FEATURE: To Watch in 2024: Tyla — Music Musings & Such

FEATURE:

To Watch in 2024

PHOTO CREDIT: Epic/Fax Records

Tyla

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THIS year is going to see some…

truly awesome artists make their mark on the scene. Someone I have written about before but feel compelled to revisit just came in fourth in the BBC Sound of 2024 list. I will come to the corresponding interview at the end. First, there are a few more that I want to come to. Tyla is someone who is going to make big strides this year. I am going to bring in a few interview so that we can get a fuller impression of an artist who is going to conquer the globe before too long. She is someone I have loved for a long time. Such a fresh and exciting voice in music. Do make sure you check Tyla out and what she is doing. Born and raised in Johannesburg, Tyla hails from a multiracial ethnic group in South Africa with the highest levels of mixed ancestry in the world - and a rich history and cultural identity. Back in October, Wonderland. spoke with the twenty-one-year-old superstar-in-the-making. In their words, Tyla was “Championing the Johannesburg music scene with her ethereal flow and Pop-tinged take on the rapidly rising South African dance genre, Amapiano, the music riser is making her presence known”. This is someone who is going to rise to the highest levels. Such is her talent and passion she has:

“Introducing a rising genre to new audiences is no easy feat. But 21-year-old Tyla – aka Tyla Laura Seethal – is giving it a try. “So I do make Amapiano music, but I wouldn’t say I’m an Amapiano artist,” contemplates the artist as she reflects on the South African music genre that she is bringing to promi-nence. Growing roots in South Africa during the mid 2010s, the genre is a melting pot of Deep House, Jazz and Lounge, which marry in symphonic har-mony, characterised by distinctive sounds packed with signature vibrating synths and wide percussive baselines. “It’s definitely new for the Western world. But I mean, it’s been around for so long in South Af-rica. We’ve been partying to this genre. It’s been a part of our culture for a long time. So naturally, I fell into it. I wanted to explore it as well as put my own spin on it. That’s why I make it a bit more Pop-y.”

PHOTO CREDIT: Wonderland.

The Pop-infused sound in question first graced our ears when the songstress made her debut two years ago, with the uptempo tune “Getting Late” ft. Kooldrink. Amassing 6.2M YouTube views since its release, the internet embraced Tyla with arms wide open and her debut was hailed a success. But, a quick scroll to the depths of her YouTube channel – which hosts archival gems of an infant Tyla bellowing Justin Bieber covers at the camera – is all it takes to confirm that her love affair with music has been nurtured since infancy. “My family is very mu-sical,” the artist confirms as she reminisces on her childhood spent in Johannesburg. “My family sings and plays instruments. My parents cannot sing, but they love music. My gran can sing, she would do it a lot when we were growing up. She’d do competi-tions and that’s how she would get money. She al-ways says I got [my talent] from her, and I probably did.” With her gran’s influence guiding her, a young Tyla began putting pen to paper – well, pen to diary. Filling a journal with her first scrawling of lyrics and song ideas, along with the detailing of boy crushes, the making of Tyla was underway. Will the musings of the young artist ever see the light of day? “There was a song that I recorded that had something that was similar to what I’ve written in that diary. It’s not out, but it was something that was recorded.

With confirmation that there will “definitely be Amapiano songs on the EP,” and her recently-released summer anthem “Water” giving listeners a scintillating hint at what is to come, South Africa’s global musical revolution is in motion. And, Tyla is sure she is the right person to spearhead the move-ment. “Firstly, being from South Africa, I’m from a completely different place. Not many Pop stars are emerging from where I’m coming from. So that is already exciting. I think I have a new sound and I’m also a performer. I dance, I sing, I do it all. And I genuinely have so much passion and love for what I do. I just see the potential and how far I could go not only with music but also outside of music in the industry.” Self-assured she may be, but Tyla is not the only person invested in her success – the social me-dia-crazed TikTokers are also backing her. “I was just seeing people from everywhere making videos to “Getting Late”,” she says of her viral reception on the app. “From places I had never heard about ever in my life. Places that I’ve always dreamed of going to; that was very exciting for me around that time”.

Tyla was featured by Cosmopolitan in October. Someone who was introducing and exposing South African culture to a global stage, there was this growing excitement and anticipation. Songs such as Water have demonstrated why she is so heralded. The latest BBC Sound of 2024 honour shows that her music is spreading worldwide. I predict that she will feature at some massive festivals in the summer:

“Water” has positioned the 21-year-old South African star in a league of popular artists solidifying Afrobeats music in the mainstream (see: Tems and Tiwa Savage). And Tyla is already making history. She became the first South African solo artist to enter the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in 55 years since Hugh Masekela did it. (That was back in 1968 if math’s not your thing.)

So how does a girl who hadn’t left South Africa before signing to her label adjust to global spotlight? Cosmopolitan sat down with Tyla—fresh off her U.S. TV debut performance on The Tonight Show—for a check-in...and some tips on how not to look ridiculous while attempting the “Water” dance.

