Tyla | |
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Studio album by | |
Released | 22 March 2024 |
Recorded | 2021–2024 |
Genre | |
Length | 38:29 |
Label |
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Producer | |
Singles from Tyla | |
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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 features guest appearances from Kelvin Momo, Tems, Gunna, Skillibeng, Becky G, and Travis Scott. Sonically, it blends elements of amapiano, pop, afrobeats, and contemporary R&B and includes lyrical themes of empowerment and relationships.
Tyla was originally scheduled for release on 1 March 2024. Recording sessions for Tyla took place in seven countries over two and a half years as Epic Records focused on fostering the singer's formal studio experience. Production and songwriting on the album was spearheaded by the singer and her frequent collaborators Ari PenSmith, Mocha Bands, Believve, and Sammy SoSo, whom she deems the "Fantastic Four". "Water", "Truth or Dare", and "Art" were released as singles from the album, and the Tyla Tour was announced. However, multiple dates were cancelled due to injury.
Upon its release, Tyla was met with critical acclaim, with many critics praising the versatility of music genres featured. The album experienced moderate commercial success internationally, debuting at number 24 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and debuting within the top 20 in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand, and Switzerland.
Shortly after completing high school in 2019, [1] Tyla self-released her debut single, "Getting Late" featuring Kooldrink, which gained popularity in South Africa and piqued the interest of executives at Epic Records. [2] In 2021, Tyla signed a recording contract with the record label and then departed from South Africa for the first time in her life in order to attend a writing camp in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, where the label had organized a songwriting camp for the singer. [3] Over the following two-and-a-half years, she would attend recording sessions in countries such as Ghana, Nigeria, Tanzania, South Africa, Jamaica, the United Kingdom and the United States in order to develop her formal studio recording experience and write and record her debut album. [3] It was during this time that she met Ari PenSmith, Mocha Bands, Believve and Sammy SoSo, who would go on to become her frequent collaborators and handle the majority of the production and songwriting work on Tyla, with the singer nicknaming them the "Fantastic Four". [3]
While speaking on the album's sound prior to its release, Tyla described it as an "experimental album" in December 2023. [4] She told Capital Xtra in October 2023 that she had been recording the album for over two years and that it would be primarily be "popiano", a blend of the amapiano and pop genres. [5] Part of the album was recorded in Portland, Jamaica. [6] She announced the release of the album via social media on 30 November 2023. [7] Originally scheduled for release on 1 March 2024, [8] Tyla was released on 22 March 2024, [9] through Fax Records and Epic Records. [10]
The album's lead single "Water" was initially produced in London, and the production was later concluded in Los Angeles, it was also written in Atlanta then recorded in Cape Town. [3] "Water" was then remixed with vocals from American rapper Travis Scott. [11] The opening song "Intro", features production from South African record producer Kelvin Momo. [12] For "Jump", Tyla enlisted American rapper Gunna and Jamaican DJ and rapper Skillibeng. [13] She extended the album submission date in order to collaborate with the Nigerian singer Tems on the song "No.1". [14] Tyla shared a teaser video on social media containing her and Lisa of Blackpink listening to "Art", [15] and stated that, Lisa was the first person to preview the album. [16]
Tyla is an amapiano, pop, and R&B record which contains elements of afrobeats; [17] a sound Tyla calls "popiano." [18] Tai Saint-Louis of HipHopDX noted that "the project is a collection of mid-tempo bops that could easily serve as background music for a dinner party, workout or study session." [19] and Beats Per Minute described Tyla as a solid record with no skips. [18]
Opening with "Intro", with production from South African record producer Kelvin Momo, is a 41 seconds recording that plays in the background while people converse. In an interview with Apple Music, Tyla explained the reason behind the song, stating that: [20]
I really wanted to start with something proudly South African, something that is raw. The song is a voice recording that I took in a Kelvin Momo session so I love that you’re hearing the song, you’re hearing people talk - you’re hearing our accents, our language - and I just wanted people to also hear the roots of my sound, because obviously I’ve experimented a lot and it’s very much different from how original piano or afrobeats is, so I just wanted people to hear a raw South African session, and then take them through what I did with it.
