“Faking it was killing me inside” admits Ayra Starr on ‘confident façade’

Nigerian singer Ayra Starr has opened up about the immense pressure of maintaining her public image, admitting that having to constantly project an unwavering sense of security was heavily taking its toll on her mental wellbeing behind the scenes.

Speaking on Capital XTRA Breakfast with Robert Bruce and Shayna Marie, the music sensation discussed how she navigates her self-esteem. When asked how she channels her trademark power on days when she simply does not feel like it, the singer explained that a massive internal shift occurred when she finally allowed herself to stop performing for others.

Reflecting on her earlier career mindset, the star confessed to the radio hosts: “I used to spend lots of time having to, like, perform. Because I know everybody knows I’m this confident girl, so I have to be confident every single day. And it was killing me inside, like, so much.”

The singer revealed that embracing her natural emotions drastically reduced her everyday stress levels. “Now it’s like I have less anxiety knowing that I don’t have to put up a facade,” she explained, adding with conviction, “What you see is what you get, you know?”

Starr credits this newfound peace to a strict policy of radical transparency with both herself and her immediate team. “I’m honest with myself, even when I don’t feel like it,” she stated. “And I’m honest with people around me too. I’m like, ‘I don’t feel my best,’ and it’s fine.”

Ultimately, the chart-topping artist wants her global fanbase to understand that true self-assurance is about embracing the natural highs and lows of the human experience rather than maintaining an artificial mask of perfection.

“Being that girl and being a confident person is knowing not to act bravado all the time, you know?” Starr concluded. “It’s like life is a balance, and being a complete human being is balance, and its vulnerability, and its tiredness and its anxiety, and then it’s like, hey, the next day I’m back.”