Ayra Starr Opens Up About Love, How She Became A Singer, Performing In Vegas + More
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
What's up. It's way for Angela Yee. I'm Angela Yee
and we have a superstar in the building, Irish stars here,
what's up walking around looking like a superstar too? By
the way, thank you so Harry. You feeling today? This
has to be amazing because you have a new album
that's coming out in a couple of weeks.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
I'm so excited for my album today. I've been going
really well, so yeah okay.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
And breaking all kinds of records and doing things that
have never been done before, all just right around the
age of twenty one, you know, just regular normal.
Speaker 3 (00:34):
This is a normal day.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
Well, let's get into some background on Iris Star before
we get to all of the accolades. So for you
growing up, I know first you were a model before
you started seriously pursuing music.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
Is that correct?
Speaker 2 (00:48):
Yes, But musical is always number one. This is to
model on the side, just for the vibes. To be honest,
I always knew I was going to do music.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
That's a blessing to be able to be like, yeah,
I just model on the side. And your mom, you said,
wanted your whole family, like you have brothers to do
music as well. What was her being drawn to music,
Like where did that come from?
Speaker 2 (01:08):
So my mom is very she's a creative person. She
always loved like creativity. So she didn't want us specially
to do music, but she didn't mind us doing anything
I wanted to do. Like my brother is a music
video director. My younger brother is a songwriter, so he writes.
Speaker 3 (01:22):
Music with me. So we grew up very like you know, creative,
and you know, yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
It's like a movie.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
Yeah, like everybody is doing something and everybody already gets
a job.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
Everybody has to do something.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
Okay, So tell me what that experience was like for
you and made you decide. Okay, I'm also gonna not
just model, not just saying not just like, but also
direct my own videos.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
Yes, so I just I have ideas in my head
and it's very hard sometimes to like explain it to people.
Speaker 3 (01:49):
But with like the directors.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
They they were the ones that also directed my first
music video Away, and they were like, okay, since you
have all these ideas and you know exactly what you want,
why don't you direct it?
Speaker 3 (01:59):
And we just assist.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
Like I was like okay, I could try, and yes,
I directed it.
Speaker 1 (02:04):
How was it, like, tell me what the process was
like for.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
You, it was so stressful. I'm not going to be
doing that anytime sound is it okay? Anytime soon?
Speaker 3 (02:10):
Maybe later? Well? No, it was so stressful.
Speaker 2 (02:13):
Like I respect direct there's so much because it's like
a lot of work, a lot of work.
Speaker 1 (02:17):
Yeah, and directing yourself also is not an easy thing
to do. So not only are you showing up as
the talent, but you also got to be the behind
the Yeah.
Speaker 3 (02:25):
Literally I'm like the comment should go, yeah, this she happened.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
So yeah, you know, it's been about how long, like
three years since you put your first single out?
Speaker 3 (02:33):
Three or four? Yes? I think three years? Three years?
Is this amazing?
Speaker 1 (02:38):
That it's three years in the long grand scheme of things,
is not a long time, you know, to be where
you are today, if I'm not mistaken. When you did Rush,
that was the first one hundred million views on that
video right that records? Also, Yes, yes, did you know
that song was going to be as big as it was?
Because for my understanding, you were like no.
Speaker 3 (02:59):
I was just like you know how it is.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
I was just like I don't know about this song,
Maybe we should release this instead. I wanted to release
like a ballad or something, and my team was like,
just trust me, this is a new vibe, this is
a new sound tried and let's see. And I did
like a little like snippets online and I tried it
and everybody loved it.
Speaker 3 (03:18):
Everybody wanted me to release it immediately. You know.
Speaker 1 (03:21):
That's why it's good to have a team that can
look at things from a different lens than you keep
us because sometimes there's something that you feel like such
a connection with and that you love, and then somebody
from an objective point of view can be like, no,
trust me.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
This is literally like before I somethdad my album, I
was like, I want this other song cause you know,
I just recorded Guitars in Love with Teach. I was like,
it was like, calm down. If I didn't have a
team I love, I didn't that I would have taken
so much time with this album.
Speaker 1 (03:44):
But yeah, which was the ballad that you wanted to
put out?
Speaker 3 (03:47):
Let me see, I can't remember. I'm not show you
just made it to any of my projects. You wasn't
that great.
Speaker 1 (03:52):
You're like, let me listen to everybody. But it does
feel like you've got a good head on your shoulders,
because not only are you doing this, but just business wise,
like before you even started doing music, you would like
go to finish school, got to get my studies in order.
And how involved are you with the behind the scenes
as far as the business of music, because I feel
(04:14):
like that's something that artists also have to focus on,
knowing like this is my contract, this is what I want.
I want to be really involved in my marketing.
Speaker 2 (04:20):
And yeah, my label is very much like a partnership.
You're not like, oh, take this money and do this.
It's very much like hands on. They want you to
understand every process and everything that is happening, and you
know everything. Like so I'm very involved in the business
side as much as the creative side and everything.