"Safer" features soothing melodies and syncopated log drum with chants as an expansion. [21] "Water" plays in the key of D♯ minor and composed in 4
4 time with a tempo of 117 beats per minute. [22] It is a pop, [23] and R&B infused amapiano song, [21] with Tyla's vocals flactuating between the low note of G♯3 and the high note of C♯5. [22] It is described as a "kind of naughty song". [24] In the song, Tyla sings about the desire of a woman to experience a squirting orgasm. [25] "Truth or Dare", the forth song in the album, is described as a slab of afrobeats and amapiano. [21] On the chorus, Tyla sings about reminiscing about the times when her then-lover used to mistreat her, and now she's challenging him to catch up. [26] The seventh song on the album, "Butterflies", is a distinct fusion of hip hop, pop, and R&B, similar to Ariana Grande's musical style. [27]
Writing for News24 , Joel Ontong described the R&B-influenced song "On and On" as "a great song to just groove to; the subdued atmosphere makes for an intimate experience, heightened by Tyla's luscious vocal performance," [28] [29] as it blends old school R&B, amapiano and pop. [30] [28] Tyla's objectives are to maintain the leaders of the movement at the forefront and to promote the pride and sounds of her nation as she sings "they ain't never had a pretty girl from Jo'burg, see me now and that's what they prefer" on "Jump". [31] It is the only trap-infused recording from the album, featuring not so smooth vocals from Gunna, and Skillibeng. [18] Described as the most pleasantly erotic song Tyla has released since "Water" is "Art", the tenth song in the album. [21] It is followed by "On My Body", a deep house-influenced recording featuring vocals partially delivered in Spanish language from Becky G. [32] The thirteenth song on the album, "To Last", is a fusion of R&B and amapiano. It features Tyla's smooth whispered vocals and synths with aspect of sadness as she sings “You never gave us a chance, it’s like you never wanted us to last.” [33] [34]
To promote the album, Tyla delivered live performances of singles from Tyla on the season 24 finale of The Voice in December 2023, [35] and during the 2024 Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve television special. [36] On 5 December 2023, Tyla announced her debut concert tour in support of the album, titled the Tyla Tour. [37] It was originally set to begin on 21 March 2024 in Oslo and conclude on 28 May 2024 in the Minneapolis, [38] however the North American leg of the tour was later cancelled due to an injury that the singer suffered prior to the tour's commencement, [39] and postponed the UK and European leg of the tour. [40] [41] Soon after the album's release, she did pop-up shop appearances in London and Johannesburg in order to promote the record. [42] [43]
"Water" was first performed unreleased in Portugal in June 2023 at Afro Nation Portugal. [lower-alpha 1] The singer also performed the song on 2 August, [46] and "To Last" on 6 September 2023 for Vevo's DSCVR program. [47] Early in October 2023, Tyla made her global television debut by performing the song on The Bianca Show in Sweden, [48] she went on to perform the song on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon in the United States later in the same month. [49] On 30 November 2023, she performed "On and On" on the German music performance platform ColorsxStudios, [50] then performed an unreleased remix version of "Water" with South African DJ and record producer Black Coffee at a nightclub in Sandton on 6 December. [51] Tyla performed amedly of "Water" and "Truth or Dare" on the season 24 finale of The Voice aired on NBC on 18 December, [52] [53] and a medly of "On and On", "Truth or Dare", and "Water" in Times Square during the 2024 Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve television special. [54] [55] [56] On 9 April 2024, Tyla made her debut appearance on the American late-night talk show The Late Show With Stephen Colbert when she performed "Art" for the first time. [57] [58] [59]
On 4 November 2022, Tyla returned from a brief hiatus to release "To Last" as a standalone single, [60] which would later be included on Tyla. [61]
