Where Do We Go (Ayra Starr song)

"Where Do We Go"
Single by Ayra Starr
from the album Starr Girl
Released6 March 2026 (2026-03-06)
Genre
Length2:56
Label
Songwriters
  • Oyinkansola Sarah Aderibigbe
  • Ilya Salmanzadeh
  • Amanda Ibanez
  • Mason Tanner
  • Malika Hamza
ProducerIlya
Ayra Starr singles chronology
"Who's Dat Girl"
(2025)		 "Where Do We Go"
(2026)		 "Aye Kan (Are You Coming Back)"
(2026)

"Where Do We Go" is a song by Nigerian singer-songwriter Ayra Starr. Starr wrote the song with producer Ilya, Amanda Ibanez, Mason Tanner, and Malika Hamza; Ilya produced and arranged the recording. Mavin Records and Republic Records released "Where Do We Go" on 6 March 2026, coinciding with Women's History Month, as Starr's first solo single of 2026, following "Who's Dat Girl," her collaboration with Rema released in October 2025.

"Where Do We Go" is an Afropop and electronic track built on an Afrobeats backbone, featuring crisp snaps and claps over a deep, pulsing bassline. The lyrics depict a hidden romantic relationship, with Starr uncertain of where it is headed. Upon release, the single received positive acclaim for Starr's confident storytelling and her continued artistic growth.

Background and release

Following the release of her second studio album, The Year I Turned 21, in May 2024, Ayra Starr shifted her approach to releasing music. In a March 2025 interview with the Evening Standard, she explained, "I used to be obsessed with being an album artist. Now I'm trying to give myself a bit less pressure and just make music for the sake of making music, and we'll see where that takes me."[1] She issued a series of singles throughout 2025, beginning with "All the Love" in February, followed by "Gimme Dat" featuring Wizkid in April.

In July 2025, she landed a management deal with Roc Nation while remaining signed to Mavin Records, releasing "Hot Body" that same month and her first official collaboration with Rema, "Who's Dat Girl", in October.[2]

By January 2026, Starr had returned to album production. Featured in Spotify's Our Frequency zine Issue 033, she confirmed her third studio album was expected later in the year.[3] On 10 February, she posted a video of herself dancing to an instrumental on Instagram with the caption "💜 where does this beat take you."[2] On 24 February, she shared a 35-second teaser featuring her vocals over the beat, revealing the track's title as "Where Do We Go" and a pre-save link.[2]

In an interview with Apple Music's Africa Now Radio, Starr described the song as a personal favourite she and her friends had been playing while getting ready for nights out, stating it was inspired by "a very funny situation."[4] On Way Up with Angela Yee, she elaborated that it was based on a secret relationship she had experienced, saying it was a situationship in which she developed genuine feelings despite knowing it was unhealthy and unlikely to progress.[5] The single was released on 6 March 2026, coinciding with Women's History Month.[4]

Production and composition

"Where Do We Go" was written by Ayra Starr, Ilya Salmanzadeh, Amanda Ibanez, Mason Tanner, and Malika Hamza.[7] Swedish producer and songwriter Ilya, working with Starr for the first time, produced and arranged the track. Starr told Essence the session was organic, stating they were "just vibing in the studio" and that he "really understood where [she] wanted to go sonically."[8] Ilya handled vocal production and recording engineering, and performed all instrumentation himself, including drum kit, bass, keyboard, and synthesizer. Additional vocal production and recording was handled by Fermin Suero Jr, with Juan Arguello serving as recording engineer and Bryce Bordone as engineer. Serban Ghenea mixed the song, and Randy Merrill mastered it. Background vocals were contributed by Maesu and Hamzaa, alongside Ilya himself.[7]

Running two minutes and fifty-six seconds at 107 beats per minute, "Where Do We Go" is set in C♯ major[9] and blends Afropop rhythms with electronic textures.[10] The arrangement features crisp snaps and claps over a deep, pulsing bassline;[11] writing for Clash, Shahzaib Hussain described the overall sound as a "dark, narcotic Afro-electronic brew" and labelled the track an "after-hours" record.[2] Hussain praised Starr's "expressive, deepened vocal flows" as mellifluous.[2] Nylon's Jillian Giandurco called the production "darkly sexy" and anticipated the track would be placed in DJ sets over the summer.[12]

