Ayra Starr has added another milestone to her name as her sophomore album, The Year I Turned 21, crosses 1 billion plays on YouTube Music.

Released on May 31, 2024, the 15-track album features collaborations including Asake, Giveon, Seyi Vibez, Anitta and Coco Jones, alongside some of her biggest records, like “Commas”, “Santa”, “Bad Vibes and “Last Heartbreak Song”.

Ayra Starr is the first Nigerian female artist with two projects above 1 Billion streams on YouTube Music. pic.twitter.com/j1QzkHOLVu

— chart radar (@chartradar_) November 10, 2026

Since its release, the album has continued to break records across streaming platforms. On its opening day, it recorded 6.3 million global streams on Spotify, the highest opening day global streams for an album by a Nigerian female artist at the time. It also recorded 1.27 million opening day streams in Nigeria.

The project further made history by debuting at No. 195 on the Billboard 200, making Ayra Starr the first Nigerian artist to have an album debut on the chart. It also reached the top of the Apple Music charts in 90 countries, another record for a Nigerian female album. 

The project is also a testament to how a good album can stand the test of time, as listeners are still going back to it two years after its release.

In May 2025, The Year I Turned 21 crossed 1 billion streams on Spotify, and has since surpassed 1.4 billion streams on the platform. The album also reportedly sold over 2.2 million units worldwide, making it one of the best selling female albums of 2024.

With this latest achievement, she joins the likes of Burna Boy, Wizkid, Davido, Rema and other Nigerian stars who have recorded major billion play milestones on YouTube, further cementing her position as one of the biggest names in Afrobeats.