Tyla | |
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![]() Tyla in 2024 | |
Born | Tyla Laura Seethal 30 January 2002 |
Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter |
Years active | 2019–present |
Awards | Grammy Award for Best African Music Performance (2024) |
Musical career | |
Genres | |
Instruments | Vocals |
Labels |
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Website | tylaworld |
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Tyla Laura Seethal (born 30 January 2002), known mononymously as Tyla, is a South African singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Johannesburg, she signed with Epic Records in 2021 following the domestic success of her 2019 debut single, "Getting Late" (featuring Kooldrink).
Tyla 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. "Water" was the first song by a South African soloist to enter the US Billboard Hot 100 in 55 years and was awarded the inaugural Grammy Award for Best African Music Performance in 2024. The single preceded her self-titled debut album (2024), which was released to critical acclaim and moderate commercial success, entering the top 25 in multiple countries including the United States.
Tyla became the youngest African artist to win a Grammy Award, and has also earned nominations for a BRIT Award, a Soul Train Music Award, a MOBO Award, and two South African Music Awards. Tyla won the most awards at the 2024 BET Awards, tying with Usher and Victoria Monét. She was dubbed the "Queen of Popiano", a fusion of the pop and amapiano genres.
Tyla Laura Seethal [4] was born on 30 January 2002 in Edenvale, East Rand, [5] [6] to a Coloured family with Indian, [7] [8] Mauritian, Zulu, and Irish ancestry. [9] [10] [11] She grew up in Johannesburg, Gauteng, [12] and graduated from Edenglen High School in 2019, where she was the Head of Culture. [13] During her final year of high school, she began pursuing a career in music, posting original songs covers on Instagram and actively seeking out opportunities in the music industry. She was discovered by her first manager, Garth von Glehn, who organized her first recording sessions. [2] [14] Tyla stated that she spent every weekend of her final year of high school in the recording studio. [15]
In late 2019 after finishing high school, [7] Tyla self-released her debut single, "Getting Late" featuring production from Kooldrink, which achieved national success. [10] Filmed by her own manager intermittently throughout the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, [14] the accompanying music video was released in January 2021. [16] It amassed several million views on YouTube, [17] and was nominated for South African Music Award for Best Music Video of the Year in 2022. [18]
She had been studying towards a degree in mining engineering, [19] 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. [15] She then signed a recording contract with Epic Records through a joint venture with Fax Records in the United States in May 2021. [20] [21] She followed up her debut single with the singles "Overdue" in October 2021, and "To Last" in November 2022. [22] [23]
Tyla's first public performance occurred in 2023 during the Dolce & Gabbana afterparty at Milan Fashion Week, [24] following the release of her single "Been Thinking", [25] [26] which earned Tyla her first chart placements of her career, on the Billboard Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay and Rhythmic Airplay charts. [27] [28] 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". [29] Tyla then joined Chris Brown as the opening act for his Under the Influence Tour. [30] In May 2023, she released the single "Girl Next Door", featuring Nigerian singer Ayra Starr. [31] She also later released the song "Water" in July 2023 as the lead single from her upcoming self-titled debut studio album. [32] [10] After spawning a viral dance challenge on the social media platform TikTok, [33] "Water" peaked within the top 10 in multiple countries including South Africa, [34] the United States, [35] and the United Kingdom. [36] Tyla became the first and youngest-ever South African soloist in 55 years to enter the US Billboard Hot 100 with "Water", following Hugh Masekela's "Grazing in the Grass" in 1968. [37]