PHOTO CREDIT: Ruben Chamorro

Congrats on “Water” going viral! You’re blowing up. I know you wanted to put out a smaller project before your debut album—how is the development process going? Where are you on that journey?

I have a lot of amazing songs. I’ve been recording for basically two years trying to make the project that I’m happy with. My mini one is just a little taste, you know, so people have more things to listen to other than “Water” and people can get to know my sound and who Tyla is as an artist. Then the debut album, mmm! That’s gonna be a moment. I really love how artists used to break back in the day, so I try to bring that back with the things I do. I really liked that time.

Which era are you most drawn to when you look at different times in music history?

The 2000s for sure. When Rihanna was coming up, and Aaliyah was doing her thing. Beyoncé, that era.

I can see a lot of that influence in your fashion too. What type of things are on your mood board when you’re curating a look?

I just like feeling a certain way, you know? When I put on something, it has to make me feel something. In general, the easy island type of vibe has always been mine. A very sweaty, ripped look.

Is there an essential piece that’s best to wear during the “Water” dance? What do you suggest to get the most movement going?

Girl, definitely a skirt. Not a tight one. It can be a little tight by the waist, but your bum needs to be free. That’s the trick. Like, your bum can’t be tense in the outfit.

PHOTO CREDIT: Ruben Chamorro

What type of music were you listening to when you were growing up? Were they into pop culture?

My parents listen to everything. My house was always playing music every day. We’d wake up to music, we’d come home to music. Rap, R&B, pop, our type of House in South Africa—not the oontz-oontz type. Jazz, literally almost everything. So I had a wide variety, and I fell in love with it all. I think that’s why my sound is a fusion of a lot of different things—because I don’t like just one sound.

What would you consider your career high so far?

Oh my gosh, there have been so many moments, especially this year. I feel like this was my year in general. “Water” has made my life. Everything that’s happening is crazy, and it doesn’t feel real yet. Being from where I’m from, this thing doesn’t happen all the time. I’m happy that I’m able to do that not only for myself and my music but also for South Africa and African music as a whole.

There’s so much precision. I think that’s something people respect about you as well—it seems like you have a real respect for your craft. What is your rehearsal process like when you’re getting a performance together? Are you a perfectionist?

I’m definitely a perfectionist. When things are just “eh,” it’s like, what’s the point? But I also have people around me that I trust, so we work very well together to create something beautiful. There’s also the fact that my creative team is from South Africa. So everything I do is South African and close to home and constantly pushing the culture and who I am in general, you know? I love to rehearse. I love to get things right. But there are times when I leave it to God, and it always comes back the way it’s supposed to.

Thinking about your career specifically, if you were able to sit down with the version of yourself that exists 10 years from now, what would you hope she’d have to report back to you?

I would just want her to say that Tyla is the biggest pop star of my time. Because I want that pop star to be from Africa. That’s really something that I want in general and for myself”.

Harper’s Bazzar spotlighted the remarkable Tyla at the end of last year. With a debut album being worked on and new music coming pretty soon, there are going to be more and more eyes on this astonishing artist. I have not heard anyone quite like her. This all means that 2024 is a year where Tyla will dominate. I have no doubt about that. A hugely important name in modern music. If you are not aware of her then do make sure that you check her out as soon as possible:

“Portions of her debut LP have been recorded in multiple countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Nigeria, the United Kingdom, Ghana, and the United States. That global influence permeates her upcoming album, set for release in 2024. Tyla’s new songs—“On and On,” “Truth or Dare,” “Butterflies,” and the “Water (Remix)” with Travis Scott—are available now for fans who preorder her upcoming self-titled album. Her airy voice floats above melodies, detailing how love went wrong and the joy of finding someone new. She is clearly well on her way to the global stardom she’s striving for.

Her diverse approach to production and choice of collaborators ultimately fuel what she considers her “popiano” sound, a fusion of pop and amapiano influences, such as kwaito music. “I just love mixing R&B and pop with African production. That is my favorite type of music,” Tyla says.

Though celebrated for her bubbly persona on social media, there is greater depth to her budding talent—this musical moment has been years in the making. Tyla scripts her videos’ storyboards, is hands-on with her stylist, pens songs from personal experiences, and more importantly, understands the value of teamwork. “Obviously, I enjoy doing things by myself. But I always find that I enjoy collaborating with people. I enjoy those sessions more. It is more creative. I am able to bounce [ideas] off of people. Then, people can bounce off of me,” she says. “I love getting inspiration and sharing where I am from and things about my life and culture.”

The person most responsible for instilling these values in her also helped establish the breezy style that launched Tyla’s career—it was her mother. The singer would raid her mom’s closet as a tyke, hoping to emulate her beauty. “I love fashion … I would wear all my mother’s clothes, heels, shoes, and everything. I would model for my family … I really grew up looking up to my mother and loving the way she carried herself,” she says. While brand names are not yet a major focal point for her at this stage, being put together is. As with her music, Tyla’s style is more concentrated on execution than anything else. So far, the performer has worn looks from Gen Z–adored brands Di Petsa and Blumarine, which have caught fans’ attention. As we have learned over the years, fashion is nearly as vital in building a superstar as music.

