Grammy-nominated Afrobeats sensation Ayra Starr has made history as the first Nigerian female artiste to surpass one billion total views on YouTube.
The Mavin Records star celebrated the milestone via her Instagram fan page on Monday. A significant contributor to this achievement is her chart-topping single Rush, which alone accounts for over 458 million views, highlighting her expanding global influence and the widespread appeal of her music.
With this feat, the Sability singer joins the ranks of Nigerian music heavyweights such as Burna Boy, Wizkid, Rema, Davido, and Omah Lay, who have also crossed the one-billion mark in total YouTube views.
Other Nigerian artistes who have reached the one billion views milestone include Kizz Daniel, Tekno, P-Square, Flavour, and Fireboy DML.
The 22-year-old singer, also fondly referred to as “Sabi Girl,” has continued to earn both local and international recognition since her debut in 2021.
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Ayra Starr also features among the most followed African artistes on Spotify, boasting over 4.8 million followers on the platform.
Her Grammy-nominated hit Rush has been instrumental in propelling her to international fame. The song has garnered over 450 million YouTube views and earned multiple certifications. In May, it received Platinum certification in the United Kingdom for surpassing 600,000 units in combined sales and streams. It also marked her debut entry on the UK Official Top 100 chart.
Earlier in 2023, Rush was certified Diamond in France, following its September 2022 release and rapid viral success, which saw it charting in the top ten across several countries.
The song also led to Ayra Starr’s first Grammy nomination for Best African Music Performance at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards.
Rush has further achieved Platinum status in Canada and New Zealand, as well as triple Platinum in Nigeria, underscoring its global acclaim and commercial success.
