The Year I Turned 21

The Year I Turned 21 is the second studio album by Nigerian singer-songwriter Ayra Starr. It was released through Mavin Records on 31 May 2024. The album contains guest appearances from Asake, Anitta, Coco Jones, Giveon, Seyi Vibez, Rvssian, and Rauw Alejandro. It serves as the follow-up to her previous album, 19 & Dangerous (2021). The album debuted at number one in Nigeria.

The Year I Turned 21
Studio album by Ayra Starr
Released	31 May 2024 (2024-05-31)
Genre	Afrobeats R&B pop alté
Length	40:24
Label	Mavin
Producer	Johnny Drille El Zorro Fwdslxsh Jay Keys Mike Hector Kenobi Kill September London Louddaaa Marvey Muzique Mystro Sugar P2J P.Priime Ragee Remdolla Richard "M.R.I." McClashie Rvssian Sparrq
Ayra Starr chronology
19 & Dangerous (2021) The Year I Turned 21 (2024)
Singles from The Year I Turned 21
"Rhythm & Blues" Released: 13 September 2023 "Commas" Released: 2 February 2024 "Santa" Released: 4 April 2024

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.^[1][2] The album was conceived during a period of personal growth and introspection.^[3] In an interview with Billboard, Starr revealed that the album was inspired by her experiences navigating adulthood, love, and self-discovery.^[4] The album was recorded over several months in 2022 and 2023, with production credits from notable producers such as London, Johnny Drille, and P.Priime.^[5] Starr drew inspiration from Afrobeats, R&B, and pop to create a unique sound reflecting her artistic evolution.^[6] The title "The Year I Turned 21" holds personal significance, as Starr turned 21 during the recording process.^[7] In an interview with Uproxx, she explained that the title represents a milestone birthday that marked a turning point in her life and career.^[8] The album was released on 31 May 2024 through Mavin Records.^[9] She stated in an interview with triple J 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.^[10] Later, "Commas" was released on 2 February 2024, as the second single.^[11]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Clash	8/10[12]
The Guardian	[13]
NME	[14]
The Native	8.1/10[15]
Pitchfork	7.6/10[16]
Pulse Nigeria	9.1/10[17]

Tamil Makinde of NME 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".^[14] Kadish Morris of The Guardian 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.^[13] 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.^[17]

Track listing

The Year I Turned 21 track listing

No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Bird Sing of Money"	Oyinkansola Sarah Aderigbigbe	O. S. Aderigbigbe Manson Tanner Michael Ovie Hunter	London Marvey Muzique	2:42
2.	"Goodbye (Warm Up)" (with Asake)	O. S. Aderigbigbe Ahmed Ololade	O. S. Aderigbigbe Ololade Douglas Ford Richard Olowaranti Mbu Isong	P2J	2:43
3.	"Commas"	O. S. Aderigbigbe Prince Omoferi	O. S. Aderigbigbe Omoferi Nnaemeka Ikechukwu Clinton	Ragee London[a] Aod[a]	2:37
4.	"Woman Commando" (with Anitta and Coco Jones)	O. S. Aderigbigbe Courtney Michaela Jones Larissa de Macedo Machado Nwamu Francis Chukwudubem	O. S. Aderigbigbe Andy Bauza Jones De Macedo Machado Chukwudubem Clinton	Ragee	3:28
5.	"Control"	O. S. Aderigbigbe Emmanuel Isong	O. S. Aderigbigbe Isong Tanner Hunter	London Jay Keys AOD	2:33
6.	"Lagos Love Story"	S. Aderigbigbe	O. S. Aderigbigbe Hunter	London Off n Out[a]	2:35
7.	"Rhythm & Blues"	O. S. Aderigbigbe	O. S. Aderigbigbe Ayomikun Emmanuel Aro Uzoma Samuel Onyenucheya	Sparrq	2:23
8.	"21"	O. S. Aderigbigbe Adeyinka Bankole Leon Thomas	O. S. Aderigbigbe Bankole L. Thomas Tanner Mike Hector Tomi Mikael Mannonen	Fwdslxsh Kill September Hector	2:22
9.	"Last Heartbreak Song" (with Giveon)	O. S. Aderigbigbe Giveon Evans Omoferi	O. S. Aderigbigbe Evans Omoferi Kehinde Alabi	Louddaaa	2:29
10.	"Bad Vibes" (with Seyi Vibez)	O. S. Aderigbigbe Oluwaloseyi Afolobi Balogun	O. S. Aderigbigbe Michael Tanner Balogun Ajayi Olusegun Michael	Mystro Sugar Ikenna Ohaeri[a]	2:48
11.	"Orun"	O. S. Aderigbigbe Omoferi	O. S. Aderigbigbe Kehinde Alabi Omoferi	Louddaaa Godwyn Guitar[a]	2:37
12.	"Jazzy's Song"	O. S. Aderigbigbe Michael Collins Ajereh Oluwadamilare Aderigbigbe	O. S. Aderigbigbe Ajereh Chukwudubem O. Aderigbigbe Oredope Peace Ekpe	P.Priime	2:14
13.	"1942" (with Milar)	O. S. Aderigbigbe O. Aderigbigbe	O. S. Aderigbigbe John Ighodaro O. Aderigbigbe	Johnny Drille	2:26
14.	"The Kids Are Alright"	S. Aderigbigbe	O. S. Aderigbigbe Remy Jones	Remdolla	3:14
15.	"Santa" (with Rauw Alejandro and Rvssian)	O. S. Aderigbigbe Chukwudubem O. Aderigbigbe Oswaldo Rangel Raúl Alejandro Ocasio	O. S. Aderigbigbe Jorge PizarroKelvin Thomas Kilian Johnston Lucas Sikidila Nathalia Marshall Chukwudubem O. Aderigbigbe Rangel Alejandro Ocasio Richard McClashie	Rvssian Richard "M.R.I." McClashie Kenobi El Zorro	3:13
Total length:					40:24

Note

• ^{^[a]} signifies an additional producer

Personnel

Musicians Ayra Starr – vocals Asake – vocals (track 2) Anitta – vocals (track 4) Coco Jones – vocals (track 4) Prosper Agha Odu – guitar (track 9) Giveon – vocals (track 9) Ufot Godwin – guitar (track 11) Femi Olawoyin – violin (track 11) Milar – vocals (track 13) Rauw Alejandro – vocals (track 15)

Technical Johnny Drille – mixing (all tracks), engineering (tracks 3, 7, 13, 14) Chris Gehringer – mastering (track 15) London – 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 – engineering (track 15)

Accolades

Awards and nominations for The Year I Turned 21

Organization	Year	Category	Result	Ref.
African Entertainment Awards USA	2024	Album of the Year	Nominated	[18]

Charts

Chart performance for The Year I Turned 21

Chart (2024)	Peak position
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[19]	89
French Albums (SNEP)[20]	72
Nigerian Albums (TurnTable)[21]	1
UK Albums (OCC)[22]	80
US Billboard 200[23]	195
US World Albums (Billboard)[24]	4