A Starr is Born on ’19 and Dangerous’

Iyke Bede

After gaining acclaim with the release of her debut eponymous EP – containing smash hit ‘Away’ – earlier this year, Sarah Aderibigbe, professionally known as Ayra Starr (pronounced eye-rah star), became the poster child for Gen Z dream chasers.

Backed with a streak of commercially successful singles and heavy promotion to match, the Mavin princess made an indelible imprint in the annals of the Nigerian music industry. She surprises with the release of her debut album in the same year she turned 19.

Mirroring the nomenclature pattern that marks British singer Adele’s debut album ‘19’, which indicates the age when she recorded it, Starr reveals the significance her last year as a teenager plays in influencing the album’s context titled ’19 and Dangerous’. The coming-of-age account partitioned into 11 tracks arrived on music platforms on August 6.

‘Bloody Samaritan’, the lead single was released a week earlier before the album.

The Rema-esque track produced by Don Jazzy is braggadocio-filled to reflect her rebel teen spirit. Launching on sensual strings, it bursts with verve on steady racing beats. As exciting as it comes off on paper, sadly, ‘Bad Samaritan’ lacks the oomph that defines a lead single. Despite being a good track, it is dated. The album’s opener ‘Cast (Gen Z Anthem)’ would have made a better lead single. It is the album’s most relatable track, in terms of lyrics. It relays the outlook of the average Gen Z, and a portion of millennials not restricted to social bounds. It speaks to living one’s truth despite consequences. Structurally, it bears a similar semblance to ‘Away’, with its calm intro that develops into a big splash of a chorus, evoking an earworm effect.

The track that follows, ‘Fashion Killer’ (alternatively spelt as ‘Fashion Killa’) goes on to talk about the vanity affair of people within her age demographic. It is a flashy track that validates the need to live in the present, with little care for the future. Singing on a backdrop of afro-beats instrumentals, the stacks of harmonies woven in heighten the track’s sensuality.

From being a bold, outspoken but inexperienced teenager, she transforms into a susceptible one when topics on matters of the heart surface on ‘Lonely’. All of a sudden, she admits being able to bleed like everyone through her words, “I be human being oh.” Here, she is hit hard in what is presumably her first relationship replete with unrequited love.

‘Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned’ aptly paints the woman Starr becomes on ’Snitch’. The urban midtempo synth-heavy track that gains an assist from American singer Foushee, sees both singers suffering no fools, but with the help of a few glasses of mojitos and complementing vocals. It is the second track produced by London, with his first being ‘Fashion Killer’. Other producers on the album include Louddaaa and Andre Vibes.

A breakup later, Starr is dazed in her newfound relationship with alcohol, recreational drugs, and a void she refuses to admit on ‘Toxic’. Instead, she blames her ex for existing woes. More of a ‘sit still and look pretty’ track, its execution is not remarkable as other tracks.

A calmer, sober side to her surfaces on ‘In Between’. The ballad, shimmering with twinkling piano notes, sees a female character slurring the words ‘Je suis fatique’ that translates to ‘I am tired’ from French. Starr fights for her life here but soon relapses on breezy ‘Beggie Beggie’ that features Ckay. Desperately seeking love and affection, she retraces her steps back to another deeply unrequited relationship. This situation balloons into ‘Karma’, where she is filled with resentment. Ultimately, she gains stability on ‘Bloody Samaritan’

Rocking Ivy Park, Gucci, and Fendi, with the swagger of Da Vinci, an undefeated Starr emerges in the fast-paced, up-tempo, ‘Bridgertn’. The track presents a hippy, fulfilled side to her. Going through the stages of self-discovery on love’s path, she hopes to retain her existing peace on the introspective ‘Amin’.

Writing all the tracks on the album, the account of a lass transitioning into adulthood is told by glueing beats, harmonies, lyrics, and sheer emotions. The impressive debut, indeed, raises the bar of what to expect from new acts. It is not up for debate, ’19 and Dangerous’, is a well-told story. It is what the average Gen Z (or anyone at that) would describe using the words, “issa bop for me.”