Woman Commando

"Woman Commando" is a song by Nigerian singer-songwriter Ayra Starr, featuring Brazilian singer Anitta and American singer Coco Jones. It appears on Starr's second studio album, The Year I Turned 21 (2024), released through Mavin Records. A multilingual afrobeats and amapiano track incorporating English, Nigerian Pidgin, and Portuguese, it fuses latin pop and R&B influences. Lyrically, it centers on themes of feminine confidence, luxury, and solidarity, functioning as a women's empowerment anthem.

The song was written by Starr, Anitta, Jones, Andy Bauza, and Nwamu Francis Chukwudubem, and produced by Ragee. Starr conceived the track with a vision of featuring "two strong women" from different parts of the world, selecting Anitta while seeking a Spanish- or Portuguese-speaking artist to work with and Coco Jones after admiring her since her appearance in the Disney Channel film Let It Shine .

"Woman Commando" became a staple of Starr's live performances following the album's release, including sets at Glastonbury Festival, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon , Afro Nation Detroit, the Global Citizen Festival, and during Coldplay's Music of the Spheres World Tour.

Ayra Starr recorded "Woman Commando" for her second studio album, The Year I Turned 21 , which was developed during 2022 and 2023 as she was turning 21 and writing from an adult perspective about themes such as personal growth and self-discovery.^[1] The album explored afrobeats, R&B, and pop.^[2]

Unlike some of the album's other collaborations, Starr said she had a specific idea for "Woman Commando" from the beginning. She wanted the song to feature "two strong women" and described the concept as a "global anthem" with "women from different parts of the world."^[3] Starr discussed the idea with her A&R team, saying she wanted one Spanish- or Portuguese-speaking artist and one R&B singer. She chose Anitta because she listened to and worked out to her music, and selected Coco Jones after growing up watching her in the Disney Channel film Let It Shine .^[3]

Prior to working together, Jones and Starr had met at an International Women's Day dinner in London, where they discussed a future project.^{[4] [5]} "Woman Commando" was written by Starr, Anitta, Jones, Andy Bauza, and Nwamu Francis Chukwudubem. Ragee produced the track as part of his continued work with Starr after "Commas". Johnny Drille handled mixing, while Marvellous Cosmas and Jake Prein were credited as engineers.^[6]

"Woman Commando" runs for three minutes and twenty-eight seconds. Set over a tempo of 115 beats per minute, the song is written in the key of B minor and follows a chord progression of B minor, F♯ minor, E, and E minor.^[7] It is a multilingual afrobeats and amapiano track that fuses latin pop and R&B influences, incorporating English, Nigerian Pidgin, and Portuguese.^{[8] [9] [10]} Starr described the production as driven by log drums, which Kyle Denis of Billboard said gave the song its "urgency and irresistibility".^[8] Blossom Maduafokwa, writing for The Native , deemed the amapiano arrangement "club-ready,"^[11] while Quincy from Ratings Game Music felt that the song carries a lively tempo, dramatic violins, and an array of melodies.^[12]

Lyrically, "Woman Commando" is a women's empowerment anthem centered on themes of feminine confidence, luxury and revelry.^{[11] [9]} In the first verse, Starr encourages solidarity with "Nobody's gon' be left behind / As a lioness I dey move with squad", before opening the second verse with "Tonight e be ladies night / I no wan know your zodiac sign." Anitta's verse includes a lyrical reference to "1942", another track on The Year I Turned 21, with the lines "Má' botellas llegando / 1942, tomando."^[13] Denis praised the vocal chemistry between the three artists, observing that Jones's "rich tone" pairs well with Starr's and that Anitta's delivery "intensifies the track's swagger."^[8] Meanwhile, Maduafokwa concluded that the song "creates an argument about cross-continental connection [...] placing womanhood at its thematic center."^[11]

Following the release of The Year I Turned 21 on 31 May 2024, "Woman Commando" became a staple of Starr's live performances.^[14] Prior to the album's release, she performed the track at a Spotify-hosted listening party at Pavilion NightLife Lounge in Lagos, where it received an encore from the crowd. Starr described the song as having "Boss lady vibes."^[15] On 29 June 2024, she performed it at the Glastonbury Festival as part of her Pyramid Stage set, becoming the first African female artist to perform on that stage.^[16]

On 23 July 2024, Starr made her U.S. television debut on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon , performing a medley of "Last Heartbreak Song" and "Woman Commando."^[17] Shalom Esene of OkayAfrica called it a "stellar performance,"^[18] while Melony Akpoghene from BOUNCE observed that "the real party started with 'Woman Commando,'" praising the track's "magnetic groove" that "had the Fallon audience on their feet."^[19]

In August 2024, Starr performed the song at Afro Nation Detroit with what YNaija's Ayomitide Adeyinka felt was "eclectic choreography."^[20] That September, she was named MTV's Push Artist of the Month and performed "Woman Commando" as part of the promotional campaign.^[21] The song was regularly featured during her appearances on Coldplay's Music of the Spheres World Tour throughout late 2024, including a 30 October performance at Marvel Stadium in Australia.^[14] On 3 July 2025, she performed "Woman Commando" at Summerfest during her set at the U.S. Cellular Connection Stage in Milwaukee.^[22] On 27 September 2025, she performed it at the Global Citizen Festival in New York City, where she addressed the festival's focus on generating energy access for one million people across Africa.^[23]

Credits are adapted from Tidal.

• Oyinkansola Sarah Aderibigbe – vocals, songwriter
• Larissa de Macedo Machado – vocals, songwriter
• Courtney Michaela Jones – vocals, songwriter
• Nwamu Francis Chukwudubem – songwriter
• Andy Bauza – songwriter
• Nnaemeka Ikechukwu Clinton – composer
• Ragee – producer
• Johnny Drille – mixing engineer
• Marvellous Cosmas – engineer
• Jake Prein – engineer

• 2024 songs
• Afrobeats songs
• Latin pop songs
• Amapiano songs
• Contemporary R&B songs
• Ayra Starr songs
• Songs written by Ayra Starr
• Anitta (singer) songs
• Songs written by Anitta (singer)
• Coco Jones songs
• Women's empowerment
• Song recordings produced by Ragee
• Mavin Records singles
• Songs in Portuguese
• Songs in Nigerian Pidgin

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• Articles with hAudio microformats