Speaker 1 (04:37):
You have like a voice for singing too, even a
regular talking post. I know when people, yeah have heard
your voice. Did you take singing lessons or were you
just always.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
No, I never took singing lessons. So my mom used
to give me a phone to just like use like
YouTube and how to sing, how to sing like Beyonce.
I used to check that when I was ten and
I was living up, like how to sing like Rihanna,
how to be a superstar on YouTube?
Speaker 3 (05:01):
Every time.
Speaker 1 (05:02):
Who was the first big person that reached out to
you when you started putting out music.
Speaker 3 (05:07):
Hm M Kelly Roland.
Speaker 1 (05:08):
Oh wow, you loved some Kelly Roland.
Speaker 3 (05:10):
I love it. Kelly. Remember when I just saw her DM,
I was like, I've made it.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
Like I was like, I'm big. Nobody can speak to
me anymore. I'm just gonna log off, but I'm just
gonna go to sleep. So yeah, Kelly Roland, I was
very shocked. I was like what And she loved bloody
Samartian trying to be on the remix.
Speaker 3 (05:27):
I was like, I was just screaming.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
If I go back to the DM, I was just
screaming on the voice note that.
Speaker 3 (05:33):
She was like, what's up, What's wrong? I was like, no,
I'm just excited.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
Let's talk a little bit about just the process of
you being on tour opening but then doing your own
headlining tour last year. Yes, because it is a little different,
you know, having to put everything together yourself. So talk
to me about the whole headlining tour and what that
process was like, what you learned from it, what was
different for you.
Speaker 3 (05:56):
I learned so much. I learned a lot of patience.
Speaker 2 (05:59):
I learned a lot of work goes into this usually
for stage, like it's a whole different ball game, Like
you can make music in the studio, but on stage,
when people are buying tickets to see you, you have
to give them a show.
Speaker 3 (06:10):
You have to me.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
I feel like I owe my fans like that, Like
I'm such a performer and I just want to give
them the best. So it's like, even when I'm not
like on my one hundred or like I'm feeling like
tired or anything, people paid to.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
Come to the show, so I have to give them
a good show.
Speaker 2 (06:24):
Sometimes I'll see people like packed outside trends and I'm
just like they're really here.
Speaker 1 (06:29):
For me, Like okay, like wow, only.
Speaker 3 (06:32):
And for you, just for me like I used to.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
I opened for Coffee my first the first year I
released my EP, and I got the understood that it
was for her, so I just opened for her.
Speaker 3 (06:44):
But it's when people came for me, and I was
just always like wow, like that's crazy.
Speaker 1 (06:48):
I was watching in a few different instances artists who
I love seeing like people are throwing on things on stage.
I think that's crazy.
Speaker 3 (06:55):
That's crazy.
Speaker 1 (06:56):
Saying why people would pay good money to go see
performances even if it's somebody who's opening for someone and
maybe they're going to see, you know, the main act
or whatever. But I think that's so disrespected.
Speaker 3 (07:06):
That's so disrespectful.
Speaker 2 (07:07):
That's like one of my fears if money does that
to me, because I know I'm going to find that
person and happened, I'm going to throw it back from stage.
Speaker 3 (07:14):
I'm gonna throw it back. I'm not.
Speaker 2 (07:16):
I don't, yeah, but like that's my biggest fear. But
I don't think that's gonna happen.
Speaker 1 (07:21):
Well, the album is called The Year I Turned twenty one,
So tell me why you came up with that title,
Like why did you say this is the one?
Speaker 3 (07:28):
This is what sticks?
Speaker 1 (07:29):
And what were some other titles you worked through before that?
Speaker 3 (07:31):
Oh? No, we had so many.
Speaker 2 (07:33):
We had so many options because I know I wanted
twenty one. I know I need to go with the
numbers because my first album was nineteen and dangerous. So
I was like, okay, let's do the numbers. It's really
good to have something twenty one. And I had like
a list of names. I was like twenty one and
turn to one and sexty turn to one, and I.
Speaker 1 (07:51):
Was sending nineteen and dangerous twenty one, and.
Speaker 2 (07:53):
I was like, no, I said, I kept sending names.
I was like twenty, Like I spelled twenty and I
put one. I was like, let's try different things. And
I sent to like my A and R and like
my team, like what should we do? Reminding there, Remind
is in the studio right now with me. I remember
came up with. I was like, you came up with
all of that? Yeah, turned, She's like the yeah, I
turned twenty one. I was like, oh that stakes that
(08:14):
makes sense because all the names I had were horrible.
Speaker 3 (08:17):
Oh my god, horrible.
Speaker 1 (08:19):
And you know, it's interesting because here twenty when it's
such a big age, because that's when you can start
to drink. Well that's probably why.
Speaker 3 (08:24):
Yes, yeah, literally literally you can.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
Like when I first came to America, the first place
I ever went to was Vegas and I was like nineteen,
so they didn't let me do anything.
Speaker 3 (08:35):
Like I would have a show. I would go, I
would have a show.
Speaker 2 (08:39):
I would have security take me to the stage and
I'll have security take me out of stage.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
So for the best, Yeah, I understood why.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
But at that time I used to get so annoyed
because I'd just be like, yeah, so don't not let
me nowhere.
