New to the tracklist are “Shake Ah” featuring Tony Duardo, Optimist, and Maestro, as well as “Push 2 Start” and “Back To You.” Aside from that, it also features new album artwork.
But tonight (June 30), supporters from around the world were able to witness what could’ve been. Alongside her collaborators, Gunna and Skillibeng, Tyla performed her single, “Jump.” To pay homage to her South African heritage (as shown in the track’s official video), the set was filled with nods to the motherland.
There was no water to be found, but there was plenty of nature element. Surrounded by a mock safari display, Tyla’s background dancers even assumed the role of lioness trapped in a cage with NSFW body art. But even the box couldn’t hold Tyla’s slithery dance moves.
Tyla found viral success thanks to her liquid and booty jump combination seen in the official video for “Water.” But she has much more than one-legged twerking in her choreography bag. She can wine, twerk, but most importantly sing live. As the budding amapiano pop crossover princess, Tyla’s vocal ability can’t be ignored. Earlier in the evening, Tyla took home the awards for Best New Artist and Best International Act, so it certainly didn’t go unnoticed.
Watch clips Tyla’s 2024 BET Awards performance above.
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With sizzling flair and a seductive strut, Tyla arrives on the Gunna and Skillibeng-assisted “Jump” from her debut album with a bold declaration. “They never had a pretty girl from Joburg,” she quips, saluting her hometown of Johannesburg, South Africa. “See me now, and that’s what they prefer.” In just a year, Tyla went from a relatively unknown singer carving out her lane in amapiano to a Grammy winner with eyes on being a global pop star. She achieved this without a proper introduction – a showcase that dropped the curtain on a captivating performance Tyla has been itching to debut for the world.
This proper introduction arrives through her self-titled debut album and it injects a new flavor into the pop world that it has not seen before, at least the way Tyla is doing it. The DNA of the South African singer’s music is amapiano, a house music subgenre that originates from her home country. Key elements in its sound include the “log drum,” a bold, speaker-rattling bass that quite literally serves as the heartbeat of amapiano, pumping life into its listener who catches a groove at either a dance party or the comfort of their own home. Then comes high-pitched piano melodies and other percussions like a hi-hat or a deeper bass. The genre has slowly increased its presence in mainstream African music spaces thanks to ambassadors like Uncle Waffles. Records like Wizkid’s “Bad To Me,” Davido’s “Unavailable,” and Asake’s “Amapiano” have adopted the South African genre, the latter two also receiving Grammy nominations. With all eyes on her Tyla, assumed the role of the genre’s ambassadors with the goal of elevating its appeal, something she achieves with Tyla. Tyla perfectly soundtracks the party we all need as summer nears
Tyla’s push of amapiano to the world pre-dates the arrival of “Water,” her Grammy-winning hit record. The first clues that pointed to Tyla being a force to reckon with came with her previous singles “Been Thinking” and the Ayra Star-featured “Girl Next Door.” The former bubbles towards a climactic hook that opens the floodgates to a tide of head-over-heels feelings Tyla pours out to a crush. “Girl Next Door” turns down the temperature with burning pleas of desire, as Tyla and Ayra reserve hope for a waning love.
“Breathe Me” labels a kiss from Tyla the source of life her companion needs to continue onward. It’s equal parts inviting and daring, seductive and tempting, making for a fascinating love affair. “Jump” brings the heat and pulls bodies, burnished with sweat, closer together. “On My Body” positions Tyla and Becky G as dominating damsels, corralling their love interests and reeling them in for a showstopping presentation. Dancefloor lights bounce on their bodies and the percussion syncs with rising heartbeats.
However, Tyla is more than just a party — it’s a declaration of the singer’s pop stardom. For Tyla, it’s the start of a new chapter, one where she breaks free from past limitations and trades in co-dependency for autonomy. On “No. 1,” Tyla and Tems bask in the warmth of freedom. With “Priorities,” Tyla rescues herself from the neverending freefall of people-pleasing. The self-prioritizing also spills in “Truth Or Dare,” a dazzling single that sees Tyla mock and brush off an ex who returned to re-establish their relationship after the singer’s rise in popularity. She
Tyla lives at the cusp of the climax. Whether it’s on the dancefloor, in her love life, or in her music, Tyla is a dominant force. Step aside and allow her to operate or dare to step in the spotlight with her and complement what she brings to the table. “Water,” at both its surface and its deeper, suggestive center, is the daring request to be that adequate complement. The single is the perfect representation of who Tyla is and what it’s like to be in close proximity. As for the album, it’s a free debut that uses a pulsating amapiano party to put the genre on the global stage and set Tyla free into an era where she dominates for the foreseeable future.
Tyla is out now via FAX Records/Epic Records. Find out more information here.
Gunna is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
After Tyla‘s success last year with her single “Water,” fans have been waiting to hear what else she has in store — specifically with a full-length album. Thankfully, there isn’t too much longer to wait, as she will be dropping her debut studio record in a few hours.
If you’re planning to listen to it on Apple Music, here’s what to know about when it will be released on the streaming platform.
When Will Tyla’s New Album Be On Apple Music?