The album's lead single, "Water", was released on 28 July 2023. [62] It peaked at number 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. [63] The song earned Tyla the inaugural Grammy Award for Best African Music Performance at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards. [64] In 2024, "Water" was nominated for several awards including Brit Award for International Song, [65] and Metro FM Music Award for Song of the Year. [66] "Water" was certified double Platinum in the United States by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). [67] [68] Remix versions of the song featuring American rapper Travis Scott and DJ Marshmello were both released on 17 November 2023. [69]
"Truth or Dare" was released on 1 December 2023 as a single with two other songs. [70] [71] It was sent to rhythmic contemporary radio on 13 February 2024. [72] It peaked at number 1 on the UK Afrobeats Singles Chart, [73] number 3 on the Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart, [74] and number 4 on the World Digital Song Sales chart. [75]
A live performance of "On and On" on the German music performance platform ColorsxStudios was released onto YouTube and various digital streaming platforms a day prior to the release of the digital EP Tyla. [28] [76] [77] The promotional single peaked at number 16 on the UK Afrobeats Singles Chart, [78] and number 10 on the Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs. [79]
"Art" was released in tandem with the album on 22 March 2024 accompanied by a music video on the day of the release. [80] [81] The single peaked at number 4 on the Billboard U.S. Afrobeats chart, [82] and number 2 on the UK Afrobeats chart. [83] The music video accumulated over 1 million views on its first day. A teaser video was previously shared on Tyla's socials on 13 March 2024 containing Tyla and Lisa of Blackpink previewing the song. [84] [85] It debuted at number 18 on the New Zealand Hot Singles chart. [86]
"Jump" with guest vocals from American rapper Gunna and Jamaican DJ and rapper Skillibeng was released in tandem with the studio album, [87] The song peaked at number 23 on Billboard South Africa Songs chart. [88] number 87 on the Canadian Hot 100, [89] number 22 on the Official New Zealand Music Chart, [90] number 38 on the UK Official Singles chart, [91] and number 3 on the U.S. Afrobeats chart. [92]
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AnyDecentMusic? | 7.7/10 [93] |
Metacritic | 84/100 [94] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
African Folder | 8.2/10 [95] |
Beats Per Minute | 75/100 [18] |
Clash | 8/10 [96] |
HipHopDX | 4/5 [19] |
i | [97] |
The Line of Best Fit | 9/10 [98] |
The Native | 7.4/10 [99] |
NME | [33] |
Pitchfork | 8.0/10 [32] |
Pulse Nigeria | 7/10 [100] |
Tyla received a score of 84 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic based on nine critics' reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". [94] Several contemporary music critics praised Tyla's ability to fuse a variety of musical styles such as afrobeats, amapiano, pop, and R&B, while still remaining "true to her roots." [98] [96]
Writing for African Folder, Bomi Anifowose wrote that the album's distinction "reflects the meticulous effort poured into its crafting". He notes that Tyla "refused to settle for mediocrity" and wrote that she "poured her heart and energy" into each aspect of the album. Concluding the review, Anifowose stated that "there is no skippable song" on the project and that it's "one of the most groundbreaking debuts" from an African pop star. [95] Beats Per Minute 's Lucas Martins complimented the album's versatility, noting that it "presents restrained yet club-ready songs" that make for the "perfect vibe". Concluding his review, Martins wrote that the "expertly crafted record"'s authentic sound will allow her to become a star. [18] Writing for Clash , Robin Murray wrote that the album "opens with a flurry of highlights", appreciating that "she’s able to remain true to her roots". He writes that the album "taps into the emerging energies of spring" and described it as "one of 2024’s most insistent projects". [96]