Speaker 3 (08:50):
I didn't. I couldn't go nowhere.
Speaker 2 (08:52):
So when I turned twenty when I was like, hey America, Yeah, come, what.
Speaker 1 (08:57):
Did you do when you turn twenty one? Like what
was the that celebration?
Speaker 2 (09:01):
Like I went to Barbados? Okay, Yes, I went to Barbados.
I was just hanging with my friends. We had a
great time. I feel like a lot of things that
happened on that trip inspired a lot of things from
this album, because I have like two songs that I really.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
Like inspired, but I need to know what those are.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
So there's commerce okay, and there's and there's a song
called nineteen forty two on my album. I know that's
all right, No, it's actually not, no worry, you're gonna listen.
Speaker 1 (09:32):
What's nineteen forty two? It's not down?
Speaker 3 (09:34):
Yeah it is, it is? It is all right, Yeah,
you got it.
Speaker 1 (09:37):
It's like a great trip. What's the drinking age in
Nigeria eighteen? Okay? Yeah, So that's so different. Imagine being
at home and you can do these things and then
you come yes and they're like no, I feel like,
here's the only place where it's twenty one in the
United States.
Speaker 2 (09:51):
Yes, I feel like it's only the United States has
twenty one because even in the UK is eighteen.
Speaker 1 (09:56):
Right, Yeah, maybe having wine at ten years old now
nineteen and dangerous. I gotta know, since we talked about
the the year I turned twenty one, why were you
so dangerous at nineteen?
Speaker 3 (10:09):
Oh? I feel like at nineteen it was my time.
Speaker 2 (10:13):
You know, I had a lot to prove because I
had been bragging since I was a child that I'm
going to be a superstar. So when I had like
this album, I was like, yes, let's name it. I
had this PowerPoint presentation for my team. I was like,
ninety nine dangerous, I want to have wings, I want
to have Celestio V. And I was like, I feel
like I had a lot to prove. So I was like,
I'm nineteen and I'm dangerous. I feel like, yeah, I
(10:34):
just went to a flex on people, just I'm nineteen
one dangerous.
Speaker 1 (10:38):
YEA, it worked, you did a lot. I do want
to say it's been a flex for you, Like this career.
You should be really proud of yourself and everything that
you've accomplished, even being nominated for a Grammy, you know already.
I mean that's a big deal. And I feel like
even though you've hit all these milestones, you still have
a lot more in front of you. That's a lot
that happened.
Speaker 2 (10:57):
There's a lot, a lot to achieve and a lot
to do. Yeah, but it feels good, right, Yes, I'm excited.
Speaker 1 (11:03):
All right? So the song the album has fourteen songs
on it. Is that gonna be the that's the completed version.
Speaker 2 (11:08):
We have the chat, yes, so we have fifteen songs now,
fifteen fifteen songs now all right?
Speaker 1 (11:12):
Something I added was it a last minute collapse or
something you had to get?
Speaker 2 (11:16):
So my song with rau Ale Andrew Santa that just
hits one hundred million on spoty five.
Speaker 3 (11:25):
It just went platinum in Spain.
Speaker 1 (11:26):
That is huge.
Speaker 2 (11:29):
Russian and Russian of course, my guy Russian, Russian, you
know I love you.
Speaker 3 (11:34):
Russian is gonna watch this. I be like this girl.
Speaker 2 (11:37):
Russian is the one that you know called me to
the studios like I have this song called you, let's
make it like drop a verse and I did and
shout out to Russian. The song just went platinum in
Spain is definitely one of my biggest songs this year.
Speaker 3 (11:49):
So I added it to the album.
Speaker 1 (11:50):
Okay, why not run it up?
Speaker 3 (11:52):
Why not?
Speaker 1 (11:54):
And now I want to ask about this song, Lego's
Love Story. So you know, like all these songs, we
only have a few singles that we have her Cammas
Bad Vibes also, but I have not heard Legos Love Story.
But the title's very intriguing. Yeah, so I want to
get a little idea what that's about, because it is.
Speaker 3 (12:13):
A that's the fastest song I wrote on the album.
Speaker 2 (12:17):
It's so funny because like I just heard the beat
and I just said it like yeah. Even my producer,
I don't know. I was just looking to be like
it was scared. He was like, okay, second verse already.
I'm like, yes, bring it on. But Legos Love Story
is literally just like a really cute, like coming of
age love story. And it's like my idea in my
(12:37):
head is like in Legos, you know, the lyrics is
like I was at the beach, Let's go to the beach,
Let's do this. I have pictures on my phone of you.
My storage is full, like it's just and Legos Like
it feels like a Legos love story.
Speaker 1 (12:49):
It feels real too. Yeah, have you been in love yet?
Speaker 3 (12:55):
Not yet? Soon.
Speaker 1 (12:56):
That's why she's nineteen and dangerous. Ye me, like, have
you brought you? You think you broken anybody's heart? Or
I break hearts every day every day.
Speaker 3 (13:04):
I'm just kidding.
Speaker 2 (13:05):
I'm not on purpose though. In case I've broken anybody's had,
it's not.