Tyla’s self-titled album will be available to stream on Apple Music starting at 12 a.m. ET. For those on the West Coast, you can listen starting at 9 p.m. PT. Earlier this week, she revealed that the 14-track project will include collaborations with Kelvin Momo, Tems, Gunna, Becky G, Travis Scott, and Skillibeng.
“We have the same goals in terms of spreading our sound and our culture to the world and dominating the industry,” Tyla told Rolling Stone about working with Tems. “Also being two girls from Africa breaking down walls, we’re very much supportive. I’m happy that we were able to create something so pretty with a good message.”
Tyla is finally dropping her new self-titled debut album in just a few hours, so fans don’t have to wait too much longer. She recently unveiled the tracklist for it, which will include collaborations with Kelvin Momo, Tems, Gunna, Skillibeng, Becky G, and Travis Scott.
The Best New Artist did have to cancel her tour tied to the record, revealing that her injury grew worse, but is making it up with the music.
Find out when you can hear Tyla’s debut record on Spotify below.
When Will Tyla’s New Album Be On Spotify?
Tyla’s self-titled album will be available to stream on Spotify starting at 12 a.m. ET/9 p.m. PT. It will include the Travis Scott remix of her hit single, “Water,” along with other jams that listeners will love.
“A lot of artists have shown love for African music and African culture, which is amazing, but I’d love to see a lot more African artists showcasing that and being at the forefront of it,” Tyla told Rolling Stone in an interview about her upcoming debut.
She also spoke about her collaboration with Tems, stating, “We have the same goals in terms of spreading our sound and our culture to the world and dominating the industry. Also being two girls from Africa breaking down walls, we’re very much supportive. I’m happy that we were able to create something so pretty with a good message.”
Tyla is out 3/22 via FAX/Epic Records. Find more information here.
The jury is still out on what Tyla’s hit song “Water” is actually about. What’s no longer up for speculation is whether the remix featuring Travis Scott will receive an official video. Last night (March 18), the long-awaited visual for the track formerly dropped on Tyla’s YouTube page.
As one of the listed tracks on her forthcoming self-titled album, the pressure was on to deliver something worth talking about, and that they did. The steamy video was well worth the wait. Tyla and Scott’s sexual chemistry is dripping throughout the visual, and that tension flows well into Scott’s guest verse.
“You keep it wet, that’s a real-life challenge / All that ass gotta pour out of gallons / Beauty in the top, keep balance / She in her bag, she wildin’ / You ain’t gotta hide your talent / Even if you did, I bet I find it / You know I’m comin’ from the H / But it’s +27 when I dial in,” raps Scott.
The flirty lyrics referencing South Africa’s international country code (Tyla’s home country) surely make the onscreen tension even more believable. Whether it is all for the camera or a sprinkle of actual romance doesn’t matter. All that matters is the fantasy has been gathered, packaged, and bottled to refresh the audience’s thirst for more Tyla.
Watch the “Water (Remix)” video above.
Tyla is out 3/22 via FAX/Epic Records. Find more information here.
Afro-fusion singer Tyla has been dominating the airwaves. The South African artist’s breakthrough single “Water” is currently sitting at No. 10 at the Billboard Hot 100. Last weekend, Tyla revealed the title and cover art to her self-titled debut album, as well as three additional songs — “Truth Or Dare,” “Butterflies,” and “On And On.”
As the new songs have proven to be just as good as “Water,” thus building up the hype for her album.
When does Tyla’s debut album come out?
Tyla is out March 1, 2024 and will arrive via Fax and Epic Records. Tyla announced the news via Instagram.
“Everything that’s happening has surpassed anything I could have dreamt of,” she said in the post’s caption. “African music is going global and I’m so blessed to be one of the artists pushing the culture. I’ve been working on my sound for 2 years now and I’m so ready for the world to hear it.”
Tyla opened up about of her childhood in Africa in an interview with Complex. She expressed excitement over the idea of being a global superstar who came from a small city.
“I come from a very small place, a little city in South Africa all the way at the bottom of Africa, the tip,” Tyla said. “And literally, I was just a girl with a dream, a girl that didn’t really have much examples… like this wasn’t really possible at that age when I was coming up as an artist, it wasn’t something that was realistic and I made it a reality.”
South African superstar Tyla has had an amazing breakout year, but she’s just getting started. Today, she announced her debut album, Tyla, is coming soon, revealing the artwork and a partial tracklist with the titles of three new songs — including the recently teased “Truth Or Dare” and “On And On,” which she debuted on COLORS today — to whet fans’ appetites.
“Everything that’s happening has surpassed anything I could have dreamt of,” she wrote. “African music is going global and I’m so blessed to be one of the artists pushing the culture. I’ve been working on my sound for 2 years now and I’m so ready for the world to hear it. The ‘TYLA’ PRE-SAVE is now live + 3 new songs for
you to eat till the album debuts. I cannot wait for the world to experience an African Popstar.”
The world has already been experiencing Tyla’s breakout for the past few months. We’ve seen the 21-year-old Johannesburg singer become the first artist from her home country to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 in 55 years, then go on to make her US television debut, collaborate with one of rap’s biggest stars in Travis Scott on the remix, and the song climb all the way to the top ten. Oh, by the way, she’s also nominated for a Grammy. What a year.