In his review for NotJustOk, Peter Okhide held that the song "retains the rhythmic essence that made her a household name but layers it with a newfound sobriety," and said that it "demands active listening."[13] Lyrically, the song depicts a clandestine affair. Starr sings of a love interest whose visits she conceals from friends—"I told my friends you are out of town"—with the chorus posing a direct question: "Where do we go from here, after I dry my tears, after we say goodbye, you never made it clear."[14] Okhide framed the song as a "philosophical inquiry" into Starr's romantic life.[13]

Critical reception

"Where Do We Go" was met with mostly positive reviews. Ameenah Laquita, for Shatter the Standards, praised the song's emotional duality, describing it as one that "splits its weight between swagger and disappointment." She noted how Starr "barks the pre-chorus like she's running point on a dare" before the confidence "drops clean off," and commended the singer for not begging but simply "clock[ing] the situation and mov[ing]."[15]

The Native's Boluwatife Adeyemi positioned the single as evidence of Starr's "compelling evolution" and said it represented "a decisive bid for world domination."[16] The Sound Cafe's Anne Connor similarly called it "electrifying," lauding Starr for "flipping the narrative" rather than drifting into vulnerability, delivering the story "with the swagger of an artist fully aware of her power."[17] Sam Armstrong of uDiscover Music described the track as "a sultry ode to an after-hours relationship" that "asserts Starr as, well, a star."[18]

"Where Do We Go" was featured in Rolling Stone's "Songs You Need to Know" for the week of March 6,[19] and appeared on multiple "Best New Music" editorial lists, including Essence,[20] The Native,[16] and Daily Illini's "Buzz Weekly."[21] Style Rave ranked it number one on their weekly list of "New and Trending Songs."[22] Euphoria Zine's Nmesoma Okechukwu remarked that Starr "shines bright in the latest club smash," though noted fan discourse surrounding whether the track represents her signature sound. Okechukwu observed that while some fans questioned if her label wanted "a complete makeover of the superstar's sound," others argued Starr "has always had a broad style of music" reflected in her earlier work.[23]

Peggy Gou remix

"Where Do We Go" (Peggy Gou remix)
Single by Ayra Starr and Peggy Gou
Released28 April 2026 (2026-04-28)
Genre
Length5:15
Label
Songwriters
Producers
Ayra Starr singles chronology
"Who's Dat Girl"
(2025)		 "Where Do We Go" (Peggy Gou remix)
(2026)
Peggy Gou singles chronology
"H2DAIZZO" (Peggy Gou Remix)
(2025)		 "Where Do We Go" (Peggy Gou remix)
(2026)		 "I Feel So Free" (Peggy Gou remix)
(2026)
Music video
"Where Do We Go" (Peggy Gou remix) on YouTube

A remix of "Where Do We Go" by South Korean DJ and producer Peggy Gou was released on 28 April 2026 through Mavin and Republic.[24]

Background and release

Ahead of its release, Gou previewed the remix on social media, sharing a snippet and announcing its 28 April arrival date. In a later post, she said she had received the master for the remix.[25] After its release, Gou posted it on her Instagram page with a photo of herself and Starr, captioning the post, "First remix in 2026 for Starr."[26] Electronic music platform Sound of House Music also promoted the release, writing that Starr's "Where Do We Go" was "getting the Gou treatment."[27]

Starr stated she was happy to work with Gou and liked the "idea of bringing our different sonic worlds together."[28] Gou said the title felt immediate because it resembled a phrase used in everyday "spontaneous moments," and described Starr's voice as bringing "real emotion" to the track. She wanted the remix to retain the original's sensual energy while rebuilding it around her signature Jupiter-6 bass line.[28]

