In 2023, Tyla made her presence felt on the international music scene with “Water,” a song that managed to reach the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100, incorporating the popiano style. But that was only the beginning for the young artist from South Africa. In March 2024, she presented her first album, “Tyla,” a unique blend of amapiano, Afrobeats, pop and R&B that demonstrated her talent and artistic identity.
Despite challenges, including a back injury that forced her to cancel her Coachella appearance and her first international tour, Tyla has never stopped shining. In May, she showed up at the Met Gala in a stunning sand-hued Balmain gown, proving that she can combine her musical success with fashion. She was also selected to be a member of the Host Committee for the Costume Institute Benefit, which this year celebrates black culture in fashion. In October, she debuted “Push 2 Start” at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, a reggae-infused track that immediately entered the Billboard Hot 100.
With her win at the 2024 Grammys for Best African Music Performance – a distinction that made her the youngest African artist to win the award – Tyla continued her sweeping run, also taking home accolades at the BET Awards, Billboard Music Awards and MTV Video Music Awards. As a Women in Music Impact honoree, she remains committed to highlighting African music, bringing amapiano to the international stage and rejecting the generalization that all African artists exclusively create Afrobeats music. And in April 2025, she will make a powerful return to Coachella.
“The fact that my music touches people all over the world, especially African artists, is something really special”, she declares.
The confusion surrounding the categorization of her music
Upon receiving her awards, Tyla has expressed her disappointment at the misclassification of her music in the Afrobeats category. However, despite this discrepancy, she feels honored by the recognition:
“I’m really happy because I really draw influences from Afrobeats. I represent the whole of Africa. Musical genres are fluid and categorization can be complicated. If people focus on recognizing the influences of artists, instead of trying to fit them into specific genres, then the perception around them will improve.”
The women who have inspired her
Regarding the artists who have influenced her, Tyla says that Tems, Britney Spears, Whitney Houston and Aaliyah have been great sources of inspiration for her.
Her most important appearance
Of her many appearances in the last year, the one that stands out were her concerts in South Africa:
“My shows in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Pretoria were magical. Since ‘Water’ was released, I haven’t had the chance to sing in my own country. They were the biggest solo concerts I’ve ever done and gave me complete control over the stage, the dancing, the lighting and the orchestration. Creating a show from scratch and presenting it to my audience there was truly unique.”
What does 2025 hold for us?
Tyla is already preparing her next album and promises a new direction:
“I’ve changed a lot in a short period of time, as I’ve had to adapt quickly to my new reality. The energy of this album will be different from the last one, but it’s still authentically Tyla.”
