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 Epic Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America Sony Corporation of America (SONAM, also known as SCA), is the American arm of the Japanese conglomerate Sony Group ...

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 Predicted and scheduled events * January 1 ** In the United States, books, films, and other works published in 1928 will enter the public domain, assuming there are no changes made to copyright law. ***''Steamboat Willie'', Walt Disney's fi ...

. 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 Usher may refer to: Several jobs which originally involved directing people and ensuring people are in the correct place: * Usher (occupation) ** Church usher ** Wedding usher, one of the male attendants to the groom in a wedding ceremony ** Fiel ...

and Victoria Monét. She was dubbed the " Queen of Popiano", a fusion of the

pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop!, a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Albums * ''Pop'' (G ...

and amapiano genres.

Early life

Tyla Laura Seethal was born on 30 January 2002 in Edenvale, East Rand, to a

Coloured Coloureds ( af, Kleurlinge or , ) refers to members of multiracial ethnic communities in Southern Africa who may have ancestry from more than one of the various populations inhabiting the region, including African, European, and Asian. South ...

family with Indian, Mauritian, Zulu, and Irish ancestry. She grew up in Johannesburg, Gauteng, and graduated from Edenglen High School in 2019, where she was the Head of Culture. During her final year of high school, she began pursuing a career in music, posting original songs and covers on

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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. Tyla stated that she spent every weekend of her final year of high school in the recording studio.

Career

2019–2022: "Getting Late" and national success

In late 2019 after finishing high school, Tyla self-released her debut single, "Getting Late" featuring production from Kooldrink, which achieved national success. Filmed by her own manager intermittently throughout the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, the accompanying music video was released in January 2021. It amassed several million views on YouTube, and was nominated for South African Music Award for Best Music Video of the Year in

2022 File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; 2022 Sri Lankan protests, Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretari ...

. She had been 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 then signed a recording contract with

through a joint venture with Fax Records in the United States in May 2021. She followed up her debut single with the singles "Overdue" in October 2021, and "To Last" in November 2022.

2023–present: International breakthrough with "Water"

Tyla's first public performance occurred in 2023 during the Dolce & Gabbana afterparty at Milan Fashion Week, following the release of her single " Been Thinking", which earned Tyla her first chart placements of her career, on the ''Billboard'' Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay and Rhythmic Airplay charts. 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 Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, actress, and businesswoman. Born in Saint Michael and raised in Bridgetown, Barbados, Rihanna auditioned for American record producer Evan Rogers who invited her to the ...

". Tyla then joined

Chris Brown Christopher Maurice Brown (born May 5, 1989) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. According to '' Billboard'', Brown is one of the most successful R&B singers of his generation, having often been referred to by many contempo ...

as the opening act for his

Under the Influence Tour The Under the Influence Tour was a concert tour by American singer Chris Brown to support his tenth studio album, ''Breezy'' (2022). The tour was named after his 2019 song " Under the Influence". It began in Ireland on February 11, 2022, and en ...

. In May 2023, she released the single " Girl Next Door", featuring Nigerian singer Ayra Starr. She also later released the song " Water" in July 2023 as the lead single from her upcoming self-titled debut studio album. After spawning a viral dance challenge on the social media platform TikTok, "Water" peaked within the top 10 in multiple countries including South Africa, the United States, and the United Kingdom. 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. Tyla performed "Water" live on '' The Bianca Show'' in Sweden and '' The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon'' in the United States. The music video for "Water" was released on 6 October 2023, it accumulated 3 million views on YouTube in three days. Tyla was then featured on a remix version of " Girls Need Love" by

Summer Walker Summer Marjani Walker (born April 11, 1996) is an American R&B singer. In 2017, she signed to Love Renaissance and Interscope Records. The following year, she released the mixtape '' Last Day of Summer,'' which spawned the single " Girls Need ...

, released as part of the latter's ''Girls Mix'' extended play in October 2023. 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. Tyla performed a medley of "Water" and "Truth or Dare" on the season 24 finale of '' The Voice'' on 19 December 2023. 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. Tyla's self-titled debut album was officially released via Fax and Epic Records on 22 March 2024. The single " Art" and its accompanying music video were released in tandem with the album. ''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 received the most nominations at the

18th Metro FM Music Awards The 2024 Metro FM Music Awards is the 18th annual ceremony of the Metro FM Music Awards, the ceremony was aired live on SABC1 SABC 1 is a South African public television network operated by the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) whi ...

in South Africa, with six nods. She went on to win the most awards at the 2024 BET Awards, tying with

and Victoria Monét at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, California, where she delivered a live performance of " Jump" for the first time alongside Gunna and

Skillibeng Emwah Warmington (born December 23, 1996), known professionally as Skillibeng, is a Jamaican dancehall Deejay "DJ" and rapper from Saint Thomas Parish, Jamaica, St. Thomas, noted for his works with Vybz Kartel, DJ Khaled, Sean Paul, Nicki Minaj, ...

Artistry

Tyla's biggest musical influences include Michael Jackson,

Aaliyah Aaliyah Dana Haughton (; January 16, 1979 – August 25, 2001) was an American singer and actress. She has been credited for helping to redefine contemporary R&B, pop and hip hop, earning her the nicknames the "Princess of R&B" and " ...

, Cassie, Ciara, Shakira, Freshlyground,

Britney Spears Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the " Princess of Pop", she is credited with influencing the revival of teen pop during the late 1990s and early 2000s. After appearing in stage productio ...

, Drake and Wizkid. She has said that her dream is to become the first global pop star from Africa. She has since been deemed the " Queen of Popiano", after coining the term "popiano" which is a fusion of the

and amapiano genres.

Discography

Studio albums

Singles

As lead artist

As featured artist

Promotional singles

Other charted songs

Guest appearances

Tours

Headling * Tyla Tour (2024) Supporting *

(2023)

Awards and nominations

Notes

References

External links

* * * {{Navboxes , title = Awards for ''Tyla'' , list = {{BET Award for Best International Act {{BET Award for Best New Artist 2002 births Living people Coloureds Epic Records artists Grammy Award winners Singers from Johannesburg South African pop singers 21st-century South African women singers Amapiano musicians South African people of Indian descent South African people of Irish descent South African people of Mauritian descent Zulu people Singers of Indian descent