-
Ayra Starr’s third studio album, ‘Starrgirl’, has recorded major chart and streaming milestones days after its release.
-
The project has surpassed Tyla’s ‘A*POP’ after reaching No. 1 on Apple Music’s album chart in 15 countries, compared with six countries for Tyla’s album
-
‘Starrgirl’ has also topped the Apple Music and iTunes album charts in Nigeria and posted strong opening numbers on Spotify and Audiomack.
-
The album’s release has attracted wider attention, including a purple lighting of the Empire State Building and fireworks at the Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge in Lagos.
August 17, (THEWILL) — Nigerian singer Ayra Starr is enjoying a strong start to her third studio album, ‘Starrgirl’, following its release on August 14, 2026.
The 16-track project has quickly made an impact across streaming platforms and digital music charts, recording several milestones within its first few days.
One of the album’s biggest achievements came on Apple Music, where ‘Starrgirl’ surpassed Tyla’s ‘A*POP’ by reaching No. 1 on the album chart in 15 countries.
Tyla’s ‘A*POP’ had reached No. 1 in six countries, giving ‘Starrgirl’ nine more No. 1 country placements.
‘Starrgirl’ topped the Apple Music album chart in Nigeria, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Malawi, Rwanda, Kenya, Chad, Cameroon, Tanzania, Gambia, Dominica, Gabon, Namibia and Papua New Guinea.
The album also reached No. 1 on the Apple Music Nigeria Top Albums chart and topped the Nigerian iTunes Albums chart.
On Spotify, ‘Starrgirl’ recorded 3,941,409 global streams in its first full day, including 1,826,368 streams from Nigeria.
The Nigerian figure surpassed the opening-day record previously held by Ayra Starr’s second album, ‘The Year I Turned 21’, which recorded about 1.27 million Spotify streams in Nigeria on its first day.
On Audiomack, ‘Starrgirl’ reportedly recorded 15.4 million streams on its first day.
The album has also performed strongly on international digital charts. It reached No. 18 on the worldwide iTunes Albums chart, No. 33 on the worldwide Apple Music Albums chart and No. 15 on the US iTunes Albums chart.
The project features several major African and international acts, including Wizkid, ZAYN, Rema, Leon Thomas, Danny Ocean, kwn and Theodora.
Its collaborations include ‘Gimme Dat’ featuring Wizkid and ‘Heaven Baby’ featuring ZAYN, which have also attracted attention since the album’s release.
The album’s success has also extended beyond music charts. Ayra Starr partnered with the Endometriosis Foundation of America to raise awareness about endometriosis.
As part of the campaign, the Empire State Building in New York was lit up in purple to mark the release of ‘Starrgirl.’
READ ALSO:
Ayra Starr Drops 16-Track ‘Starrgirl’, Draws Praise from Fans
From 19 & Dangerous To Starr Girl: 5 Things To Watch In Ayra Starr’s New Era
Fenty also sent the singer a celebratory package following the album’s release, while fireworks were displayed around the Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge in Lagos as fans celebrated the project.
With the album already setting records across several markets, focus will now turn to its first full-week chart results and whether it can maintain its strong early momentum.
Purple fireworks at the Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge celebrating the release of Ayra Starr’s newest album. 🩷💫
“Starrgirl” is here. 🤩 pic.twitter.com/rNa4LQBpu2
— Pulse Nigeria (@PulseNigeria247) August 14, 2026
Video: Fireworks light up the Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge in Lagos as fans celebrate the release of Ayra Starr’s ‘Starrgirl’ album. Credit: @PulseNigeria247/X
Evi-Ben Ezaga is an entertainment and society writer with a passion for stories that explore culture, people, and the stories shaping society today.
