“I didn’t date in high school because I didn’t want anyone to claim I was their ex” — Ayra Starr

• Ayra Starr revealed in a new interview that she avoided dating in high school to prevent anyone from calling themselves her ex.

• The comment sparked mixed reactions online, with fans debating her reasoning.

• The appearance showed a more relaxed, candid side of the singer outside her usual press interviews.

Ayra Starr sat down with content creator Quenlin Blackwell on Friday for an episode of Feeding Starving Celebrities, and for the most part, it went exactly as fans of either woman would expect: loud, funny, and loosely structured around food that was never really the point.

The YouTube series has built a reputation for stripping away the polish of the usual celebrity press run, having previously hosted the likes of Lil Nas X, Lil Yachty, PinkPantheress, Addison Rae, Charli XCX, and Halle Bailey. The premise is simply two people, a kitchen, something cooking, and a conversation that goes wherever it wants to go.

The episode ran just over 55 minutes. Jollof rice was the original plan, being the poster child for Nigerian delicacies; however, Ayra steered things toward fried yams and eggs, her known favourite, and nobody seemed to mind. 

Between the cooking and the laughter, she spoke about what it means to hold onto a creative identity when your music is travelling to places you never imagined, and what it takes to keep up with an industry that does not slow down for anyone.

Then came the moments that the internet actually ran with.

When Blackwell asked her to choose between a million dollars and brunch with Jay-Z, Ayra picked the million, which is agreeable when considered in certain contexts. 

The part that sparked conversation came shortly after, when Ayra revealed she did not date in high school because, she said, she did not want anyone going around calling themselves her ex.

"Yeah, I'm such a baddie, like I knew," she said. "A lot of guys were trying, so I was just like, 'hmm, why are you trying, you must have like an ulterior motive.'"

The comments did what comments do. Some viewers took her at her word. Others were less generous, arguing that even if the no-dating part holds up, the reason she is attaching to it now is something that only occurred to her much later. 

It is a debate without a clean resolution, which is probably why it’s making rounds. 

Ayra came across as sharp and comfortable throughout, though, which is ultimately what an appearance like this is designed to show.

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