Tai Saint-Louis of HipHopDX wrote that the album proves that Tyla has the potential to become "one of the genre-defining stars of her generation". He notes that "she comes off as organically comfortable". [19] i 's Ed Power wrote that Tyla stays on "the front foot" on an album where "where forward motion is a recurring metaphor". [97] Writing for The Line of Best Fit , Amaya Lim writes that Tylas's USP is that "she has all the trappings of a real Popstar". She notes that amapiano, afrobeats, pop and R&B are "expertly blended into every song" which results in "a record that is above all cohesive". Lim notes that despite the "little emotional or energetic dynamism" on the album, it's "club-ready, danceable and infectious", attracting the masses. [98] Miya Madzada for The Native wrote that throughout the album, Tyla "remained genuine and authentic to herself" and that "her charismatic personality shines out" throughout the album. Madzada stated that Tyla "engraves her artistic" ambitions. [99] Kayleigh Watson of NME wrote that Tyla proves the singer's status as "South Africa's brightest new star". [33]
Pitchfork 's Julianne Escobedo Shepherd began her review noting that on the album, Tyla "flexes her fidelity to pop-R&B" and that the album "pulses with amapiano’s log-drum heartbeat". She describes her singing ability as "savvy" and states that her "vocal intimacy betrays her influences". [32] Writing for Rolling Stone , Will Hermes writes that the album "coasts safely on its vibes" and that her debut "shows she’s up to the challenge", labeling her the most "effective ambassador" for amapiano. [101]
Tyla debuted at number 24 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, [102] earning 24,000 album-equivalent units in its first week, [103] and making the album the highest-charting album on the Billboard 200 chart by a female African soloist in the chart history. [104] The album debuted atop of the US Billboard World Albums charts, [105] [104] and peaked at number one on the UK R&B Chart. [106] Tyla also peaked at number 26 on the Canadian Albums Chart, [107] number 19 on the UK Albums Chart, [108] number 25 on Nigerian Official Top 100 Albums chart, [109] number 8 on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, [110] and number 72 on the Scottish Singles and Albums Charts. [111]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Intro" (with Kelvin Momo) |
| Momo | 0:41 |
2. | "Safer" |
|
| 2:39 |
3. | "Water" |
| 3:20 | |
4. | "Truth or Dare" |
| 3:10 | |
5. | "No. 1" (featuring Tems) |
| 2:27 | |
6. | "Breathe Me" |
| 3:21 | |
7. | "Butterflies" |
| Sir Nolan | 2:42 |
8. | "On and On" |
| 2:47 | |
9. | "Jump" (with Gunna and Skillibeng) |
| 2:27 | |
10. | "Art" |
| 2:29 | |
11. | "On My Body" (with Becky G) |
| 2:55 | |
12. | "Priorities" |
| 3:15 | |
13. | "To Last" |
| 2:56 | |
14. | "Water" (remix with Travis Scott) |
| Soso | 3:20 |
Total length: | 38:29 |
Notes
Musicians
Technical
Chart (2024) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australian Albums (ARIA) [113] | 62 |
Australian Hip Hop/R&B Albums (ARIA) [114] | 16 |
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) [115] | 48 |
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [116] | 49 |
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [117] | 44 |
Canadian Albums (Billboard) [107] | 26 |
French Albums (SNEP) [118] | 31 |
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [119] | 11 |
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [120] | 86 |
Irish Albums (IRMA) [121] | 59 |
Japanese Digital Albums (Oricon) [122] | 36 |
Japanese Download Albums ( Billboard Japan ) [123] | 26 |
Lithuanian Albums (AGATA) [124] | 36 |
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) [125] | 16 |
Nigerian Albums ( TurnTable ) [109] | 25 |
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista) [126] | 19 |
Portuguese Albums (AFP) [127] | 23 |
Scottish Albums (OCC) [111] | 72 |
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [128] | 57 |
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [129] | 12 |
UK Albums (OCC) [108] | 19 |
UK R&B Albums (OCC) [106] | 1 |
US Billboard 200 [130] | 24 |
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) [110] | 8 |
US World Albums (Billboard) [105] | 1 |
Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
Various | 22 March 2024 |
| [61] | |
United Kingdom |
| [131] |
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