“She’s brought urban music into pop,” said the producer Cirkut, known for his work with the Weeknd and Miley Cyrus. It was one such track titled “Drank Up,” which sampled the electronic song “About You” by XXYYXX, that first caught the ear of Mr. Jarjour online. Gregarious, wide-eyed and relentlessly positive, Mr. Jarjour, 31, was also a complement for Starrah’s sheepish humility, and he quickly became her protector and champion. Though her reticence toward fame has lent her career a marketable mystique, “It’s not a gimmick,” Mr. Jarjour said. “Starrah is the secret Dr. Phil of the music industry,” Mr. Jarjour said.

Source: New York Times December 28, 2017 09:56 UTC