Ayra Starr Becomes First African Artist to Headline NFL International Game
The Nigerian Afrobeats star will make history performing at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.
Afrobeats singer Ayra Starr is set to make history this weekend as the first African artist to headline an international National Football League (NFL) game. Starr will perform at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on Sunday, when the Philadelphia Eagles face the Jacksonville Jaguars.
"Itself is a message," Starr told BBC Newsbeat ahead of the performance. She emphasized the importance for artists to seize such opportunities, stating, "At the end of the day, as artists, we speak for the culture and we speak for the people that listen to us. And we have to represent any way that seems fit, that they need."
Starr's performance will feature tracks from her latest studio album, "Starrgirl," released in August. She confirmed that extensive rehearsals are underway for the show.
This follows a trend of artists using major sporting events to celebrate their cultural heritage. Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny, for example, celebrated Latin American culture during his Super Bowl halftime show earlier this year. He also made history as the first musician to perform entirely in Spanish at the event, which is typically one of the most-watched broadcasts on U.S. television each year.