Tyla

Tyla creates music that is at once indelibly South African and ambitiously global. It’s a unique balance, one molded by the sounds she heard as a child growing up in Johannesburg. 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. As with so many artists coming of age in the 21st century, the motivated teenager used social media to showcase her swiftly evolving talent; she then teamed up with South African producer KOOLDRINK for “Getting Late.” The 2019 single is a mesmerizing realization of Tyla’s love for bridging styles. The killer rhythm track is rooted in amapiano, and the singer’s translucent vocals reveal stunning versatility: hypnotic enough for dance music yet packed with pop’s effortless catchiness and R&B’s undiluted soulfulness. Tyla swirled all of those elements together seamlessly for TYLA, her eponymous 2024 debut. Powered by the irresistible lead single “Water”—an unmitigated breakthrough smash which earned the emerging star her first Grammy Award—and the Gunna- and Skillibeng-aided “Jump,” the album cemented Tyla’s ability to unite people and genres on the global embassy of the dance floor. With anticipation already building for her second studio album, Tyla kept busy throughout 2025 with the WWP EP and guest appearances alongside stars including Travis Scott, Cardi B, and BLACKPINK’s LISA. She presented “CHANEL,” the first look from A*POP, at the tail end of that year, followed by the Zara Larsson team-up “SHE DID IT AGAIN” in 2026, teeing up a more refined take on her signature sound in the months to come.