Tyla performed "Water" live on The Bianca Show in Sweden and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in the United States. [38] [39] The music video for "Water" was released on 6 October 2023, it accumulated 3 million views on YouTube in three days. [40] 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. [41] On the eve of December 2023, she announced the release of her debut studio album, Tyla (2024), and simultaneously released three songs: "Truth or Dare", "On and On" and "Butterflies", as promotional singles from the project on an extended play of the same name. [42] Tyla performed a medley of "Water" and "Truth or Dare" on the season 24 finale of The Voice on 19 December 2023. [43] At the 66th Annual Grammy Awards in February 2024, Tyla became the first person to win the inaugural Grammy Award for Best African Music Performance with "Water", also becoming the youngest-ever African artist to win a Grammy Award. [44]
Tyla's self-titled debut album was officially released via Fax and Epic Records on 22 March 2024. [45] The single "Art" and its accompanying music video were released in tandem with the album. [46] Tyla received widespread critical acclaim, [47] and was a top-25 album in the United States, [48] the United Kingdom, [36] the Netherlands, [49] Norway, [50] New Zealand, [51] and Switzerland. [52] Tyla received the most nominations at the 18th Metro FM Music Awards in South Africa, with six nods. [53] [54] She went on to win the most awards at the 2024 BET Awards, tying with Usher and Victoria Monét at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, California, [55] where she delivered a live performance of "Jump" for the first time alongside Gunna and Skillibeng. [56]
Tyla's biggest musical influences include Michael Jackson, Aaliyah, Rihanna, [57] Cassie Ventura, Shakira, Freshlyground, [10] Britney Spears, [58] Drake and Wizkid. [59] She has said that her dream is to become the first global pop star from Africa. [60] [58] [61] [14] She has since been deemed the "Queen of Popiano", [12] after coining the term "popiano" which is a fusion of the pop and amapiano genres. [62]
Title | Details | Peak chart positions | Certifications | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AUS [63] | CAN [64] | GER [65] | IRE [66] | NLD [49] | NOR [50] | NZ [51] | SWI [52] | UK [36] | US [48] | |||
Tyla |
| 62 | 26 | 86 | 59 | 11 | 19 | 16 | 12 | 19 | 24 |
Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SA [34] | AUS [69] | CAN [70] | IRE [71] | NLD [49] | NZ [72] | UK [36] | US [35] | US Afro [73] | WW [74] | ||||
"Getting Late" (featuring Kooldrink) [20] | 2019 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album single | |
"Overdue" (featuring DJ Lag and Kooldrink) [22] | 2021 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Blood & Water: Season 2 (Music from the Netflix Series) | |
"Been Thinking" | 2023 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — [upper-alpha 1] | 43 | — | Non-album singles | |
"Girl Next Door" (featuring Ayra Starr) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — [upper-alpha 2] | — | 35 | — | |||
"Water" | 3 | 6 | 15 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 6 |
| Tyla | |
"Truth or Dare" | 2024 | 15 | — | — | — | — | — [upper-alpha 3] | — [upper-alpha 4] | — [upper-alpha 5] | 3 | — | ||
"Art" | 11 | — | — | — | — | — [upper-alpha 6] | 85 | — | 4 | — | |||
"Jump" (with Gunna and Skillibeng) | 18 | — | 87 | 66 | 51 | — [upper-alpha 7] | 38 | — | 3 | 195 |
| ||
"—" denotes items which were not released in that country or failed to chart. |
Title | Year | Album |
---|---|---|
"Thata Ahh" (ShaunMusiq, Ftears, and DJ Maphorisa featuring Young Stunna, Madumane, and Tyla) [100] | 2022 | Thatha Ushaka |
"Ke Shy" (Major Lazer and Major League DJz featuring Tyla, Luudadeejay, and Yumbs) [101] | 2023 | Piano Republik |
"Bana Ba" (Daliwonga featuring ShaunMusiq, Ftears, Tyla, and TitoM) [102] | Dali Dali |
Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | |
---|---|---|---|---|
UK Afro [103] | US Afro [73] | |||
"To Last" [23] | 2022 | — | 16 | Tyla |
"On and On" [104] | 2023 | 16 | 10 | |
"Butterflies" [104] | — | — | ||
