Tyla vs. Ayra Starr: Who’s Really Winning in 2025?

Written by The BEAT Boss

October 2025

African music is no longer waiting for permission. It’s running the charts, streaming platforms, and cultural conversations worldwide. Two young women are leading that charge: Tyla, the South African hitmaker who rode amapiano into Billboard’s mainstream, and Ayra Starr, the Nigerian “celestial being” redefining Afrobeats for a global generation.

The stan wars may scream “versus,” but this isn’t gossip. This is facts, numbers, and cultural weight.

U.S. Radio and Billboard Charts

This is where the separation is clearest.

Tyla attends the 2023 GQ Men of the Year party in Los Angeles, California. 📸 Credit: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images Image licensed by Getty Images. Used here under fair use for commentary.

Tyla’s Breakthrough

• “Water” debuted at No. 67 on the Billboard Hot 100 (Oct. 2023) and climbed to No. 7, making Tyla the highest-charting solo female African artist in Hot 100 history (Billboard).

• The single also went to #1 on Billboard’s Hot R&B Songs (Billboard) and #1 on Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay (Billboard).

• Her follow-up, “Push 2 Start,” took #1 on the U.S. Afrobeats chart and made inroads into the Hot 100 (Wikipedia).

• Her debut album, Tyla, entered the top 25 of the Billboard 200, an almost unheard-of feat for an African female soloist (Wikipedia).

Ayra Starr’s Milestone

• In 2024, The Year I Turned 21 debuted at No. 195 on the Billboard 200, making Ayra Starr the first Nigerian female artist ever to appear on that chart (PM News Nigeria).

• Her singles “Hot Body” and “Gimme Dat” reached the U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart at #6 and #8, respectively (Wikipedia).

• However, there’s still no evidence of Ayra cracking the Hot 100 or U.S. mainstream radio rotations at the level Tyla has achieved.

Verdict: Tyla is already mainstream in the U.S. Ayra is still breaking in.

Global Streaming & Catalog

Ayra Starr’s Depth

Ayra Starr at the 2025 MOBO Awards, where she won Best International and African Music Act. 📸 Credit: Instagram/@ayrastarrcentral Image sourced from Instagram. Used here under fair use for commentary

• Holds 17M+ monthly Spotify listeners (Le Monde).

• Has accumulated over 2.9B total streams across her catalog.

• “Rush” became a global breakout, charting in the UK, France, and South Africa and netting her a Grammy nomination (The Guardian).

• “Santa” alone has racked up hundreds of millions of streams, cementing her as one of the most-streamed Nigerian artists in history.

Tyla’s Viral Power

• “Water” blasted past 1B streams worldwide, fueled by the TikTok #WaterChallenge and heavy YouTube rotation (Wikipedia).

• Her debut album, Tyla, produced multiple streaming standouts despite her smaller catalog, keeping her monthly listener count neck-and-neck with Ayra (Wikipedia).

• She also took home the inaugural Grammy Award for Best African Music Performance for “Water” (Wikipedia).

Verdict: Ayra has catalog consistency; Tyla has viral dominance. Globally, it’s closer to a draw.

Branding & Image

Tyla

• High-fashion, polished, crossover-ready.

• Carefully marketed by Epic/Sony as a sleek global pop act with amapiano as her foundation.

• Think Grammys, Vogue spreads, and international festival stages.

Ayra Starr

• Edgy, rebellious, raw.

• The “Celestial Being” branding resonates with Gen Z—she blends Afrobeats, R&B, and trap without sanding down her Nigerian identity.

• She’s not packaged for export. She is the culture.

Verdict: Tyla is the crossover darling. Ayra Starr is the cultural warrior.

Industry Positioning

• Tyla benefits from major-label muscle and a precise rollout strategy. Her entry into the U.S. market wasn’t accidental—it was designed.

• Ayra Starr works with Mavin Records (Nigeria’s powerhouse) with Republic/UMG distribution. Her climb has been organic: dominate Africa, then export globally.

The Bigger Picture

This isn’t Tyla vs. Ayra in the cheap stan-war sense. Both are breaking ceilings. Both are reshaping global music from an African perspective.

But facts matter:

• In U.S. radio and crossover charts, Tyla leads.

• In global streaming and catalog strength, Ayra Starr edges ahead.

Either way, Africa wins. Tyla brings amapiano to the world. Ayra Starr carries Afrobeats with grit and pride. Together, they’re proof that African women are no longer sidelined—they are defining the era.

📡 BossGlobalRadio.com | Hi-Fi streaming. Real music. Real facts.

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