AYRA STARR DEBUTS VISUALS FOR AFRO-POP LOVE SONG’BEGGIE BEGGIE’ FEATURING CKay
Afropop’s hottest rising star, Ayra Starr, has unveiled visuals for the fan favourite ‘Beggie Beggie’ featuring CKay, taken from her critically acclaimed debut album ’19 & Dangerous’.
Tipped by British Vogue, NME and Official Charts as ‘One To Watch’ in 2022, the stunning new video shows once again that the Gen-Z singer-songwriter is levelling up for global domination.
Produced by Louddaaa, ‘Beggie Beggie’ is a contemporary and minimalist homage to the warm grooves of traditional African music. Thematically a change in pace from Ayra’s anthems of defiance and independence, ‘Beggie Beggie’ sees Ayra demonstrate vulnerability and a longing to be loved.
Directed by Director K (Burna Boy, WizKid, Ladipoe), the accompanying video visual represents Nigeria’s ongoing cultural renaissance. Set against the backdrop of a Nollywood-inspired kickback, Ayra is sporting a 2000s hairstyle and butterfly bra reminiscent of Mariah Carey.
Speaking on the visual, Ayra said – “Old Nollywood has had some of the biggest impacts on Gen-Z fashion and style. I thought it would be fun and beautiful to re-create that era and its influence on pop culture as a whole. ‘Beggie Beggie’ is not just a sad song; it’s about a young woman seeing things for what they are”.
At a glance, the video seems joyful and carefree, but it takes a darker turn as it continues. “See the way I’m begging you”, she sings while she buries her lover in the ground. She craves a fulfilling love but feels used and disposable.
The visual for ‘Beggie Beggie’ comes on the heels of a blockbuster launch year in 2021, which saw Ayra be nominated at The MOBO Awards for ‘Best African Music Act’ in addition to being named as a ‘2022 One To Watch’ artist by British Vogue, The Face, Official Charts and NME.
Meanwhile, her critically acclaimed debut album ’19 & Dangerous’ received inclusion in several end of year round-ups from prestige outlets like Rolling Stone, The Line Of Best Fit, CRACK Magazine and OkayAfrica. While in the process garnering fans in Kelly Rowland, Toni Braxton, Obongjayar, Pa Salieu, Ms Banks and Mahalia.
Hailed by NME as “the teen leading her generation’s sonic revolution” and applauded by Pitchfork, The FADER, Dazed, Highsnobiety, gal-dem, Music Week, NOTION, Wonderland, HYPEBAE, The Independent, and a plethora of others – Ayra Starr has earned critical praise for her soulful vocals and raw lyrics that reflect the strength, resilience and growing pains of her generation.
Boasting over 28 million monthly Spotify listeners, Ckay has dominated the charts with ‘Love Nwantiti’. A worldwide smash has reached the top 10 in over 15 countries, including the UK, where it peaked at #3 on the UK Singles Chart. Proclaimed the ‘Most Shazamed Song In The World’, the anthem was a stratospheric sensation across TikTok, amassing a whopping 7.4 billion views.
Watch the visual below:
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AYRA STARR DEBUTS VISUALS FOR AFRO-POP LOVE SONG’BEGGIE BEGGIE’ FEATURING CKay