Speaker 3 (13:09):
Been on purpose.
Speaker 1 (13:10):
Has anybody told you that?
Speaker 3 (13:15):
I mean, like you know you lit, No, I don't
do that.
Speaker 1 (13:20):
You don't do that. What about writing? Since you've already
directed you write your own music?
Speaker 3 (13:25):
Do you?
Speaker 1 (13:25):
What are the things are you interested in? Because you
do have a very dramatic, you know, acting type of vibe.
Speaker 2 (13:33):
So I definitely want to act. I started taking like
acting lessons for some time. It didn't really go well
like that because like I couldn't focus on that because
I had so much work to do.
Speaker 3 (13:45):
But I definitely want to do that again. I'm going
to fashion.
Speaker 1 (13:48):
Yes, of course you are fashion girlie.
Speaker 3 (13:51):
You have a stylist or yeah, stylist is right here.
Speaker 1 (13:54):
Okay, your stylist does an amazing job creating all of
these looks for you. Thank you, thank you, thank you,
say thank you. It's nothing so you have found while
you're working too, because it feels like you have like
your team feels like friends.
Speaker 3 (14:12):
Yeah, my family, literal in my family.
Speaker 1 (14:14):
Have you had situations where there's people that sometimes you
fall out with people because like, she don't have time
for us anymore. She thinks she got this going on.
Relationships do tend to change because it's a lot of
work that you have that you're involved with. So how
have you been managing that? Oh?
Speaker 2 (14:29):
It can be very hard sometimes, but I feel like
I have a very understanding like family first of all,
and also like my friends, my best friends from before
I started this. We have a group chats and everybody
just checks in once in a while, so I've not
had any before this. I had a very close knit
like relationship with everybody I knew, like my family and
(14:50):
my best friends.
Speaker 3 (14:51):
So it's still the same.
Speaker 1 (14:53):
That's good, and it's also nice when you're able to
say you have a booking somewhere and then everybody can come.
Speaker 3 (14:58):
Yes party.
Speaker 2 (15:00):
My mom came to Paris for my Pirates shoe and
it was just the best thing. I call down stage.
She was so prepared like this is her time, like
this is my time. I'm like, what mean you knew
I was gonna call you?
Speaker 3 (15:12):
Well? Yeah, my family was on my London show like
it's a blessing. It is a blessing.
Speaker 1 (15:18):
And look I saw the other day and I'm only
going to point this out because it was very public.
They try to get a little messy with you, but
you handled it very well. So shout out to you
for that, though, because that does happen. People will try
to trip you up. I saw them asking you about
Cardi B and how she didn't know that, and you
were like, please, what are some things that you would
(15:40):
you still have on your bucket list though? I mean,
obviously it's only been you know, three years. A lot
of things that you probably could never have anticipated. What
happened has already happened. But what is the next level
for you?
Speaker 3 (15:52):
Hmm? Next level for me.
Speaker 2 (15:55):
Just getting better at like performing, making better music, collaborate
with my dream collaborations.
Speaker 1 (16:03):
Definitely, are any of them coming up soon?
Speaker 2 (16:06):
Or I had a dream, so probably it's gonna come
up soon.
Speaker 1 (16:10):
Oh so you think you're slightly psychic?
Speaker 2 (16:13):
I feel like I, you know, I manifest things.
Speaker 3 (16:17):
I'll see manifests.
Speaker 1 (16:18):
Okay, all right, so no, is this a person that
you've spoken to already before the dream?
Speaker 2 (16:24):
And oh, yes, yes, I have, yes, I have. I
met her.
Speaker 1 (16:31):
You're like, and that's all you're gonna get, You're going
to get, all right, Well, listen, I really appreciate you
for coming through. You have a lot of fans in
this building, you know, and I think one thing that
we were saying before you even got here is the
power of your voice and how that can make us
feel just very emotional, like your voice is definitely amazing
and unique. Thank you so much, you know, and just
(16:54):
even like all of the people you're on that list
of like the biggest artists you know right now, so
and even in the what do you call it, afro pop,
afro beats beats, afro beat beats. All right, So as
far as being on that list, you're like at the
top of that list. So that has to feel really good.
Speaker 3 (17:10):
Yes, it feels really good. I'm really grateful.
Speaker 1 (17:13):
I'm grateful I saw you and Tams and everything.
Speaker 3 (17:15):
Yes, it's nice, sister.
Speaker 1 (17:18):
Okay, all right, well, listen, thank you so much for
coming through. I definitely appreciate it. We got to do more.
Are we going to see you on tour?
Speaker 3 (17:25):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (17:25):
Back around here.
Speaker 2 (17:26):
I'm going on tour with Chris Brown. I'm going to
be opening for him. So I'm coming. I think we
have two dates in Brooklyn.
