Ayra Starr has sparked a whirlwind of anticipation across the global music landscape. Following her meteoric rise, the Mavin Records superstar and Roc Nation signee has stirred excitement among fans by hinting at her forthcoming project.

Featured in Spotify’s “Our Frequency” zine issue 033, the ‘Celestial Being’ shared insights into her personal and professional aspirations, including a tease that her next album could land in 2026. This disclosure emerged within Spotify’s platform dedicated to celebrating Black artists and their creative narratives, with the recent edition spotlighting Starr’s journey of growth and artistic evolution.

Spotify’s “Our Frequency” initiative offers artists a space to reveal intimate details about their lives and craft. In the Spotify feature, Ayra Starr reflected on her formative years and how diverse environments shaped her distinctive sound and personality.

The 23-year-old drew interesting parallels between cultures, noting that, “Growing up in Benin and Nigeria, it was two different vibes.” She likened the energy of Nigeria’s commercial hub to a global city: “Lagos is almost like New York.”

In stark contrast, the 2026 Grammy nominee described her experience in the Benin Republic: “Benin Republic has more like a beach vibe. Everywhere is, like, calm. Everybody is quiet, so I can’t put it into, like, a few words. It’s made me who I am.”

It was within this context of personal evolution that Ayra Starr dropped the major album news, offering insight into her 2026 goals: “In 2026, I’m looking forward to learning how to cook more known Nigerian food, and my album, Amen.”

This deliberate pacing suggests a strategic shift towards quality control following her management deal with Roc Nation in July 2025, which handles her global brand strategy and touring

The controversy surrounding the death of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Dr Ivara Esege’s 21-month-old son, Nkanu Nnamdi Esege, has escalated following a detailed rebuttal to Euracare Multi-Specialist Hospital’s recent statement.

In a press release issued in response to Euracare’s statement dated Saturday, 10 January 2026, the child’s aunt, Dr Anthea Esege Nwandu, accused the hospital of presenting inconsistencies and false claims regarding the circumstances of her nephew’s death at its facility.

Dr Nwandu, a dual board-certified Internal Medicine physician with over 30 years of clinical experience in Nigeria and the United States, challenged Euracare’s assertion that the family’s account contained inaccuracies.

“In their press statement, Euracare claims that there are inaccuracies in the account of how my nephew passed. Which inaccuracies exactly?” she asked.

In her response, Dr Nwandu addressed several claims made by the hospital, contrasting them with what she described as “the documented truth of the situation.”

She disputed Euracare’s claim that the child had received care at two paediatric centres before arriving at the hospital. According to her, “This is false. He was in one hospital before coming to Euracare for the procedures.”

Euracare had also stated that it provided care “in line with established clinical protocols and internationally accepted medical standards,” a claim Dr Nwandu firmly rejected. She outlined what she said were multiple deviations from internationally accepted standards of care.

“International standards demand that a child on oxygen who is given sedation must have continuous oxygen therapy. Did Euracare do this? No! They confirmed this verbally to me when I went to the hospital to question the doctors,” she said. “International standards demand that the child should have had continuous monitoring of oxygen levels in his blood. Did Euracare do this? No.”

According to Dr Nwandu, additional lapses included the lack of continuous monitoring of the child’s pulse and respiration, as well as the failure to ensure the presence of resuscitative equipment during internal transfers within the hospital.

International standards demand continuous monitoring of pulse and respiration. Did Euracare do this? No,” she stated.

She also questioned the reliability of medical documentation under the circumstances described. “Since there was no monitoring, is it possible to accurately document when the child stopped breathing or for how long he was pulseless before he was resuscitated? No.”

Dr Nwandu further criticised the manner in which the child was handled following sedation. “Is it international standard for an anesthesiologist to carry a child post-sedation on his shoulder, unable to visually see the child, with absolutely no monitoring, while insisting that he alone would be in the elevator with the child? No,” she said.

She also alleged that the child’s oxygen supply was disconnected during his transfer to the intensive care unit. “To transfer the child to the ICU, the anesthesiologist disconnected his oxygen and again carried him on his shoulder. Is that standard practice? No.”

In the press release, Dr Nwandu maintained that her nephew was medically stable at the time of the incident and had already been scheduled for an evacuation flight to Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore.

Dr Anthea Esege Nwandu is board-certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine and the American Board of Lifestyle Medicine. She is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians and holds a Master of Public Health degree from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Euracare has stated that it is reviewing the matter amid ongoing public scrutiny of the hospital’s handling of the case.

When Barack Obama hits ‘post’ on his annual Favourite Songs list, he isn’t just sharing a playlist. The former U.S President is issuing a State-of-the-Union address on the current landscape of global music. It’s a curated tradition that carries a lot of cultural weight. For the class of 2025, the verdict is clear: Afrobeats is no longer a guest at the table; it is setting the menu.

The 44th President’s 2025 list, released via his verified social media channels this week, serves as a definitive nod to the sheer versatility of Africa’s biggest musical export. This year, Obama’s affinity for Nigerian music feels more personal than ever, largely due to his deep dive into the roots of the sound. Earlier this year, the former President’s media company, Higher Ground, in collaboration with Audible, released the landmark 12-part documentary podcast series, Fela Kuti: Fear No Man. Hosted by Jad Abumrad, the series features Obama not just as an executive producer, but as an active interviewee, reflecting on the “musical genius” of the Afrobeat pioneer.

In the series, Obama draws direct parallels between Fela’s bold expression and the poAt the summit of this year’s selection sits “TATATA,” the collaboration between Burna Boy and Travis Scott, off his Grammy-nominated album No Sign of Weakness. It’s a track that fuses the African Giant’s rhythmic ethos with Travis’ psychedelic Houston trap.

However, the real talking point of the list is the inclusion of “99”. “99” is a star-studded Afrobeats single released by Nigerian hip-hop legend Olamide, as a lead track from his self-titled eleventh studio album, Olamidé. Produced by Yung Willis, the song features a sensational collaboration with Asake, Seyi Vibez, Young Jonn, and British-Nigerian singer Daecolm. The song was an immediate commercial success, reaching number one on both Apple Music and Spotify Nigeria shortly after its release.

The inclusion of the song on Obama’s list, means the former president is looking far beyond the gloss of Western-facing pop and straight into the “Street-Pop” movement that is currently defining the continent.

Adding a layer of intellectual cool to the list is London-based Nigerian singer Obongjayar’s “Not In Surrender.” Obongjayar has long been the “artist’s artist,” a purveyor of genre-bending compositions that’s sometimes difficult to categorise. His presence here provides the list with its soul and confirms that the Nigerian diaspora in London continues to push the boundaries of what African music can sound like. We remember the 2019 list, where a young Rema first broke through with “Iron Man,” a moment that many cite as the official starting gun for the Mavin prodigy’s international ascent. In 2020 and 2021, the “Obama Bump” became a rite of passage for Wizkid and Tems, whose cultural phenomenon “Essence” famously occupied a permanent spot on the former President’s year-end playlist. The inclusion helped solidify “Essence” as a global crossover hit before it reached its peak on the Billboard charts in 2021 Earlier in 2020, Wizkid’s single “Smile” featuring H.E.R. was included in Obama’s summer playlist.

Burna Boy himself is a repeat offender, with “Last Last” making the cut in 2022, while Ayra Starr previously earned her stripes on the list with the infectious “Rush.” Even Pheelz and BNXN (Buju) have felt the glow of the 44th US president’s spotlight in years past.