Composition

The Peggy Gou remix runs for five minutes and 15 seconds. It is an EDM, tech house and afropop version set at 126 beats per minute in E♭ minor.[29] Compared with the main track, which was produced by ILYA and mixed by Serban Ghenea, the remix adds Gou as producer, mixing engineer, and remixer while keeping the original version's writing credits.[24]

Live performances

Starr first performed "Where Do We Go" on 7 March 2026 during a surprise appearance at the Brooklyn Museum’s First Saturdays program in New York City. She delivered the song under purple-blue lighting in front of a tightly packed audience, dressed in a sleeveless, high-necked cheetah-print peplum top with a front keyhole cutout, and a skirt extension, paired with black high-waisted briefs and sheer black tights, while sporting an updo.[30]

On 10 April 2026, she performed at Tape Lagos in Victoria Island as part of the Mavin Popup series in a Brielle Eau De Nuit bodysuit, joined by fellow Nigerian artist Shallipopi.[31] The song later received a televised live performance on The Jennifer Hudson Show on April 16, 2026, where Starr performed on a purple-lit studio set in a blue fishnet midi dress layered over a pink bikini brief.[32]

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from Spotify.[7]

  • Ayra Starr – vocals, songwriting
  • ILYA – production, recording arrangement, vocal production, recording engineering, background vocals, programming, drum kit, bass, keyboard, synthesizer, songwriting
  • Amanda Ibanez – songwriting
  • Mason Tanner – songwriting
  • Malika Hamza – songwriting
  • Fermin Suero Jr – vocal production, recording engineering
  • Juan Arguello – recording engineering
  • Serban Ghenea – mixing
  • Bryce Bordone – engineering
  • Randy Merrill – mastering
  • Maesu – background vocals
  • Hamzaa – background vocals

Charts

Chart performance for "Where Do We Go"
Chart (2026) Peak
position
Malta Airplay (Radiomonitor)[33] 18
Nigeria (TurnTable Top 100)[34] 10
Nigeria Airplay (TurnTable)[35] 2
UK Afrobeats Singles (OCC)[36] 3
US Afrobeats Songs (Billboard)[37]4
Venezuela Anglo Airplay (Monitor Latino)[38]6

