During 2023, she vaulted to the forefront of popular culture on her own terms. The piano-laced, pop-leaning track was inspired by her friend’s one-sided relationship, leaving her to wonder about feeling disposable. “Making that song made me realize that I was born for this because I wrote the hook lyrics years ago in the shower,” she says. Tyla knew she had that potential in her, too—to “open a window to people in Africa.” She messaged any and everyone who worked in music, to mostly no avail.
The single preceded her self-titled debut album (2024), which was released to critical acclaim and moderate commercial success, entering or approaching the top 25 in multiple countries including the United States. Powered by the irresistible "Water," not to mention the Gunna- and Skillibeng-aided "Jump," the project proved her ability to unite people and genres on the global embassy of the dance floor. The TikTok video shows Tyla pouring water on herself as part of the bacardi-inspired dance routine by the choreographer Lee-ché, making the clip go viral. She dubbed her music “popiano,” a mix of pop with amapiano, the South African dance music genre, with origins in jazz and house music, that originated in the mid-2010s. Tyla gained international recognition when the video for her 2023 single “Water” went viral on social media. Tyla’s music style is called “popiano,” a mix of pop with amapiano, a South African dance music genre.
2024: International breakthrough with "Water"
The 'world's rarest album' is about to go on display in an Australian gallery. What famous tuba song was played during a movie with a shark? And when I try to winaura casino no deposit bonus complete it on my PC it will say that I have successfully completed the quiz but never award any points. The single has been streamed 32 million times, overtaking her breakout hit, ‘Water’.
After debuting at number 117 on the Spotify Top Song Global Chart, the song climbed to number 38. South African singer Tyla continues to achieve global success with her new single Chanel skyrocketing on the charts. Tyla in the music video for 'Chanel'. Tyla turns heads once again in a striking new music video, where she appears in super short micro shorts that highlight the bold, fashion-forward aesthetic.
- The TikTok video shows Tyla pouring water on herself as part of the bacardi-inspired dance routine by the choreographer Lee-ché, making the clip go viral.
- Tyla received widespread critical acclaim, and was a top-25 album in the United States, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand, and Switzerland.
- Tyla described the EP as “a bridge to the second album”, which is set to be released later in 2025, and is “going to be such a totally different vibe than what people are expecting”.
- Not only did Tyla (born in 2002) listen to plenty of homegrown music, including Kwaito and Afropop, but she was also exposed to ’90s American R&B greats like Aaliyah and Brandy.
- Her outfit matches the dramatic, editorial tone of the video.
- But it was the 2023 release “Water,” a sultry popiano track with the lyrics “Make me sweat, make me hotter / Make me lose my breath, make me water,” that catapulted Tyla’s career to new heights.
What is Tyla’s music style called?
Tyla was then featured on a remix version of "Girls Need Love" by Summer Walker, released as part of the latter's Girls Mix extended play in October 2023. Heven Haile of Pitchfork described it as a "slick club anthem that channels the seductive pop-R&B hits of mid-2000s Ciara and Rihanna". As of 2021, she started studying towards a degree in mining engineering, and after much persuasion and "a lot of crying", her parents had agreed to let Tyla take a year off university to attempt to lift her music career off the ground. She gained international recognition after the release of her 2023 single "Water", which entered the top ten in multiple countries including her native South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States.
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Tyla identifies as “Coloured” in South Africa, a term describing people with mixed European and African or Asian ancestry. “I can’t wait for the day I perform in front of thousands of people outside of Africa,” she says. She delivered a powerhouse performance of the song on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, while she earned critical acclaim from Billboard, Cosmopolitan, i-D Magazine, Insider, Office, Rolling Stone, UPROXX, and more. The song gathered hundreds of millions of streams as it cracked the Top 25 of the Billboard Hot 100, climbed to #1 on the Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs Chart, and buzzed at Urban and Rhythm Radio.
- She wrote and performed the song “Everything Goes with Blue” for the Smurfs soundtrack, which was released on 18 July.