Speaker 1 (17:31):
Okay, so that's gonna be an amazing come. That's going
to be an amazing tour to see because when I
talk about the dancing and you know, and the hit songs,
all right, well, thank you so much for coming Irish
start the year I turned twenty one May thirty first,
that's still the date, Okay. Fifteen songs now, fifteen songs now,
So all right, congratulations every so much. You got a
(17:53):
lot popping, so prody, thank you way up
What's up. It's way for Angela Yee. I'm Angela Yee
and we have a superstar in the building, Irish stars here,
what's up walking around looking like a superstar too? By
the way, thank you so Harry. You feeling today? This
has to be amazing because you have a new album
that's coming out in a couple of weeks.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
I'm so excited for my album today. I've been going
really well, so yeah okay.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
And breaking all kinds of records and doing things that
have never been done before, all just right around the
age of twenty one, you know, just regular normal.
Speaker 3 (00:34):
This is a normal day.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
Well, let's get into some background on Iris Star before
we get to all of the accolades. So for you
growing up, I know first you were a model before
you started seriously pursuing music.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
Is that correct?
Speaker 2 (00:48):
Yes, But musical is always number one. This is to
model on the side, just for the vibes. To be honest,
I always knew I was going to do music.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
That's a blessing to be able to be like, yeah,
I just model on the side. And your mom, you said,
wanted your whole family, like you have brothers to do
music as well. What was her being drawn to music,
Like where did that come from?
Speaker 2 (01:08):
So my mom is very she's a creative person. She
always loved like creativity. So she didn't want us specially
to do music, but she didn't mind us doing anything
I wanted to do. Like my brother is a music
video director. My younger brother is a songwriter, so he writes.
Speaker 3 (01:22):
Music with me. So we grew up very like you know, creative,
and you know, yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
It's like a movie.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
Yeah, like everybody is doing something and everybody already gets
a job.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
Everybody has to do something.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
Okay, So tell me what that experience was like for
you and made you decide. Okay, I'm also gonna not
just model, not just saying not just like, but also
direct my own videos.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
Yes, so I just I have ideas in my head
and it's very hard sometimes to like explain it to people.
Speaker 3 (01:49):
But with like the directors.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
They they were the ones that also directed my first
music video Away, and they were like, okay, since you
have all these ideas and you know exactly what you want,
why don't you direct it?
Speaker 3 (01:59):
And we just assist.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
Like I was like okay, I could try, and yes,
I directed it.
Speaker 1 (02:04):
How was it, like, tell me what the process was
like for.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
You, it was so stressful. I'm not going to be
doing that anytime sound is it okay? Anytime soon?
Speaker 3 (02:10):
Maybe later? Well? No, it was so stressful.
Speaker 2 (02:13):
Like I respect direct there's so much because it's like
a lot of work, a lot of work.
Speaker 1 (02:17):
Yeah, and directing yourself also is not an easy thing
to do. So not only are you showing up as
the talent, but you also got to be the behind
the Yeah.
Speaker 3 (02:25):
Literally I'm like the comment should go, yeah, this she happened.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
So yeah, you know, it's been about how long, like
three years since you put your first single out?
Speaker 3 (02:33):
Three or four? Yes? I think three years? Three years?
Is this amazing?
Speaker 1 (02:38):
That it's three years in the long grand scheme of things,
is not a long time, you know, to be where
you are today, if I'm not mistaken. When you did Rush,
that was the first one hundred million views on that
video right that records? Also, Yes, yes, did you know
that song was going to be as big as it was?
Because for my understanding, you were like no.
Speaker 3 (02:59):
I was just like you know how it is.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
I was just like I don't know about this song,
Maybe we should release this instead. I wanted to release
like a ballad or something, and my team was like,
just trust me, this is a new vibe, this is
a new sound tried and let's see. And I did
like a little like snippets online and I tried it
and everybody loved it.
Speaker 3 (03:18):
Everybody wanted me to release it immediately. You know.
Speaker 1 (03:21):
That's why it's good to have a team that can
look at things from a different lens than you keep
us because sometimes there's something that you feel like such
a connection with and that you love, and then somebody
from an objective point of view can be like, no,
trust me.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
This is literally like before I somethdad my album, I
was like, I want this other song cause you know,
I just recorded Guitars in Love with Teach. I was like,
it was like, calm down. If I didn't have a
team I love, I didn't that I would have taken
so much time with this album.
Speaker 1 (03:44):
But yeah, which was the ballad that you wanted to
put out?
Speaker 3 (03:47):
Let me see, I can't remember. I'm not show you
just made it to any of my projects. You wasn't
that great.
Speaker 1 (03:52):
You're like, let me listen to everybody. But it does
feel like you've got a good head on your shoulders,
because not only are you doing this, but just business wise,
like before you even started doing music, you would like
go to finish school, got to get my studies in order.
And how involved are you with the behind the scenes
as far as the business of music, because I feel
(04:14):
like that's something that artists also have to focus on,
knowing like this is my contract, this is what I want.
I want to be really involved in my marketing.
Speaker 2 (04:20):
And yeah, my label is very much like a partnership.
You're not like, oh, take this money and do this.
It's very much like hands on. They want you to
understand every process and everything that is happening, and you
know everything. Like so I'm very involved in the business
side as much as the creative side and everything.
Speaker 1 (04:37):
You have like a voice for singing too, even a
regular talking post. I know when people, yeah have heard
your voice. Did you take singing lessons or were you
just always.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
No, I never took singing lessons. So my mom used
to give me a phone to just like use like
YouTube and how to sing, how to sing like Beyonce.
