Music
When Tyla Says A*POP
Tyla’s A*POP is not simply trying to prove that she can go global. It argues that African pop is already one of the places where global pop is being redefined.
Photo: Janeirohy — CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Bio
Tyla Laura Seethal comes from Edenvale, east of Johannesburg, and starts out posting covers and original songs to Instagram during her final year at Edenglen High School. A self-released debut single, "Getting Late" (2019), earns her a deal with Epic Records in 2021. Her sound is "popiano": amapiano's log drums folded into compact pop and R&B songwriting, South African in its rhythm, global in its finish.
"Water" (2023) makes her the first South African soloist in 55 years to reach the US Billboard Hot 100 and wins Best African Music Performance at the 2024 Grammys, making her the youngest African artist to take one. She wins the category again in 2026 for "Push 2 Start", the first artist to do so twice. Her 2024 debut album reaches the Billboard 200's top 25; the EP WWP follows in 2025, and second album A*Pop arrives in July 2026 with a world tour underway.
Verified facts
- Won Best African Music Performance at the 2024 Grammy Awards for 'Water', becoming the youngest African artist to win a Grammy.Wikipedia
- Won Best African Music Performance again at the 2026 Grammy Awards for 'Push 2 Start', the first artist to win the category twice.Wikipedia
- 'Water' (2023) made her the first South African soloist in 55 years to enter the US Billboard Hot 100, peaking in the top 10 in South Africa, the UK and the US.Wikipedia
- Her debut album Tyla (March 2024) reached the top 25 of the US Billboard 200.Wikipedia
- Released her second studio album A*Pop on July 24, 2026, following the 2025 EP WWP.Wikipedia
- Born January 30, 2002 in Edenvale; began posting covers and original songs on Instagram during her final year at Edenglen High School.Wikipedia
- Self-released her debut single 'Getting Late' in late 2019 and signed with Epic Records in May 2021.Wikipedia
- Launched the A*Pop World Tour for 2026-2027, following the We Wanna Party Tour that opened in November 2025 with a sold-out show at Tokyo's Ariake Arena.Wikipedia
Notable work
- Water
- Tyla (2024)
- Push 2 Start
- WWP (EP, 2025)
- A*Pop (2026)
Categories
Music
Music & Links
At a glance
- Active since
- 2021
- From
- Johannesburg (Edenvale), Gauteng
- Genres
- Pop, R&B, Amapiano, Popiano
Coverage
Articles & Interviews
Music
Tyla’s Global Album Did Not Leave South African Women Outside the Room
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.
Music
Noise, Signal, and the Grid: Tyla’s Masterful Control of the Digital Echo
Tyla’s Roc Nation rumour response was more than a denial. In one Instagram Story, she corrected the lie, refused to feed the noise and turned the attention back to A*POP.
Music
Tyla’s “Is It Love” Makes A*POP’s Emotional Stakes Clearer
Tyla’s “Is It Love” shifts the emotional centre of the A*POP campaign, showing that her global pop era is not only about movement, fashion and scale. It is also about vulnerability.
Artists & Creatives
Tyla Is No Longer Just Trending — She Is Carrying SA Culture Globally
Tyla has moved beyond viral fame and into global cultural permanence, carrying South African sound, fashion presence, and pop identity into the world’s biggest rooms.
Music
Basadi in Music Is Mapping the Women Who Actually Build the Industry
Basadi in Music is not only celebrating the women at the microphone. Its 2026 nominee list maps the managers, stylists, journalists, producers and behind-the-scenes professionals who keep the industry moving.
Calendar
Upcoming Events
MusicLondon
Tyla A*POP World Tour — London
The first of two consecutive Brixton nights on the European leg of the A*POP World Tour (she also plays the same venue on 16 October). The European run opens in Paris on 12 October.
MusicCape Town
Tyla A*POP World Tour — Cape Town
The opening night of the South African leg of Tyla's first global headline tour, running 18:00–23:00. General admission is 6 years and older with no unaccompanied minors; the Golden Circle standing area is restricted to ticket holders aged 12 and over who are at least 1.2m tall.
MusicJohannesburg
Tyla A*POP World Tour — Johannesburg
The closing show of Tyla's A*POP World Tour, listed 18:00–23:00 at the Nasrec Expo Centre. Presented by Anything Goes & Showtime, with the same age rules as the Cape Town date.