Ayra Starr has topped the NotJustOk Afrobeats Power Ranking for August 2026, becoming the fourth female artist to reach No. 1 on the monthly chart. She displaces Burna Boy from the summit in her first appearance at the top of the ranking.
Three other female artists have topped the ranking since its launch. South African singer Tyla was the first, reaching No. 1 in February 2025 and returning to the summit in December 2025. Ghanaian-American singer Moliy claimed the top spot in July 2025. Nigerian singer Tems has topped the ranking twice, in September 2025 and February 2026.
Ayra Starr's rise to No. 1 followed the release of her third studio album, Starrgirl, on August 14, 2026. The project drove her to the top of the ranking on the strength of album-wide streaming performance, led by her ZAYN collaboration "Heaven Baby," which posted more than 937,000 daily streams on Spotify at its peak and debuted at No. 1 on the UK Official British Asian Music Chart.
The Mavin Records signee is one of the most globally decorated female Afrobeats stars of her generation, having earned two Grammy nominations at the 2024 Grammy Awards, including for Best New Artist.
The new ranking marks a shift in the monthly chart's recent history. Burna Boy had held the No. 1 position before Ayra Starr's ascent, and her displacement of the veteran star signals a changing of the guard at the top of the Afrobeats hierarchy. The ranking, which tracks streaming performance, radio play, and overall listener engagement across the genre, has become a reference point for industry observers tracking the commercial momentum of Afrobeats acts worldwide.
Ayra Starr's path to the top has been steady. Her 2024 Grammy nominations put her in the conversation alongside the genre's biggest names, and her subsequent releases have built on that momentum. Starrgirl arrived with considerable expectation, and the album's performance across streaming platforms has justified the attention. The ZAYN collaboration proved particularly potent, with "Heaven Baby" becoming one of the most streamed Afrobeats tracks of the year.
The UK Official British Asian Music Chart debut at No. 1 added another layer to the song's success, reflecting her reach beyond the core Afrobeats audience into broader global markets. That crossover appeal has been a defining feature of her recent work, and it has translated into measurable chart success.
For NotJustOk, the ranking has become a monthly fixture that tracks the genre's competitive landscape. The inclusion of multiple female artists at the top over the past 18 months reflects a broader shift in the genre's commercial dynamics. Tyla's two stints at No. 1, Moliy's July 2025 run, Tems's two appearances at the summit, and now Ayra Starr's August 2026 reign show a chart that has become more diverse at its peak.
Ayra Starr's August 2026 victory is notable for the manner in which it happened. She did not edge past Burna Boy by a narrow margin; the album-wide streaming performance of Starrgirl carried her decisively to the top. The strength of the project across multiple tracks, rather than a single hit, underpinned her rise.
The Mavin Records star now holds the distinction of being the fourth female artist to top the ranking, a list that includes some of the most successful women in contemporary Afrobeats. Her two Grammy nominations in 2024, including the coveted Best New Artist category, had already established her as a major force in the genre. The No. 1 ranking adds a commercial benchmark to that critical recognition.
"Starrgirl" arrived on August 14, and within weeks it had reshaped the upper reaches of the Afrobeats Power Ranking. The album's performance suggests sustained listener engagement rather than a brief spike. Daily streams for "Heaven Baby" peaked above 937,000 on Spotify, a figure that places the track among the most consumed Afrobeats songs of the year.
The ranking's history now includes four female No. 1s, with Ayra Starr the latest to join that group. Tyla's two runs at the top, Moliy's July 2025 reign, and Tems's two appearances had already demonstrated that the chart's summit was accessible to female artists. Ayra Starr's August 2026 victory confirms that trend and adds another name to the list.
Her label, Mavin Records, has positioned her as one of its flagship acts, and the global performance of Starrgirl supports that investment. The album's streaming numbers, the ZAYN collaboration's chart success in the UK, and the resulting No. 1 ranking all point to an artist operating at the peak of her commercial powers.
With the August 2026 ranking now in the books, Ayra Starr holds the No. 1 spot, and the question of how long she can hold it will shape the September chart. Her two Grammy nominations in 2024 had already marked her as an artist to watch; the Afrobeats Power Ranking now confirms her status as the genre's current leader.
According to NotJustOk.