I used to check that when I was ten and
I was living up, like how to sing like Rihanna,
how to be a superstar on YouTube?
Speaker 3 (05:01):
Every time.
Speaker 1 (05:02):
Who was the first big person that reached out to
you when you started putting out music.
Speaker 3 (05:07):
Hm M Kelly Roland.
Speaker 1 (05:08):
Oh wow, you loved some Kelly Roland.
Speaker 3 (05:10):
I love it. Kelly. Remember when I just saw her DM,
I was like, I've made it.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
Like I was like, I'm big. Nobody can speak to
me anymore. I'm just gonna log off, but I'm just
gonna go to sleep. So yeah, Kelly Roland, I was
very shocked. I was like what And she loved bloody
Samartian trying to be on the remix.
Speaker 3 (05:27):
I was like, I was just screaming.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
If I go back to the DM, I was just
screaming on the voice note that.
Speaker 3 (05:33):
She was like, what's up, What's wrong? I was like, no,
I'm just excited.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
Let's talk a little bit about just the process of
you being on tour opening but then doing your own
headlining tour last year. Yes, because it is a little different,
you know, having to put everything together yourself. So talk
to me about the whole headlining tour and what that
process was like, what you learned from it, what was
different for you.
Speaker 3 (05:56):
I learned so much. I learned a lot of patience.
Speaker 2 (05:59):
I learned a lot of work goes into this usually
for stage, like it's a whole different ball game, Like
you can make music in the studio, but on stage,
when people are buying tickets to see you, you have
to give them a show.
Speaker 3 (06:10):
You have to me.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
I feel like I owe my fans like that, Like
I'm such a performer and I just want to give
them the best. So it's like, even when I'm not
like on my one hundred or like I'm feeling like
tired or anything, people paid to.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
Come to the show, so I have to give them
a good show.
Speaker 2 (06:24):
Sometimes I'll see people like packed outside trends and I'm
just like they're really here.
Speaker 1 (06:29):
For me, Like okay, like wow, only.
Speaker 3 (06:32):
And for you, just for me like I used to.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
I opened for Coffee my first the first year I
released my EP, and I got the understood that it
was for her, so I just opened for her.
Speaker 3 (06:44):
But it's when people came for me, and I was
just always like wow, like that's crazy.
Speaker 1 (06:48):
I was watching in a few different instances artists who
I love seeing like people are throwing on things on stage.
I think that's crazy.
Speaker 3 (06:55):
That's crazy.
Speaker 1 (06:56):
Saying why people would pay good money to go see
performances even if it's somebody who's opening for someone and
maybe they're going to see, you know, the main act
or whatever. But I think that's so disrespected.
Speaker 3 (07:06):
That's so disrespectful.
Speaker 2 (07:07):
That's like one of my fears if money does that
to me, because I know I'm going to find that
person and happened, I'm going to throw it back from stage.
Speaker 3 (07:14):
I'm gonna throw it back. I'm not.
Speaker 2 (07:16):
I don't, yeah, but like that's my biggest fear. But
I don't think that's gonna happen.
Speaker 1 (07:21):
Well, the album is called The Year I Turned twenty one,
So tell me why you came up with that title,
Like why did you say this is the one?
Speaker 3 (07:28):
This is what sticks?
Speaker 1 (07:29):
And what were some other titles you worked through before that?
Speaker 3 (07:31):
Oh? No, we had so many.
Speaker 2 (07:33):
We had so many options because I know I wanted
twenty one. I know I need to go with the
numbers because my first album was nineteen and dangerous. So
I was like, okay, let's do the numbers. It's really
good to have something twenty one. And I had like
a list of names. I was like twenty one and
turn to one and sexty turn to one, and I.
Speaker 1 (07:51):
Was sending nineteen and dangerous twenty one, and.
Speaker 2 (07:53):
I was like, no, I said, I kept sending names.
I was like twenty, Like I spelled twenty and I
put one. I was like, let's try different things. And
I sent to like my A and R and like
my team, like what should we do? Reminding there, Remind
is in the studio right now with me. I remember
came up with. I was like, you came up with
all of that? Yeah, turned, She's like the yeah, I
turned twenty one. I was like, oh that stakes that
(08:14):
makes sense because all the names I had were horrible.
Speaker 3 (08:17):
Oh my god, horrible.
Speaker 1 (08:19):
And you know, it's interesting because here twenty when it's
such a big age, because that's when you can start
to drink. Well that's probably why.
Speaker 3 (08:24):
Yes, yeah, literally literally you can.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
Like when I first came to America, the first place
I ever went to was Vegas and I was like nineteen,
so they didn't let me do anything.
Speaker 3 (08:35):
Like I would have a show. I would go, I
would have a show.
Speaker 2 (08:39):
I would have security take me to the stage and
I'll have security take me out of stage.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
So for the best, Yeah, I understood why.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
But at that time I used to get so annoyed
because I'd just be like, yeah, so don't not let
me nowhere.
Speaker 3 (08:50):
I didn't. I couldn't go nowhere.
