NEW YORK — South African singer-songwriter Tyla releases her self-titled debut album on Friday (March 22), contemporary off her win on the Grammy Awards final month.
The 22-year-old discovered success final yr, reaching the highest 10 on the US Billboard’s Sizzling 100 chart and prime 5 in Britain with amapiano hit Water, a style fusing home, jazz and log drums that emerged in South Africa.
She describes the 15-track TYLA, which options collaborations with the likes of US rapper Travis Scott and Nigerian singer Tems, as “a melting pot of all of the influences” she had rising up.
“Pop, R&B after which clearly amapiano and Afrobeats as a result of that is the place I am from, that is the sounds of residence,” Tyla informed Reuters.
“I’ve all the time simply needed to combine all of it collectively, and I’ve gotten to a spot the place I am proud of the best way it sounds.”
Final month, Tyla received the inaugural greatest African music efficiency award on the Grammys, the music trade’s prime honours.
“It is actually so loopy … each day I’ve to remind myself that that really occurred and that it is actual,” she mentioned.
The Grammy prize displays the rising recognition of Afrobeats, and different music from the continent, which is gaining a worldwide viewers with assist from social media platforms reminiscent of TikTok.
Tyla’s track Water, which was launched in July, loved large success because of the app, with TikTok customers all over the world sharing movies of themselves replicating her dance strikes utilizing the #WaterChallenge hashtag.
“I have been vibing to amapiano, quite a lot of us have been in Africa for a really very long time, and it is actually cool that different folks are actually catching on and having fun with it, as a result of South Africa did not actually have a style that crossed over this vastly,” Tyla mentioned.
Final week, Tyla shared a video of herself and Blackpink singer and rapper Lisa listening to TYLA. Requested if she deliberate a collaboration with the Okay-pop star, Tyla mentioned: “We have been talking about singing collectively, so sure, for positive.”
ALSO READ: Shakira’s new album punches again after private rollercoaster
