Grammy-nominated Nigerian singer and songwriter, Ayra Starr, has shared details about her battle with writer’s block and the impact it had on her creative process.
The ‘Rush’ singer revealed that she was unable to write songs for approximately six months. The breakthrough came when she received a demo of her song ’21’ from her new album, ‘The Year I Turned 21,’ as a birthday gift from a friend, which sparked her inspiration.
“I received the demo of ’21’ from a friend as a birthday present on the day I turned 21,” she mentioned during a viral podcast interview.
“I had confided in him about my struggles… I had been experiencing writer’s block for six months. I couldn’t write anything personal, and then he surprised me with the first version of the song as a demo for my birthday. Recording ’21’ was surprisingly easy—I did it in one take, even while lying down with the mic in my hand.
“’21’ holds a special place for me because it opened my mind to the rest of the album. Through ’21,’ I began to see myself in the light I had been missing.”
