''The Year I Turned 21'' is the second studio album by Nigerian singer-songwriter
Ayra Starr
Sarah Oyinkansola Aderibigbe (born 14 June 2002), known professionally as Ayra Starr, is a Nigerian singer and songwriter born in Benin Republic. She achieved mainstream international recognition in 2022, with the release of her hit song "Ru ...
. It was released through
Mavin Records
Mavin Records (also known as the Supreme Mavin Dynasty) is a Nigerian corporation and record label founded by record producer and recording artist Don Jazzy on 8 May 2012. The label's inception came to fruition following the closure of Mo' Hits R ...
on 31 May 2024. The album contains guest appearances from
Asake
Ahmed Ololade (born 13 January 1995), known professionally as Asake, is a Nigerian singer, rapper and songwriter. He was previously signed to YBNL Nation and Empire Distribution. His stage name "Asake" is his mother's name.
In September 2022, ...
,
Anitta Anitta may refer to:
*Anitta (king), Hittite king
*Anitta (singer)
Larissa de Macedo Machado (born 30 March 1993), known professionally as Anitta (), is a Brazilian singer, songwriter, dancer, actress, and occasional television host. One of Br ...
,
Coco Jones
Courtney Michaela Ann "Coco" Jones (born January 4, 1998) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Born in Columbia, South Carolina and raised in Lebanon, Tennessee, Jones began auditioning as a child to pursue a career in entertainment. Sh ...
,
Giveon
Giveon Dezmann Evans ( born February 21, 1995), mononymously known as Giveon (stylized as GIVĒON), is an American R&B singer and songwriter.
He rose to prominence with his 2020 song " Chicago Freestyle" (with Drake), which peaked at number 14 o ...
,
Seyi Vibez
Balogun Afolabi Oluwaloseyi (born 12 July 2000) known professionally as Seyi Vibez, is a Nigerian singer and songwriter. He is known for his breakthrough single "Chance (Na Ham)" from his second studio album ''Billion Dollar Baby'' which debuted ...
,
Rvssian
Tarik Johnston (born 12 April 1988), commonly known as Rvssian and previously as Russian (stylized in all caps), is a Jamaican record producer, singer, and entrepreneur. He is the founder of Head Concussion, a music production company situate ...
, and
Rauw Alejandro
Raúl Alejandro Ocasio Ruiz (born January 10, 1993), known professionally as Rauw Alejandro, is a Puerto Rican singer. His accolades include two Latin Grammy Awards, two Billboard Latin Music Awards, ''Billboard'' Latin Music Awards and an IHea ...
. It serves as the follow-up to her previous album, ''
19 & Dangerous
''19 & Dangerous,'' is the debut studio album by Nigerian singer-songwriter Ayra Starr. It was released on 6 August 2021 by Mavin Records and Platoon, less than seven months after the singer's self-titled debut EP. ''19 & Dangerous'' was a concep ...
'' (2021). The album debuted at number one in Nigeria.
Background and release
Ayra Starr announced the title of her second studio album, "The Year I Turned 21", on 2 May 2024, along with its cover art and tracklist. The album was conceived during a period of personal growth and introspection.
In an interview with ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'', Starr revealed that the album was inspired by her experiences navigating adulthood, love, and self-discovery. The album was recorded over several months in 2022 and 2023, with production credits from notable producers such as
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
,
Johnny Drille
'Johnny Drille (born John Ighodaro; 5 July 1990) is a Nigerian singer, songwriter, and music producer. He rose to prominence in 2015 after releasing a cover of Di’Ja’s song "Awww", which attracted the attention of Don Jazzy, the founder of M ...
, and
P.Priime. Starr drew inspiration from
Afrobeats
Afrobeats, not to be confused with Afrobeat or Afroswing, is an umbrella term to describe popular music from West Africa and the diaspora that initially developed in Ghana, Nigeria, and the UK in the 2000s and 2010s. Afrobeats is less of a st ...
,
R&B, and
pop
Pop or POP may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Pop music, a musical genre
Artists
* POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade
* Pop! (British group), a UK pop group
* Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band
Album ...
to create a unique sound reflecting her artistic evolution. The title "The Year I Turned 21" holds personal significance, as Starr turned 21 during the recording process. In an interview with ''
Uproxx
Uproxx Studios (stylized as ''UPROXX'') is an American music, entertainment and popular culture website and content studio. It was founded in 2008 by Jarret Myer and Brian Brater. The website was acquired in 2014 by Woven Digital (which later ...
'', she explained that the title represents a milestone birthday that marked a turning point in her life and career. The album was released on 31 May 2024 through
Mavin Records
Mavin Records (also known as the Supreme Mavin Dynasty) is a Nigerian corporation and record label founded by record producer and recording artist Don Jazzy on 8 May 2012. The label's inception came to fruition following the closure of Mo' Hits R ...
