Nigerian Afrobeats star Ayra Starr has shared her experiences adjusting to life in New York, weeks after relocating from Lagos following a management deal with Roc Nation.

In a recent Substack post titled “I’m not scared, I promise,” the singer reflected on feelings of isolation and the harsh weather in the American city. She described her apartment as “almost empty” and likened New York to “a walk-in freezer.”

Ayra Starr admitted that she sometimes grapples with regret over her decision to move, especially as the cold takes a toll on her motivation.

“It’s so cold it feels like the city is actively trying to kill my motivation. It’s the kind of cold that makes you feel like happiness was just a summer hallucination, and there’s a tiny voice in my head sarcastically asking, ‘Who sent you work?’” she wrote.

The singer noted that while she could have been enjoying Detty December celebrations back home in Nigeria, she instead finds herself battling loneliness and freezing temperatures in New York — a consequence, she said, of taking a bold and rebellious risk.

The Rush hitmaker added that she has entered what she described as her “nobody gets me era,” emphasizing that she is no longer concerned about proving herself to anyone.