Those two words, heard at the very top of Ayra Starr’s latest video, might just be the most telling thing she’s said all week. If the clip she just shared is anything to go by, the Mavin Records superstar is clearly warming up for something big.
The video opens in a sparse white room—bare ceilings, exposed pipes, and industrial conduits running along the walls. It feels raw, almost unfinished. Then the camera tilts down, and there she is: long, dark curly hair, deep purple eye makeup that demands your full attention, a black sequined dress, and a jewelled harness with a large silver cross resting at her chest. With electric purple tights and matching heeled sandals, the head-to-toe colour palette feels entirely intentional.
What follows is as confident a self-introduction as one can give without saying a word. She dances and poses through the frame like she already knows the track she’s soundtracking is going to land. It is a mood reel, a visual statement, and—if you read between the lines—almost certainly a teaser for a new musical chapter.
There are already strong whispers that this track, rumoured to be titled “Where Do We Go“, is the lead single from her recently completed third studio album. Fans have been waiting for a solo follow-up to her massive 2025 run, which included the Wizkid-assisted hit “Gimme Dat“—the song that recently earned her a 2026 Grammy nomination for Best African Music Performance.
We don’t have a confirmed release date just yet. However, between the snatched purple makeup and that two-word command at the top of the clip, it really does feel like Ayra Starr is getting ready to make some noise again.
<img src="https://www.mtlblog.com/media-library/people-walk-in-montreal-right-a-stack-of-canadian-cash.jpg?id=61420869&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=96%2C0%2C96%2C0"/><br/><br/><p>Thinking about what it <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/tag/cost-of-living" target="_blank">costs to live in Montreal</a>? Whether you're budgeting your next move, rethinking your spending, or just trying to make peace with your <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/montreal-grocery-prices-quebec-stores" target="_blank">grocery bill</a>, it helps to have a clear picture of the essentials (and a few extras).</p><p>Using up-to-date data (as of July 2025), we've crunched the numbers to estimate what a single person needs to live reasonably in the city. This breakdown assumes you're living alone, and not in a luxury condo or a shoebox apartment with four roommates. It includes rent, transportation, food, and some breathing room for going out, staying caffeinated, and occasionally pretending you can afford to party.</p><p>With that in mind, here's where your money goes every month.</p><h3>Rent - $1,690</h3><br/><p>This is, by far, your biggest monthly expense. According to <a href="https://www.zumper.com/rent-research/montreal-qc" target="_blank">Zumper</a>, the average cost of a one-bedroom apartment in Montreal is currently $1,690. That's for a decent place on the island — not necessarily Plateau glam, but definitely livable.</p><p>For context, the median rent across all bedroom counts and property types is $1,808, which is still about 7% lower than the national average. Montreal's rent remains more affordable than cities like Toronto or Vancouver, but prices here are creeping up fast. </p><h3>Groceries - $400</h3><br/><p>Everyone's food budget looks a little different, but a reasonable monthly estimate for one person is about $400. That works out to roughly $100 per week, which is enough to keep your pantry stocked with staples and maybe even a few luxury items (hello, $9 oat milk).</p><p>Whether or not you let things go bad in the fridge is up to you...</p><h3>Utilities - $99</h3><br/><p>Even after you've paid rent, you'll still need to keep the lights on, the water running, and the place warm in winter. <a href="https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/in/Montreal" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Numbeo</a>, the world's largest crowd-sourced database focused on cost of living, lists the average cost of monthly utilities for a one-bedroom apartment in the city at around $99. That includes electricity, heating, cooling, and water.</p><p>If you're living in an older building with electric baseboards or inefficient insulation, that number could spike in colder months. </p><h3>Internet - $60</h3><br/><p>You're going to want Wi-Fi for streaming, doomscrolling, and arguing on Reddit. Expect to pay around $60 per month for a standard plan, according to <a href="https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/in/Montreal" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Numbeo</a>.</p><h3>Phone plan - $55</h3><br/><p>Canada's phone plans are notoriously pricey, and Montreal is no exception. A typical mobile plan (with data) in Montreal costs about $55 per month, per <a href="https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/in/Montreal" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Numbeo</a>. You might be able to score a cheaper deal with a smaller provider, but that's the general ballpark.</p><h3>Transportation - $104.50</h3><br/><p>On July 1, the <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/stm-new-fares-july-1" target="_blank">STM's unlimited monthly OPUS pass</a> for bus and metro travel across the island rose to $104.50 per month. If you're downtown and transit-dependent, this is likely your best option.</p><p>Now, if you have a car, that number goes way up when you consider the cost of gas and insurance </p><h3>Eating out - $200</h3><br/><p><a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/montreal-restaurants-hidden-gems-tourists" target="_blank">Montreal's restaurant scene</a> is one of the best in the country. Whether it's late-night poutine, $10 bánh mì, or a solid lunch special, dining out is part of the culture here.</p><p>And let's be honest, you're not going to cook every meal at home. <a href="https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/in/Montreal" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Numbeo</a> says the average restaurant meal costs $25. Assuming one or two outings per week (plus the odd $6 latte or $12 sandwich), $200 per month is a realistic budget for modest indulgence.</p><p>That's assuming you're being reasonable (no wine pairings or weekly tasting menus.)</p><h3>Partying - $120</h3><br/><p>A night out in Montreal doesn't always have to break the bank, but it can add up. If you go out a couple of times per month, expect to spend about $60 per night on drinks, cover, and tips. That works out to $120 a month, assuming you're not doing bottle service at Bord'elle every weekend.</p><p>Thankfully, the city's winter is harsh enough that it forces you to stay inside for a good chunk of the year.</p><h3>Fitness - $55</h3><br/><p>A mid-range gym membership in Montreal will cost you about <a href="https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/in/Montreal" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">$55 per month</a>. That's for a spot with standard equipment, not boutique classes or fancy extras.</p><h3>Coffee - $65</h3><br/><p>Assuming you grab a basic $3 coffee on most weekdays, that's roughly $15 per week, or $65 per month. Good coffe is easy to come by in Montreal, so it's easy to justify this expense — just maybe don't start every day with a $7 matcha.</p><h3>Extras - $100</h3><br/><p>Life happens. Haircuts, Ubers, prescription meds, toilet paper, birthday dinner, umbrellas. A $100 monthly cushion should cover most of the random but inevitable stuff that doesn't fit neatly into a category.</p><h2>Grand total: $2948.50 per month</h2><p>So what's the takeaway? Living solo in Montreal in 2025 isn't exactly cheap, but it's still more manageable than in cities like Toronto or Vancouver. In fact, according to a <a href="https://iris-recherche.qc.ca/publications/revenu-viable-2025/" target="_blank">May report from the Institut de recherche et d’informations socioéconomiques (IRIS)</a>, the minimum after-tax income needed to live with dignity in Montreal jumped to $40,084 (after tax) in 2025.</p><p>So, if you're earning under $3,000 a month, budgeting gets tight fast. And while your actual spending will depend on your habits and neighbourhood, this breakdown offers a realistic snapshot of what it takes to live comfortably without constantly saying no to lattes, nights out, or decent Wi-Fi.</p><p>The good news? With some planning (and maybe a roommate), Montreal is still one of the more liveable big cities in Canada. Just don't forget to factor in the fun stuff — otherwise, what's the point of living here?</p>
It was probably the ninth time Sabrina Carpenter’s hit single “Please, Please, Please” played, unprompted, that I decided it was time to quit Spotify. I’d been a Premium subscriber since the company started offering it in the United States in 2011 and I’ve generally been a Spotify fanatic who obsessively cultivates his collection of playlists. […]
(@ayrastarr)