Speaker 2 (08:52):
So when I turned twenty when I was like, hey America, Yeah, come, what.
Speaker 1 (08:57):
Did you do when you turn twenty one? Like what
was the that celebration?
Speaker 2 (09:01):
Like I went to Barbados? Okay, Yes, I went to Barbados.
I was just hanging with my friends. We had a
great time. I feel like a lot of things that
happened on that trip inspired a lot of things from
this album, because I have like two songs that I really.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
Like inspired, but I need to know what those are.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
So there's commerce okay, and there's and there's a song
called nineteen forty two on my album. I know that's
all right, No, it's actually not, no worry, you're gonna listen.
Speaker 1 (09:32):
What's nineteen forty two? It's not down?
Speaker 3 (09:34):
Yeah it is, it is? It is all right, Yeah,
you got it.
Speaker 1 (09:37):
It's like a great trip. What's the drinking age in
Nigeria eighteen? Okay? Yeah, So that's so different. Imagine being
at home and you can do these things and then
you come yes and they're like no, I feel like,
here's the only place where it's twenty one in the
United States.
Speaker 2 (09:51):
Yes, I feel like it's only the United States has
twenty one because even in the UK is eighteen.
Speaker 1 (09:56):
Right, Yeah, maybe having wine at ten years old now
nineteen and dangerous. I gotta know, since we talked about
the the year I turned twenty one, why were you
so dangerous at nineteen?
Speaker 3 (10:09):
Oh? I feel like at nineteen it was my time.
Speaker 2 (10:13):
You know, I had a lot to prove because I
had been bragging since I was a child that I'm
going to be a superstar. So when I had like
this album, I was like, yes, let's name it. I
had this PowerPoint presentation for my team. I was like,
ninety nine dangerous, I want to have wings, I want
to have Celestio V. And I was like, I feel
like I had a lot to prove. So I was like,
I'm nineteen and I'm dangerous. I feel like, yeah, I
(10:34):
just went to a flex on people, just I'm nineteen
one dangerous.
Speaker 1 (10:38):
YEA, it worked, you did a lot. I do want
to say it's been a flex for you, Like this career.
You should be really proud of yourself and everything that
you've accomplished, even being nominated for a Grammy, you know already.
I mean that's a big deal. And I feel like
even though you've hit all these milestones, you still have
a lot more in front of you. That's a lot
that happened.
Speaker 2 (10:57):
There's a lot, a lot to achieve and a lot
to do. Yeah, but it feels good, right, Yes, I'm excited.
Speaker 1 (11:03):
All right? So the song the album has fourteen songs
on it. Is that gonna be the that's the completed version.
Speaker 2 (11:08):
We have the chat, yes, so we have fifteen songs now,
fifteen fifteen songs now all right?
Speaker 1 (11:12):
Something I added was it a last minute collapse or
something you had to get?
Speaker 2 (11:16):
So my song with rau Ale Andrew Santa that just
hits one hundred million on spoty five.
Speaker 3 (11:25):
It just went platinum in Spain.
Speaker 1 (11:26):
That is huge.
Speaker 2 (11:29):
Russian and Russian of course, my guy Russian, Russian, you
know I love you.
Speaker 3 (11:34):
Russian is gonna watch this. I be like this girl.
Speaker 2 (11:37):
Russian is the one that you know called me to
the studios like I have this song called you, let's
make it like drop a verse and I did and
shout out to Russian. The song just went platinum in
Spain is definitely one of my biggest songs this year.
Speaker 3 (11:49):
So I added it to the album.
Speaker 1 (11:50):
Okay, why not run it up?
Speaker 3 (11:52):
Why not?
Speaker 1 (11:54):
And now I want to ask about this song, Lego's
Love Story. So you know, like all these songs, we
only have a few singles that we have her Cammas
Bad Vibes also, but I have not heard Legos Love Story.
But the title's very intriguing. Yeah, so I want to
get a little idea what that's about, because it is.
Speaker 3 (12:13):
A that's the fastest song I wrote on the album.
Speaker 2 (12:17):
It's so funny because like I just heard the beat
and I just said it like yeah. Even my producer,
I don't know. I was just looking to be like
it was scared. He was like, okay, second verse already.
I'm like, yes, bring it on. But Legos Love Story
is literally just like a really cute, like coming of
age love story. And it's like my idea in my
(12:37):
head is like in Legos, you know, the lyrics is
like I was at the beach, Let's go to the beach,
Let's do this. I have pictures on my phone of you.
My storage is full, like it's just and Legos Like
it feels like a Legos love story.
Speaker 1 (12:49):
It feels real too. Yeah, have you been in love yet?
Speaker 3 (12:55):
Not yet? Soon.
Speaker 1 (12:56):
That's why she's nineteen and dangerous. Ye me, like, have
you brought you? You think you broken anybody's heart? Or
I break hearts every day every day.
Speaker 3 (13:04):
I'm just kidding.
Speaker 2 (13:05):
I'm not on purpose though. In case I've broken anybody's had,
it's not.
Speaker 3 (13:09):
Been on purpose.
