News
Key points & topics
- With MaWhoo and Babalwa M confirmed on A*POP, Tyla’s forthcoming second album places South African women inside the primary version of her global pop era rather than leaving them to the margins of remixes or regional editions.
- Tyla’s A*POP places MaWhoo and Babalwa M inside the main album, turning her global pop era into a wider South African music moment.
- Tyla’s A*POP features MaWhoo on “Crazy Of Me” and Babalwa M on “I Don’t Care,” placing South African women inside her global pop era.
Tyla is entering another global pop era, but MaWhoo and Babalwa M will be part of the album’s central story.
When a South African artist reaches the highest level of international pop, the pressure to prioritise globally recognisable collaborators can be immense. Local artists are often added later through remixes, regional editions or promotional versions rather than being placed on the main project.
Tyla’s forthcoming second album, A*POP, takes a different approach.
The 14-track album is scheduled for release on 24 July 2026 through FAX Records and Epic Records. Its previously released material includes “Is It Love,” “Is It,” “She Did It Again” with Zara Larsson and “Chanel.”
On 16 July, Tyla revealed the full list of song titles. A day later, MaWhoo and Babalwa M were confirmed as featured performers on the primary album: MaWhoo appears on “Crazy of Me,” while Babalwa M appears on “I Don’t Care.”
The precise track positions are important because the original draft listed both incorrectly. “Crazy of Me” is track 12, not track eight. “I Don’t Care” is track 13, not track 12.
The relevant section of the official 14-track sequence is:
- “She Did It Again” featuring Zara Larsson
- “Chanel”
- “Crazy of Me” featuring MaWhoo
- “I Don’t Care” featuring Babalwa M
- “Hot Tubs”
The collaborations matter because MaWhoo and Babalwa M are not being confined to an after-the-fact remix package. They appear on the central version of one of 2026’s most anticipated pop releases alongside Tyla and previously announced collaborator Zara Larsson.
MaWhoo has built her profile through South African dance music, moving across amapiano, Afro-house, gqom-adjacent production and 3-Step collaborations. Before the feature announcement, she had already confirmed during a YFM interview that she had recorded with Tyla and described their song as more mellow than listeners might expect.
Babalwa M has become closely associated with the restrained, soulful side of amapiano, particularly the style commonly called private-school amapiano. Her work often favours spacious production and controlled vocal delivery over more aggressive club structures.
Those descriptions should not be turned into predictions about songs that the public has not yet heard in full. It cannot currently be stated as fact that MaWhoo will bring “traditional Zulu vocal authority” to “Crazy of Me,” or that Babalwa M’s track will necessarily reproduce the exact private-school amapiano style of her existing catalogue.
What can be said is that Tyla has selected two women with distinctive positions inside South Africa’s dance-music ecosystem and placed them on the album’s primary international release.
That choice expands the meaning of representation. It is one thing for a South African star to carry national identity alone on an international stage. It is another to use that access to create room for other South African performers without presenting them as regional accessories.
Tyla is still the centre of A*POP. The album remains her artistic statement, not a national showcase assembled to satisfy expectations. But the presence of MaWhoo and Babalwa M means the project’s South African identity will not be represented by one woman alone.
They have not been added outside the main room. They are part of the official seating plan.
Reporting basis: Based on Apple Music and Spotify pre-release information for Tyla’s A*POP, public reporting on the MaWhoo and Babalwa M feature confirmations, MaWhoo’s YFM interview comments as reported by IOL, public artist-profile context for MaWhoo and Babalwa M, and Viranova editorial analysis of South African women’s visibility inside global pop releases.
Frequently asked Answers from the desk
When is Tyla releasing APOP?
Tyla’s APOP is scheduled for release on 24 July 2026.
Which South African artists are featured on Tyla’s APOP?
MaWhoo and Babalwa M have been confirmed as featured performers on the album.
Which APOP song features MaWhoo?
MaWhoo appears on “Crazy Of Me.
” Which APOP song features Babalwa M?
Babalwa M appears on “I Don’t Care.
” Is Zara Larsson also on Tyla’s APOP?
Yes. Zara Larsson appears on “She Did It Again.
” Why do the MaWhoo and Babalwa M features matter?
They matter because both artists are included on the primary APOP album release, not only on a later remix, regional edition or promotional add-on.
What does APOP mean for South African music?
A*POP shows Tyla entering a global pop era while still making room for South African women connected to the country’s dance-music ecosystem.
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