"—" denotes items which were not released in that country or failed to chart. |
Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NZ Hot [98] | US Afro [73] | |||||||||
"Safer" | 2024 | 36 | 8 | Tyla | ||||||
"No. 1" (featuring Tems) | 26 | 5 | ||||||||
"Breathe Me" | — | 11 | ||||||||
"On My Body" (featuring Becky G) | — | 10 | ||||||||
"Priorities" | — | 13 | ||||||||
"—" denotes items which were not released in that country or failed to chart. |
Title | Year | Other artist(s) | Album |
---|---|---|---|
"Ngowam" [105] | 2022 | Kelvin Momo | Amukelani |
"Amawele" [106] | Marioo | The Kid You Know | |
"Girls Need Love (Girls Mix)" [41] | 2023 | Summer Walker | Girls Need Love (Girls Mix) |
Headling
Supporting
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Totals [lower-alpha 1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Wins | 8 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Nominations | 32 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Note
|
Organization | Year | Award | Recipient or nominee | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
African Entertainment Awards USA | 2023 | Best Female Artist | Herself | Won | [107] |
Basadi in Music Awards | 2024 | Artist of the Year | Pending | [108] | |
Best Styled Artist of the Year | Pending | ||||
Pop Artist of the Year | "Water" | Pending | |||
Music Video of the Year | Pending | ||||
Song of the Year | Pending | ||||
BBC | 2024 | Sound of 2024 | Herself | Fourth | [109] |
BET Awards | 2024 | Best Female R&B/Pop Artist | Nominated | [110] | |
Best New Artist | Won | [111] | |||
Best International Act | Won | [112] | |||
Viewer's Choice Award | "Water" | Nominated | [113] | ||
BRIT Awards | 2024 | International Song | Nominated | [114] | |
Cultural and Creative Industry Awards | 2024 | Best International Act | Herself | Won | [115] |
Best Newcomer | Nominated | [116] | |||
Grammy Awards | 2024 | Best African Music Performance | "Water" | Won | [44] |
iHeartRadio Music Awards | 2024 | Best African Music Artist | Herself | Nominated | [117] |
Best Lyrics | "Water" | Nominated | |||
TikTok Bop of the Year | Nominated | ||||
Metro FM Music Awards | 2024 | Song of the Year | Nominated | [53] | |
Best Music Video | Nominated | ||||
Best Viral Challenge | Nominated | ||||
Best R&B | Nominated | ||||
Best Female Artist | Herself | Nominated | |||
Artist of the Year | Nominated | ||||
Global Icon Award | Won | [118] | |||
MOBO Awards | 2023 | Best African Music Act | Nominated | [119] | |
Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards | 2024 | Favorite Breakout Artist | Nominated | [120] | |
Favorite Global Music Star | Nominated | ||||
Favorite Viral Song | "Water" | Nominated | |||
Soul Train Music Awards | 2023 | Best New Artist | Herself | Nominated | [121] |
South African Music Awards | 2022 | Music Video of the Year | "Getting Late" (featuring Kooldrink) | Nominated | [18] |
2023 | Best Produced Music Video | "Been Thinking" | Nominated | [122] | |
South African Style Awards | 2024 | Most Stylish Performing Artist | Herself | Won | [123] |
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Tyla is the debut studio album by South African singer Tyla. It was released on 22 March 2024 through Fax and Epic Records. Capitalizing on her international breakthrough with its lead single "Water", the album includes guest appearances from Kelvin Momo, Tems, Gunna, Skillibeng, Becky G, and Travis Scott. Tyla blends elements of amapiano, pop, afrobeats, and contemporary R&B, and its lyrical themes include empowerment and relationships.
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"Jump" is a song by South African singer Tyla, American rapper Gunna and Jamaican rapper Skillibeng, from Tyla's self-titled debut album. The song was written by Tyla, Mocha, Believve, Gunna, Skillibeng, and its producer Sammy SoSo. Musically, "Jump" is a genre fusion of Afrobeats, dancehall and hip hop. It features throbbing bass, amapiano percussion, and a chant of the Zulu language expression "haibo". Tyla reflects on her rise to fame with braggadocio in the lyrics and references her hometown Johannesburg by its two colloquial names, Joburg and Jozi.
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