One year ago, Tyla was still waiting for her big break. Now, she's the first South African artist to reach the Billboard Hot 100 in more than 50 years, and she's already won a GRAMMY — and it's all because of one song.
The tropical single "Water" instantly made waves, becoming an inescapable hit that topped multiple charts and garnered more than 10 million views on TikTok alone with the "Water" dance challenge. Now, the budding star is ready to prove she's more than her breakout smash.
With Tyla, out March 22, the singer proves the world is her oyster, boasting an unconventional fusion of amapiano, pop, and R&B — even dabbling in Latin with a Becky G collaboration. All of it is the center of her ethos: innovating while simultaneously carving a lane for more South Africans to make their global mark in music, too.
"The music will take [amapiano] to a new space. I feel like it's not only going to live in an African category," Tyla, whose GRAMMY win was in the inaugural Best African Music Performance Category at this year's awards, declares. "I really want African music and singers to sit alongside other artists in Album Of The Year, Song Of The Year."
Ahead of the release, Tyla sat down with GRAMMY.com to dive deeper into her goals for her African peers, the creative process behind Tyla, and how she's acclimated to her newfound pop stardom.
You won a GRAMMY before releasing your debut album. How does that feel? Do you have any other dream career milestones that you still hope to cross?
It feels really good. Really validating. Very humbling. I'm grateful to have achieved such success so early. All of this has been a lot but very, very exciting.
There are so many milestones I'm yet to achieve. I want a No. 1 album and song. I want sold-out performances and world tours. There are so many things. The opportunities are literally endless, so I'm looking forward to the journey.
How have you acclimated to this new life?
I'm just taking it day by day. I'm lucky to have a great team and people from home to keep me grounded in the real world and not overwhelmed with what's happening around me.
The focus has always been on being able to create more, share more, do bigger things, and have more opportunities. That's been my mindset.
With "Water" being such a successful single, did that add pressure for the release of Tyla?
Honestly, "Water" made me want to get in the studio and create again. I didn't have any doubts about the new music. I'm really confident about this album.
For most people, their self-titled album conveys a personal statement. What is the message you will ultimately reveal on Tyla?
I always wanted this album to be my introduction to the world. And I feel like this is the best introduction I could have made. It's me in music form, packaging into a 14-track project. Tyla was the only title that made sense for this one.
I only did my best. I'm sure that the people who receive it well are the people who are meant to hear it. I'm excited to see who loves it, what they have to say, and what comes from it.
How do you think your approach to music shifted through the production of Tyla, compared to the songs you've made pre-"Water?"
I'm always learning and trying new things. I may hate something today and love it tomorrow. I've always been that type of person. So, my mind has been up and down.
In terms of the project, "Water" was a confirmation that I was on the right path. This is really my sound, you know? I went again, and me, my team, and the people I work with went even deeper to bring something out that the world will feel is fresh and new. That excites me more than anything at this point.
What would you say are the core elements of amapiano? And how do you feel you're pushing the boundaries of the genre?
I have a pop, R&B approach, which sets it apart. I love adding chanting and bigness to songs, production-wise.
Amapiano and afrobeats always get people moving. It gets me moving. That's something that I love to incorporate in my music. If not in the production, it's in the way I sing, my ad-libs, or the slang I use. I always love to have a piece of home in each song.
You're kind of leading the genre, especially to Gen Z. What does it mean to have that impact as a South African native?
It's a blessing. It is a lot of pressure. Everyone's looking at you. You end up being the fact of a lot of things. I'm lucky to not be the only person there, though. There are a lot of African people dominating things. I'm happy to have that community.
I feel like Tyla is going to live with other genres. Even though having an African category is a huge milestone, I don't want it only to be a global or afrobeats album. I want to see our stuff in the bigger categories, too. I think all of us together are bringing us closer to it.
For Tyla, you worked with artists from around the globe in Latin America, other parts of Africa, and a few American singers. How was your music-making enriched by this worldliness?
I learned a lot. I enjoy sitting back and absorbing as much as I can all the time.
I love that my features aren't from one space, too. Like you said, they're from Latin America, Africa, the Caribbean. It's global! I see Tyla as a global album for everyone to appreciate. Everyone can find something.
You've been posting covers on social media since you were a kid. What is it like to look back at them? What would you tell the girl in those videos now?
It's very surreal because I know that little girl believed so hard in it. A lot of times, she was the only person who did. Now that I'm in a space where everyone can see it, it's a reminder that I made it happen. It's a really good feeling to know that I was able to show people that I could and did do it.
If I see little Tyla, I'll just tell her, "Keep whining that waist!"
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