Ayra Starr’s latest album, Starrgirl, has made an early impression in the United States, opening at No. 4 on Billboard’s World Albums chart for the week ending August 29, 2026.

The result puts the Nigerian singer’s third studio album among the week’s best-selling world music albums in the US, less than two weeks after it was released.

Starrgirl was beaten only by three K-pop releases, with Stray Kids’ This & That holding the top position, followed by CORTIS’ GREEN GREEN and ATEEZ’s Golden Hour: Part.5. South African singer Tyla’s APOP came in at No. 5.

Released on August 14 by Mavin Records and Republic Records, the 16-track project is Ayra Starr’s third album, following 19 & Dangerous in 2021 and The Year I Turned 21 in 2024.

The album features a mix of African and international artists, including Wizkid, Rema, Zayn, Leon Thomas, kwn, Danny Ocean and Theodora, reflecting the increasingly international direction of Ayra Starr’s music.

Its early performance has also extended beyond the US. Starrgirl reached No. 8 on the UK R&B Albums chart and No. 27 on the UK Album Downloads chart, while it entered France’s SNEP Albums chart at No. 100.

The album has also performed strongly on streaming services. In Nigeria, it topped Spotify’s album chart and secured No. 1 positions on Apple Music in several countries.

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The Billboard World Albums chart ranks the top-selling world music albums in the United States based on sales, giving the No. 4 debut significance beyond the album’s performance on streaming platforms.

The result adds to Ayra Starr’s growing presence outside Nigeria. Since emerging with 19 & Dangerous, the singer has steadily expanded her audience through international collaborations, global performances and releases that have increasingly targeted listeners beyond the Nigerian market.

Her second album, The Year I Turned 21, further established that international reach, while Starrgirl arrives with an even broader mix of collaborators and a major international record label behind its release.

The album’s performance will now be closely watched in the coming weeks to see whether its strong opening translates into sustained chart activity as more listeners discover the project.

For an Afrobeats artist whose career began with a strong Nigerian following, a top five debut on a US album chart offers another indication of how far Ayra Starr’s audience has expanded.

Meiza Nigeria