Arya Starr: “The Year I Turned 21"—Album Review
With the release of her new album, the 21-year-old Nigerian musician shines brightly
Year: 2024
Genre: Afrobeats
Label: Mavins Global Holdings Ltd
Run Time: 40 minutes, 31 seconds, 15 tracks
It is already known that Arya Starr has been a reliable musician. Unquestionably, her most recent album, “The Year I Turned 21,” is proof of this. The 21-year-old Afrobeats musician has released two albums throughout the years, receiving praise and recognition from all over the world.
Even though this album leans toward R&B and Amapiano influences, it nonetheless has the distinctive Arya Starr sound. However, from a musical standpoint, the album is solid. With incredible features from artists like Seyi Vibes, Asake, Coco Jones, and Giveon, the album's intent is well achieved.
On July 18, 2023, she teased the album for the first time on Twitter by sharing a percentage of the album’s completion. There was a lot of anticipation since people wanted to know about her new endeavor. On May 1, 2024, she disclosed the album’s title on Instagram.
The circumstances surrounding Arya’s twenty-first birthday are the album's central focus. She discusses her ascent to popularity, her accumulation of fortune, her romantic relationships, feminism, living a free life as a woman, and those that drain her of positive energy.
My mama told me givin’ up was giving up, so I made another way
I told my bitches hold me down, hold me down ’cause these niggas are a plague
I run my city, run my life, run my mind, but I never run away
I’m so careful with my energy, please never speak upon my name
The album’s opening song, “Birds Sing of Money,” produced by London and Marvey Again, began with a traditional fuji music vocal line, initially with a conventional music feel before transitioning to a more mainstream style. Although this is a classic Afrobeats album, Arya decided not to open with a classic Afrobeats song.
Speaking about the song, Arya Starr mentioned:
My brother, who is a music video director, paid a guy to just sing a Fuji song about me, which is in the beginning of ‘Birds Sing of Money’. This was a day after I released my first EP, as a gift. And the guy was just hyping me up. That’s a very Yoruba thing.
The song introduces the album in various aspects, such as instrumentation and lyrical content (which is focused on not letting negative energy into her space), even though it does not have a typical Afrobeats feel.
The album quickly shifted into a real Afrobeats mood with “Goodbye (Warmup) ft. Asake,” the second track. This track marks the duo’s first-ever collaboration.
Afrobeat piano chords that create a jazzy atmosphere at the start of the tunes thoroughly immerse us in Arya Starr’s Afrobeat universe. Asake’s calming voice fits quite nicely with this song.
With Asake’s entrance, the song introduces an Amapiano drumline. In my opinion, that happens when you feature Asake—the Amapiano vibe.
Arya features Anita and Coco Jones, the American singer-songwriter and actress, on the fourth track, “Woman Commando.” The song talks about a woman’s strength and is more of a feminist interpretation.
Arya envisions a wealthy, liberated, adored, and influential woman. This piece, which features two highly accomplished female musicians, Anita and Coco, is all about the power of the female gender. It is a standard anthem for ladies.
Three of the album’s tracks showcase Arya’s skill at expertly interpolating and utilizing parts from other songs. Arya referenced a phrase from Kendrick Lamar’s diss track, “Not Like Us,” in the outro of the song “Control.”
Let me hear you say, “Go Ayra, go Ayra, go”
Go Ayra, go Ayra, go
Let me hear you say, “Go Ayra, go Ayra, go”
Go Ayra, go Ayra, go
This directly references Kendrick Lamar’s “Let me hear you say OV-hoe” in his diss track, “Not Like Us.”
On the twelfth track, “Jazzy Song,” she interpolated Wande Coal's “You Bad.”
On the seventh track, “Rythm and Blues,” she employed Wizkid’s “Essence” piano chord movements. Although it was done rather faster, it shows her ability to combine different sound elements to create something new.
Avoiding negative energy, love, feminism, and her journey from day one to now, at age 21, are all woven into the album’s lyrical theme.
One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten
I was at the house tryna figure out who the fuck I am
Eleven, twelve, went too fast
Three to sixteen, too fast
Seven, eight was a big year
Nineteen got a big bag
I’m counting hundreds, playing twenty-something
I’m counting on myself now
Crying by myself now
I’m twenty-one
At my grown-ass age (Damn)
Narrating her growth and evolution, she addresses her fears and blessings as she clocks twenty-one.
With Giveon, Arya tackles the problems and difficulties that today’s dating pool faces in her song “Last Heartbreak Song"—lack of reciprocity.
Why you no dey get my time?
Is there someone else?
You dey do me corny o
Everyday, new story o
Shey I just dey waste my time?
’Cause you don become someone else
Sip palava for me o
You no dey touch my body o
The second-to-last song, “The Kids Are Alright,” is a tribute to her late father. It uses cinematic orchestration and instrumentation to evoke strong feelings. On the track, Arya and her brothers bid their father farewell while providing updates on their lives.
In an interview with Elle, she said
“I have my siblings at the end of the song giving their final goodbye to my dad, giving the updates of their life.”
On this album, the modern Nigerian characteristic sound of Afrobeats remained prominent despite pop and R&B elements. At a time when major acts are throwing the genre under the bus to get international love and recognition, I like that she made Afrobeats dominant.
With this album, Arya is getting closer to being recognized as an Afrobeat queen. The vocal delivery, instrumentation, and overall production are all extremely good. Her upcoming body of work will be far more outstanding, in my opinion.
My favorites
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