disclosure in a Billboard interview shared on Thursday while speaking with Love Island USA star Chelley , as she reflected on her 2026 Grammy nominations.

“Everybody knows Burna Boy is like my number one person I want to collaborate with. I’ve collaborated with a lot of people, and I still want to collaborate with many more people,” Ayra Starr said.

“Burna Boy is my #1 person I’d love to collaborate with.” — Ayra Starr via Billboard interview 🗣️

pic.twitter.com/3mou72ba6T

— 𝙀𝙉𝙏𝙀𝙍𝙏𝘼𝙄𝙉𝙈𝙀𝙉𝙏 𝘿𝘼𝙄𝙇𝙔 🇳🇬 (@Entdaily001) January 29, 2026

Ayra Starr recently earned a Grammy nomination for Best African Music Performance for her collaboration with Wizkid on Gimme Dat, released on April 25, 2025. The nominations were announced in November 2025 ahead of the Grammy Awards ceremony scheduled for February 1, 2026.

Reacting to the recognition, the ‘Sabi Girl’ singer described her second nomination as a reassuring moment in her career.

“I remember I was so excited. I was like, ‘Oh my God. Oh my God. I knew it. I knew it.’ Every day I feel happy. I’m very grateful. Every day it’s like a new feeling — ‘Oh, I’m actually a two-time Grammy nominee,’” she said.

Comparing both nominations, she added that while the first felt surreal, the second brought confidence. “The first time I got nominated, it was like, ‘Oh my God, I got nominated. This is crazy.’ But the second time felt like reassurance, like, ‘Oh, I’m good at this. I know what I’m doing.’ Maybe I need to trust God and myself a bit more.”

Speaking on the inspiration behind Gimme Dat, which samples 911 by Wyclef Jean and Mary J. Blige, Ayra Starr said she only discovered the origin of the sample during the recording process.

“I was born in 2002, so I didn’t really know until I was recording the song and Don Jazzy said, ‘Okay, this is a 911 sample.’ Then I went to do my research and I was like, wow,” she explained.

She also revealed that the studio where the track was recorded belonged to Wyclef Jean, a fact she only learnt later. “The crazy thing was that the studio I was recording in was also Wyclef’s studio, and I didn’t know that at the time. So it felt like everything was just meant to be.”

Ayra Starr further disclosed that she struggled vocally during the initial recording sessions but remained determined. She noted that the song was originally recorded as a solo track months before Wizkid eventually joined the project.

“I recorded this song maybe six or eight months before it actually came out. This was before Wizkid even jumped on it. It was supposed to be just my single,” she said.