Tems talks possible collaboration with Arya Starr, says she ‘reminds me of myself’

Tems, the Nigerian singer, has praised Ayra Starr, her colleague, for being “hardworking”.

Tems recently featured on NPR Music, wherein she performed some songs off her debut album titled ‘Born in the Wild’.

Speaking on the show, the Grammy Award winner described Starr as a talented artiste who “reminds me of myself”.

Tems, 29, said the 22-year-old songstress deserves her flowers for being “hardworking and dedicated” to her craft.

“I would like to give flowers to this young girl called Ayra Starr,” she said.

“We met a few years ago and she just reminds me so much of myself. She is such a hardworking girl and she is doing the thing. She deserves some flowers.”

When asked if there would be any future collaboration between her and Ayra Starr, Tems said: “Possibly”.

Born Oyinkansola Aderibigbe, Starr became a viral sensation after releasing her hit track ‘Bloody Samaritan’ in 2021.

With numerous awards and accolades, Starr has become one of the continent’s leading female artistes.

She was among the Nigerian music stars nominated for this year’s Grammy Awards.

She was nominated in the maiden ‘Best African Music Performance’ category for her hit song ‘Rush’. Starr, however, lost to Tyla, the South African singer.

Tems, on the other hand, rose to fame in 2020, courtesy of her collaboration with Wizkid on the song ‘Essence’. She released her debut EP ‘For Broken Ears’ the same year.

In February 2023, the songstress won her first-ever Grammy award. She bagged the ‘Best Melodic Rap Performance’ category for her role in ‘Wait for U’, the 2022 hit song by Future featuring Drake.

In March, the singer was honoured with a ‘Breakthrough Award’ at the 2024 Billboard Women in Music Awards.