Speaker 1 (13:10):
Has anybody told you that?
Speaker 3 (13:15):
I mean, like you know you lit, No, I don't
do that.
Speaker 1 (13:20):
You don't do that. What about writing? Since you've already
directed you write your own music?
Speaker 3 (13:25):
Do you?
Speaker 1 (13:25):
What are the things are you interested in? Because you
do have a very dramatic, you know, acting type of vibe.
Speaker 2 (13:33):
So I definitely want to act. I started taking like
acting lessons for some time. It didn't really go well
like that because like I couldn't focus on that because
I had so much work to do.
Speaker 3 (13:45):
But I definitely want to do that again. I'm going
to fashion.
Speaker 1 (13:48):
Yes, of course you are fashion girlie.
Speaker 3 (13:51):
You have a stylist or yeah, stylist is right here.
Speaker 1 (13:54):
Okay, your stylist does an amazing job creating all of
these looks for you. Thank you, thank you, thank you,
say thank you. It's nothing so you have found while
you're working too, because it feels like you have like
your team feels like friends.
Speaker 3 (14:12):
Yeah, my family, literal in my family.
Speaker 1 (14:14):
Have you had situations where there's people that sometimes you
fall out with people because like, she don't have time
for us anymore. She thinks she got this going on.
Relationships do tend to change because it's a lot of
work that you have that you're involved with. So how
have you been managing that? Oh?
Speaker 2 (14:29):
It can be very hard sometimes, but I feel like
I have a very understanding like family first of all,
and also like my friends, my best friends from before
I started this. We have a group chats and everybody
just checks in once in a while, so I've not
had any before this. I had a very close knit
like relationship with everybody I knew, like my family and
(14:50):
my best friends.
Speaker 3 (14:51):
So it's still the same.
Speaker 1 (14:53):
That's good, and it's also nice when you're able to
say you have a booking somewhere and then everybody can come.
Speaker 3 (14:58):
Yes party.
Speaker 2 (15:00):
My mom came to Paris for my Pirates shoe and
it was just the best thing. I call down stage.
She was so prepared like this is her time, like
this is my time. I'm like, what mean you knew
I was gonna call you?
Speaker 3 (15:12):
Well? Yeah, my family was on my London show like
it's a blessing. It is a blessing.
Speaker 1 (15:18):
And look I saw the other day and I'm only
going to point this out because it was very public.
They try to get a little messy with you, but
you handled it very well. So shout out to you
for that, though, because that does happen. People will try
to trip you up. I saw them asking you about
Cardi B and how she didn't know that, and you
were like, please, what are some things that you would
(15:40):
you still have on your bucket list though? I mean,
obviously it's only been you know, three years. A lot
of things that you probably could never have anticipated. What
happened has already happened. But what is the next level
for you?
Speaker 3 (15:52):
Hmm? Next level for me.
Speaker 2 (15:55):
Just getting better at like performing, making better music, collaborate
with my dream collaborations.
Speaker 1 (16:03):
Definitely, are any of them coming up soon?
Speaker 2 (16:06):
Or I had a dream, so probably it's gonna come
up soon.
Speaker 1 (16:10):
Oh so you think you're slightly psychic?
Speaker 2 (16:13):
I feel like I, you know, I manifest things.
Speaker 3 (16:17):
I'll see manifests.
Speaker 1 (16:18):
Okay, all right, so no, is this a person that
you've spoken to already before the dream?
Speaker 2 (16:24):
And oh, yes, yes, I have, yes, I have. I
met her.
Speaker 1 (16:31):
You're like, and that's all you're gonna get, You're going
to get, all right, Well, listen, I really appreciate you
for coming through. You have a lot of fans in
this building, you know, and I think one thing that
we were saying before you even got here is the
power of your voice and how that can make us
feel just very emotional, like your voice is definitely amazing
and unique. Thank you so much, you know, and just
(16:54):
even like all of the people you're on that list
of like the biggest artists you know right now, so
and even in the what do you call it, afro pop,
afro beats beats, afro beat beats. All right, So as
far as being on that list, you're like at the
top of that list. So that has to feel really good.
Speaker 3 (17:10):
Yes, it feels really good. I'm really grateful.
Speaker 1 (17:13):
I'm grateful I saw you and Tams and everything.
Speaker 3 (17:15):
Yes, it's nice, sister.
Speaker 1 (17:18):
Okay, all right, well, listen, thank you so much for
coming through. I definitely appreciate it. We got to do more.
Are we going to see you on tour?
Speaker 3 (17:25):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (17:25):
Back around here.
Speaker 2 (17:26):
I'm going on tour with Chris Brown. I'm going to
be opening for him. So I'm coming. I think we
have two dates in Brooklyn.
Speaker 1 (17:31):
Okay, so that's gonna be an amazing come. That's going
to be an amazing tour to see because when I
talk about the dancing and you know, and the hit songs,
all right, well, thank you so much for coming Irish
start the year I turned twenty one May thirty first,
that's still the date, Okay. Fifteen songs now, fifteen songs now,
So all right, congratulations every so much. You got a
(17:53):
lot popping, so prody, thank you way up
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