Emerging star Ayra Starr recently shared her heartfelt experience upon meeting her longtime idol, global superstar Rihanna, describing it as one of the most surreal moments of her career.

Speaking with eTalk TV, Ayra described Rihanna as “such an amazing person… someone to look up to,” revealing that realizing Rihanna herself is her biggest fan left her deeply moved:

“I’m my favourite artist’s favourite artist.”

Despite rumors urging caution (“never meet your idols”), Ayra said she’s grateful she didn’t hold back:

“People always say, ‘never meet your idols’, but I’m so glad I met mine because she’s just an amazing person … when I get nervous around her, I try to make unnecessary jokes.”

Their meeting followed a 2024 Fenty x Puma event in London where Rihanna reportedly asked about a collaboration with Ayra and Tems—potentially paving the way for a future joint project. Rihanna even prompted, “Do you have a song with Tems? Call me.”