That sentiment was showcased on social media recently through a snippet of her video for “Truth or Dare,” filmed in Jamaica, with creative direction from Thato Nzimande. The single’s emphasis on how exes play themselves only to regret it later carries weight with Tyla’s audiences. The lyrics (“So, let’s play truth or dare / Dare you to forget / That you used to treat me just like anyone”) remind listeners that women with their own things going on are at liberty to hold romantic partners accountable.

PHOTO CREDIT: Jeremy Soma

Tyla confirms that she writes about what she is familiar with. “A lot of the new songs I relate to,” she says. “With my songs, I just do storytelling … I do find myself in all the music that I make.” Her eyes are set on having it all, and why not?

She is not afraid to voice what she wants out of fame. “I want to become the biggest pop star and to advocate for Africa and African music wherever I go. That would make me feel like I have made it,” she says. Among her dream collaborators are Rihanna, PartyNextDoor, Drake, and Blackpink, to name a few. Her passion and purpose have led her this far, and will continue propelling her forward.

As she puts it: “I am so ready for everything that is to come”.

I shall come to that new interview from the BBC. After being placed fourth in their annual competition to decide which artists will define the year, she reflected on her upbringing and path into music. Even if people define her with a song like Water, there is a lot more music to come. Her debut album is going to be among the most anticipated of this year. Someone who is rightly earning a lot of praise and celebration at the moment. An artist far too special and strong to overlook:

“I really looked up to Rihanna, because she came from outside America and just dominated the industry," she says. And if a girl from Barbados could do it, why not her?

After "a lot of convincing and a lot of crying", her parents gave her a year to break into the industry. If she didn't succeed, she had to go back to school.

"And I'm still on my gap year now!"

Tyla released her debut single, Getting Late, in 2019, casually creating a new genre in the process.

Called Popiano, it's essentially a more streamlined, hook-heavy variant of Amapiano - the popular South African sound that blends house music with reggae, jazz and trunk-rattling kwaito bass lines.

"Amapiano really felt like me, being a South African girl," she explains. "But I also love pop and R&B so I wanted to mix that influence with sounds from home. It came together very naturally."

PHOTO CREDIT: Epic/Fax Records

Showcasing her soulful, intimate delivery over a shimmering shaker-and-snare groove, Getting Late put Tyla on an upward trajectory in South Africa - but the song lacked a music video, and Tyla lacked the resources to shoot one.

On the boisterous Overdue, she's harbouring a secret crush. The agitated beats of Been Thinking capture the anxious moment where she confesses her feelings.

"I read a lot of teen romance when I was younger, and I love those type of stories," she explains. "It's all very fun and young."

Water is where the passion boils over, as she guides a man back to her bedroom and instructs: "Make me sweat, make me hotter / Make me lose my breath, make me water."

The lyrics were inspired by Aaliyah's Rock The Boat - another bedroom anthem with an aquatic double-entendre - but the sound is all hers, with rattling log drums and South African slang phrases like Hayibo.

It became a phenomenon on TikTok, where million of fans copied Tyla's steamy Bacardi-style dance moves, which she accentuates by pouring a bottle of water down her back.

That trend spawned a craze of its own - where women would sit next to their boyfriends and play the song's opening bars. If they leaned in to catch a glimpse of Tyla's video, they faced all manner of shame and scorn.

The singer takes no responsibility for any subsequent break-ups.

"I'm not a part of all of this!" she laughs.

The song has taken her around the world, onto the stages and TV shows she dreamt of as a child. She made her live debut at Milan fashion week, and sat next to Kim Kardashian at Dolce and Gabbana's Fall/Winter show.

Ciara, Normani, Jack Harlow and BTS member Kim Tae-hyung (aka V) have all been in touch - but her mind was truly blown when Janet Jackson started performing Water as a mash-up with What Have You Done For Me Lately on her US tour.

"I was like, 'What the heck!' And then she DM'd me and she was like, 'Congratulations, stay blessed'," Tyla says.

"I was just star-struck. I couldn't believe Janet Jackson took the time to even say anything, you know? It's crazy."

Tyla's bid for world domination is going to plan, then. And she's ready to follow up Water with her self-titled debut album in March.

"I feel like people are going to be so surprised, like, 'Where did this girl come from?'," she says,

"So I'm very excited because when I listen back to the album, I'm like, the people are not ready!".

A beautiful and wonderful talent that is going to grow through this year, everyone needs to tune into Tyla. Someone who I genuinely think can rank alongside some of the biggest artists of the modern age, there will be a lot of eyes and ears on her debut album. One that is going to introduce her to a whole new wave of fans. When it comes to Tyla, she is well and truly…