References

  1. ↑ "Ayra Starr interview: 'I used to be obsessed with being an album artist'". Evening Standard. March 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Hussain, Shahzaib (6 March 2026). "Ayra Starr Shares New Single 'Where Do We Go'". Clash.
  3. ↑ "Ayra Starr: Our Frequency Issue 033". Spotify. January 2026.
  4. 1 2 "Ayra Starr – Africa Now Radio". Apple Music. March 2026.
  5. ↑ "Ayra Starr Talks New Song, Acting Debut, Sneaky Links, Album & NYC Men 👀 + More - Way Up With Angela Yee". iHeart. Retrieved 12 March 2026.
  6. ↑ Taiwo, Olufunke (6 March 2026). "Where Do We Go Lyrics by Ayra Starr". NotjustOk. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
  7. 1 2 3 "Where Do We Go – Ayra Starr". Spotify.
  8. ↑ Jones, Okla (12 March 2026). "EXCLUSIVE: How Ayra Starr Is Taking Afrobeats Global". Essence. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  9. ↑ "Where Do We Go – Ayra Starr". Tunebat.
  10. ↑ "Nigeria: Ayra Starr releases new single Where Do We Go". Music In Africa. 6 March 2026.
  11. ↑ Alper, Eric (6 March 2026). "Afrobeats Star Ayra Starr Releases New Single "Where Do We Go"". That Eric Alper.
  12. ↑ Giandurco, Jillian (6 March 2026). "Harry Styles Should Consider Discoing All The Time". Nylon.
  13. 1 2 Okhide, Peter (6 March 2026). "Ayra Starr releases new single 'Where Do We Go'". Notjustok.
  14. ↑ Oluwole, Hizat (March 6, 2026). "DOWNLOAD: Ayra Starr returns with 'Where Do We Go'". TheCable.
  15. ↑ Laquita, Ameenah. "Omarion, Ayra Starr, and Five R&B Singles Worth Your Weekend". Shatterthestandards. Retrieved 11 March 2026.
  16. 1 2 Adeyemi, Boluwatife (10 March 2026). "Best New Music: Ayra Starr Continues Her Compelling Evolution On "Where Do We Go"". The NATIVE. Retrieved 11 March 2026.
  17. ↑ Connor, Anne (8 March 2026). "Grammy-Nominated Global Afrobeats Superstar Ayra Starr Ignites New Era With 'Where Do We Go'". The Sound Cafe. Retrieved 11 March 2026.
  18. ↑ Armstrong, Sam (9 March 2026). "Arya Starr Shares 'Where Do We Go'". uDiscover Music. Retrieved 11 March 2026.
  19. ↑ "Harry Styles, Ty Dolla $ign, Yebba, and All the Songs You Need to Know This Week". Rolling Stone. 6 March 2026. Archived from the original on 6 March 2026. Retrieved 11 March 2026.
  20. ↑ Jones, Okla (6 March 2026). "New Music This Week: Ayra Starr, Omarion, Isaiah Falls, And More". Essence. Retrieved 11 March 2026.
  21. ↑ Dvorak, Olivia (6 March 2026). "buzz weekly new music rundown". The Daily Illini. Retrieved 11 March 2026.
  22. ↑ Badewa, Collins (6 March 2026). "Ayra Starr Asks "Where Do We Go?" + More New And Trending Songs By African Artists". Style Rave | The Ultimate Style Guide. Retrieved 11 March 2026.
  23. ↑ Okechukwu, Nmesoma (9 March 2026). "Ayra Starr – Where Do We Go". EUPHORIA. Retrieved 11 March 2026.
  24. 1 2 "Ayra Starr & Peggy Gou - Where Do We Go (Peggy Gou Remix)". Tidal. 28 April 2026. Retrieved 28 May 2026.
  25. ↑ "Ayra Starr & Peggy Gou "Where Do We Go Remix"". X. Retrieved 28 May 2026.
  26. ↑ "First remix in 2026 for Starr". Instagram.com. Retrieved 28 May 2026.
  27. ↑ "Peggy's first remix of 2026 is huge". Instagram. Retrieved 28 May 2026.
  28. 1 2 "Ayra Starr Drops 'Where Do We Go' Remix Featuring Peggy Gou". RTTNews. 2 May 2026. Retrieved 28 May 2026.
  29. ↑ "Peggy Gou, Ayra Starr - Where Do We Go (Peggy Gou Remix)". www.beatport.com. Retrieved 28 May 2026.
  30. ↑ Pryor, Mecca (9 March 2026). "Angel Reese In Reebok & More Celeb Fashion Moments". Essence. Retrieved 18 April 2026.
  31. ↑ Afigbo, Chinasa (11 April 2026). "Ayra Star Leaves Fans With Little to Imagine as She Rocks Transparent Outfit - Legit.ng". legit.ng. Retrieved 18 April 2026.
  32. ↑ Aiyudu, Alexandra (17 April 2026). "Ayra Starr Performs "Where Do We Go" on The Jennifer Hudson Show". OloriSuperGal. Retrieved 18 April 2026.
  33. ↑ "Malta – Radio Airplay Chart: Settimana 20.2026 – dal 08/05/2026 al 14/05/2026" [Malta – Radio Airplay Chart: Week 20.2026 – from 08/05/2026 to 14/05/2026]. Radiomonitor (in Italian). May 15, 2026. Retrieved May 19, 2026.
  34. ↑ "TurnTable Nigeria Top 100: March 6th, 2026 – March 12th, 2026". TurnTable. Archived from the original on March 22, 2026. Retrieved March 22, 2026.
  35. ↑ "TurnTable Nigeria Official Radio Songs: Mar 6th, 2026 – Mar 12th, 2026". TurnTable. Retrieved May 19, 2026.
  36. ↑ "Official Afrobeats charts". Official Charts Company.
  37. ↑ "Ayra Starr Chart History (Afrobeats Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 18 March 2026.
  38. ↑ "Top 20 Venezuela Anglo música". Monitor Latino. Retrieved 1 July 2026.
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