. She stated in an interview with
triple J
Triple J is an Australian government-funded national radio station founded in 1975 as a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). It aims to appeal to young listeners of alternative music, and plays far more Australian conten ...
that she grew inspiration from the grief she felt about losing her father, and on how she has never touched that kind of perspective before.
Singles
The single "Rhythm and Blues" was released on 13 September 2023 as the first single from the album. Later, "Commas" was released on 2 February 2024, as the second single.
Critical reception
Tamil Makinde of ''
NME
''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...
'' stated that "Starr confidently blends genres, segueing from romantic deep cuts to emotional odes about her roots, produced by the likes of Louddaaa. She weaves a narrative thread through a collage of sounds with adept storytelling. In tracks like "Lagos Love Story", she flirts with reckless romance, while in "Last Heartbreak Song", an R&B-powered duet with Giveon, she finds the strength to move on. In "The Kids Are Alright", she weaves intergenerational conversations, and each track radiates a clear vision".
Kadish Morris of ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' gave the album 4/5 stars, praising Starr's vocal range and experimentation with various sounds and cadences, stating: "Here, she puts that big voice to work.
Adeayo Adebiyi of ''Pulse Nigeria'' gave the album a 9.1/10 rating, stating that "The Year I Turned 21" is an accomplished sophomore effort that excels in all aspects, showcasing Ayra Starr's confidence and superior talent.
Track listing
Note
* signifies an additional producer
Personnel
Musicians
*
Ayra Starr
Sarah Oyinkansola Aderibigbe (born 14 June 2002), known professionally as Ayra Starr, is a Nigerian singer and songwriter born in Benin Republic. She achieved mainstream international recognition in 2022, with the release of her hit song "Ru ...
– vocals
*
Asake
Ahmed Ololade (born 13 January 1995), known professionally as Asake, is a Nigerian singer, rapper and songwriter. He was previously signed to YBNL Nation and Empire Distribution. His stage name "Asake" is his mother's name.
In September 2022, ...
– vocals (track 2)
*
Anitta Anitta may refer to:
*Anitta (king), Hittite king
*Anitta (singer)
Larissa de Macedo Machado (born 30 March 1993), known professionally as Anitta (), is a Brazilian singer, songwriter, dancer, actress, and occasional television host. One of Br ...
– vocals (track 4)
*
Coco Jones
Courtney Michaela Ann "Coco" Jones (born January 4, 1998) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Born in Columbia, South Carolina and raised in Lebanon, Tennessee, Jones began auditioning as a child to pursue a career in entertainment. Sh ...
– vocals (track 4)
* Prosper Agha Odu – guitar (track 9)
*
Giveon
Giveon Dezmann Evans ( born February 21, 1995), mononymously known as Giveon (stylized as GIVĒON), is an American R&B singer and songwriter.
He rose to prominence with his 2020 song " Chicago Freestyle" (with Drake), which peaked at number 14 o ...
– vocals (track 9)
* Ufot Godwin – guitar (track 11)
* Femi Olawoyin – violin (track 11)
* Milar – vocals (track 13)
*
Rauw Alejandro
Raúl Alejandro Ocasio Ruiz (born January 10, 1993), known professionally as Rauw Alejandro, is a Puerto Rican singer. His accolades include two Latin Grammy Awards, two Billboard Latin Music Awards, ''Billboard'' Latin Music Awards and an IHea ...
– vocals (track 15)
Technical
*
Johnny Drille
'Johnny Drille (born John Ighodaro; 5 July 1990) is a Nigerian singer, songwriter, and music producer. He rose to prominence in 2015 after releasing a cover of Di’Ja’s song "Awww", which attracted the attention of Don Jazzy, the founder of M ...
–
mixing (all tracks),
engineering
Engineering is the practice of using natural science, mathematics, and the engineering design process to Problem solving#Engineering, solve problems within technology, increase efficiency and productivity, and improve Systems engineering, s ...
(tracks 3, 7, 13, 14)
*
Chris Gehringer
Chris Gehringer (born May 27, 1962) is an American mastering engineer at Sterling Sound in New Jersey.
Gehringer is known for having mastered recordings by popular artists such as AJR, Dua Lipa, Drake, Ed Sheeran, Gwen Stefani, Harry Styles, ...
–
mastering (track 15)
*
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
– engineering (tracks 1, 6)
* Marvey Again – engineering (tracks 1, 4, 8, 14)
* Marelenius – engineering (track 2)
* Jake Prein – engineering (track 4)
* Wonda – engineering (track 8)
* Louddaaa – engineering (tracks 9, 11)
* Kenobi – engineering (track 15)
*
Rvssian
Tarik Johnston (born 12 April 1988), commonly known as Rvssian and previously as Russian (stylized in all caps), is a Jamaican record producer, singer, and entrepreneur. He is the founder of Head Concussion, a music production company situate ...
– engineering (track 15)
Accolades
Charts
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Year I Turned 21
2024 albums
Ayra Starr albums
Mavin Records albums
Albums produced by P.Priime
Albums produced by Louddaaa
Albums produced by London (record producer)