The Year I Turned 21

Turning 21 is a coming-of-age moment; it’s the threshold between the clumsiness of adolescence and the assurance of adulthood, with all the responsibilities and opportunities that come with it. If Ayra Starr’s epic debut album 19 and Dangerous marked the emergence of a bold, fully-formed pop talent, then The Year I Turned 21 is a graduation ceremony, a song cycle marked by a voice in full flow, a songwriter operating in total confidence. Laden with colour, light, and vitality, this song cycle finds the Nigerian queen speaking her truth. Constructed as a kind of long-form television series – think an HBO epic and you’d be close – each song moves into the next, the narrative closely controlled. Charming opener ‘Birds Sing Of Money’ glides into our world, an evocative introduction controlled by Ayra Starr’s magnificent vocal. (clashmusic.com)