Ayra Starr will become the first African artist to headline an NFL international game when the Philadelphia Eagles face the Jacksonville Jaguars in London on Sunday. The performance will take place at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Speaking to BBC Newsbeat, the 24‑year‑old said the historic show is a message for her culture and fans. "At the end of the day, as artists, we speak for the culture and we speak for the people that listen to us," she added.
Starr confirmed the set will feature tracks from her new studio album, Starrgirl, released in August. She is still rehearsing and described the preparation as a lot of work but exciting.
The Nigerian singer has already broken multiple records, becoming the first African woman to win Best International Act at the Mobo Awards and the first Nigerian woman to surpass one billion YouTube views. She studied political science and international relations, a background she says informs her music and advocacy for women and children.
She noted that Afrobeats, a genre originating in West Africa, is growing worldwide and that she hopes more female artists will have space in the male‑dominated field. "Afrobeats just keeps evolving, it keeps growing and it just keeps getting better… I want it to be one of the top genres in the world," she said.
Fans worldwide will watch the historic show on Sunday, and the performance is expected to boost the global profile of Afrobeats even further.