- Tyla’s multiethnic Zulu, Irish, Mauritian, and Indian heritage leads her to identify as “Coloured,” a term used in South Africa to describe people with European and African or Asian ancestry.
- The video shows Tyla in super short micro shorts with a sculptural top, high heels, and an oversized bag.
- Tyla’s self-titled debut album was officially released via Fax and Epic Records on 22 March 2024.
- On 7 September 2025, Tyla attended the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards, where she won the Best Afrobeats award for “Push 2 Start” (2024), marking her second win in the category after she previously won the award for “Water” (2023) at the 2024 ceremony.
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"When I was a kid, I always hoped that a pop star like Rihanna, Britney Spears or Michael Jackson would come out of South Africa. I wanted a star to come from my hometown. Now, for the people of my hometown, I want to be a pop star who represents South Africa" On 24 October, Tyla released the song "Chanel", which became her highest charting entry on the Billboard Global 200 since "Water" (2023),peaking at number 44. She wrote and performed the song "Everything Goes with Blue" for the Smurfs soundtrack, which was released on 18 July. On 9 May 2025, Tyla released the single "Bliss", and hosted the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards the following month. The remix was debuted live at her Coachella 2025 set, where she also performed her upcoming single "Bliss" for the first time.
The 2021 music video for “Getting Late,” featuring Tyla as a princess in what PAPER described as a “fairy tale,” went viral in South Africa and garnered some attention internationally. As a preteen, Tyla posted covers of Beyoncé and Justin Bieber hits to social media; she also began experimenting with songwriting. Tyla won the inaugural award for best African musical performance at the 66th Grammy Awards. She’s focused on the year ahead, performing and crafting her debut studio album, with the same intention from when she began.
The music video for "Water" was released on 6 October 2023, it accumulated 3 million views on YouTube in three days. Filmed by her own manager intermittently throughout the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, the accompanying music video was released in January 2021. In late 2019 after finishing high school, Tyla self-released her debut single, "Getting Late" featuring production from Kooldrink, which achieved national success. During her final year of high school, Tyla began pursuing a music career, sharing original songs and covers on Instagram while actively seeking opportunities in the music industry. Chanel was recently one of the most Shazamed songs, surpassing Olivia Dean’s Man I Need.
present: "WWP" EP and upcoming second studio album
Her outfit matches the dramatic, editorial tone of the video. The video shows Tyla in super short micro shorts with a sculptural top, high heels, and an oversized bag. The moment comes from the video she shared on her official Instagram account, where she posted the clip with the caption, “Look 2.” Tyla’s multiethnic Zulu, Irish, Mauritian, and Indian heritage leads her to identify as “Coloured,” a term used in South Africa to describe people with European and African or Asian ancestry. She followed “Getting Late” with singles “Overdue” featuring Kooldrink and DJ Lag in 2021 and “To Last” in 2022. “Ever since I could say the word ‘singer,’ it was all I told people I wanted to be,” Tyla told Metal magazine.
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On 7 September 2025, Tyla attended the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards, where she won the Best Afrobeats award for "Push 2 Start" (2024), marking her second win in the category after she previously won the award for "Water" (2023) at the 2024 ceremony. "Bliss" and "Is It" were included on her second extended-play WWP, also known as We Wanna Party, which was released on 25 July 2025. Tyla received widespread critical acclaim, and was a top-25 album in the United States, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand, and Switzerland.
“Been Thinking” and “To Last,” her new singles via Epic Records, push her artistry forward and solidify her versatility as she bounds toward her ultimate goal. The Johannesburg native introduced herself internationally with her debut “Getting Late” featuring Kooldrink, a bouncy, lust-filled track. She has since been deemed the "Queen of Popiano", a fusion of the pop and amapiano genres, infused with elements of R&B and Afrobeats. Tyla's biggest musical influences include Michael Jackson, Rihanna, Beyoncé, Britney Spears, Drake, Wizkid, Whitney Houston, Freshlyground, Aaliyah and Cassie.