Ayra Starr meets Rihanna at FENTY x PUMA London launch party, poses for photos together

Nigerian singer and songwriter Ayra Starr met her idol Rihanna at the FENTY x PUMA Creeper Phatty Earth Tone Launch Party at Tobacco Dock, London, on April 17. The event, which launched RiRi's new collection with Puma, saw the two singers posing together for photos.

Ayra Starr had previously mentioned that the Barbadian singer was her "greatest inspiration", calling the latter's 2016 album ANTI "timeless" in an interview with Rolling Stone in 2024.

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"My dream collab is Rihanna": Ayra Starr on her admiration for the Umbrella singer

Oyinkansola Sarah Aderibigbe, who goes by the stage name Ayra Starr, has been vocal about her love and admiration for the Unfaithful singer, calling her her "dream collab" during a 2023 appearance on Elle's Game of Song association.

"My dream collab is Rihanna. That's like my number one dream collab because I grew up listening to Rihanna. She's my queen. I love her, I love her music. She makes me feel confident when I listen to her. I just love Rihanna."

The Nigerian singer finally met her idol at the FENTY x PUMA London launch party on Wednesday, April 17, after being an ardent fan for years. Dressed in a short black dress overlaid with a shimmering black fur coat, Starr was seen talking to RiRi and posing for pictures.

In an interview with Rolling Stone at the 2024 Grammy, Starr called RiRi her queen, saying:

"Rihanna is, like, my greatest inspiration. That is my woman. That's my matriarch. That is my queen. The album [ANTI] is just timeless, from the music. Every single thing, you know, she has every single sound, like, she's unstoppable. That album, I feel like, the more I listen to it, the more I understand it and, yeah, I love it so much."

When the interviewer asked if she had learned anything from the singer that she implemented in her life, 21-year-old Starr replied:

"Be myself, understanding myself, whatever worked for me. Somethings don't work for me, it's fine. Something worked for me, it's fine. I'm just going to be myself in every single situation and I'm okay with that."

Ayra Starr released her debut studio album 19 & Dangerous in 2021. The deluxe version of the album came out in 2022, featuring her song Rush, which earned her her first Grammy nomination for Best African Music Performance in 2024.

In December 2021, Starr also covered the Barbadian singer's hit song Man Down on That Grape Juice.

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Rihanna launched her new look at the FENTY x PUMA London launch party

RiRi embraced her bangs and blonde hair as she arrived at the FENTY x PUMA Creeper Phatty Earth Tone Launch Party on Wednesday night. The 36-year-old multi-hyphenate opted for an earthy color scheme to match the collection's new palette, complete with a bright red lip.

FENTY x PUMA Creeper Phatty Earth Tone Launch Party (Image via Getty Images)

The original Creeper, launched in 2015, got an all-new look that is reportedly "bigger, bolder and badder."

"The Creeper Phatty, Rihanna’s newest iteration of the shoe, is bigger, bolder, and badder than ever with an oversized design and stacked gum sole," the Puma website stated.

According to the Puma website, the Creeper Phatty is available in three colors, totally taupe, green fog, and warm white. Totally taupe is now available for purchase following the launch event, while the other two colors will drop on April 25.