Afrobeats sensation Ayra Starr sent fans into a frenzy on April 17, 2025, by teasing a new single, Gimme Dat (God Damn), featuring Grammy-winning icon Wizkid, marking their second collaboration and amplifying anticipation for a 2025 chart-topper.
The 22-year-old Mavin Records star shared a 30-second snippet on her social media, showcasing a pulsating beat, infectious rhythms, and undeniable chemistry between her soulful vocals and Wizkid’s signature flow. The teaser, viewed 2 million times within hours, has sparked excitement among her 5 million Instagram followers, who hail the track as a potential global anthem.
Ayra Starr, born Oyinkansola Aderibigbe, has solidified her status as a leading African pop figure, topping Spotify’s 2024 Global Impact List and earning eight nominations at the 17th Headies Awards, including Album of the Year for her 2024 sophomore release, The Year I Turned 21.
The album, featuring hits like Commas and Santa with Rvssian, surpassed 500 million Spotify streams, with 30 tracks charting internationally. Her 2022 collaboration with Wizkid on 2 Sugar from his More Love, Less Ego album reached number 5 on Billboard’s U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart, setting the stage for this reunion. Wizkid, a 34-year-old Afrobeats pioneer with 15 million monthly Spotify listeners, brings his global clout, fresh off his 2024 single Piece of My Heart with Brent Faiyaz.
The snippet of Gimme Dat (God Damn) blends Afrobeats with Amapiano influences, reflecting Ayra’s genre-fluid style, praised for merging Highlife, R&B, and pop. Her 2023 Grammy nomination for Rush, which garnered 800 million streams, and her Paris Fashion Week debut at Balenciaga underscore her cultural impact. Nigeria’s music industry, valued at $44 million in 2023, continues to dominate global charts, with Afrobeats artists like Ayra driving 20% of Sub-Saharan Africa’s streaming revenue.
While no official release date is confirmed, industry insiders predict a May 2025 drop, aligning with Ayra’s planned European tour, where she’ll perform for 100,000 fans across 15 cities. This collaboration promises to elevate Afrobeats’ global takeover, building on the genre’s 2024 Grammy category win.