Nigeria’s Ayra Starr is about to do something no African artist has done before. The Ayra Starr NFL halftime show at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday makes her the first African act to headline an NFL halftime performance, according to Nigerian and Ghanaian media reports. She will perform during the game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Jacksonville Jaguars, part of the league’s London series.
From 19 & Dangerous to the NFL
It has been a fast climb. The Beninese-Nigerian singer released her debut album, 19 & Dangerous, in 2021, and the NFL says she has since passed seven billion streams. She is a two-time Grammy nominee for Best African Music Performance, a BET Award winner and a Pyramid Stage performer at Glastonbury. Her third album, Starrgirl, dropped on August 14 with 16 tracks and guests including Wizkid, Rema, ZAYN and Leon Thomas. Songs from it are widely tipped to feature in the set.
Why this matters back home
The Afrobeats culture has been knocking on the door of global sport for a while. Davido, Tems, Burna Boy, Wizkid and Rema have all been booked for major sporting events, Joy News noted. Still, being the lead act is a different level from being a guest. One Nigerian outlet argued that the booking shows the NFL now sees African artists as headliners, not supporting attractions. For fans from Lagos to Accra to Nairobi, that shift is the real story.
What she and the NFL are saying
Ayra said London is one of her favourite places in the world and called bringing Starrgirl to the NFL stage a dream come true. The league’s Tim Tubito described her as a generational talent with a real connection to fans in the city. The performance is one of seven halftime shows planned this season, a record for the NFL, and is presented by American Express. UK viewers can watch free to air on 5 and on Sky Sports.
Whatever the setlist, Sunday is already a milestone. A young woman from West Africa is standing where global pop stars usually stand, and she is doing it on her own terms.
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