Tyla‘s breakout single “Water” just found even more success, officially being certified 2x platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Released in July 2023, the smash song was certified platinum six months later in January of this year – and it took just three more months for another million.
AD LOADING...
In 2023, at the age of 21, Tyla Seethal became Pop and R&B’s latest mononymous star during the type of freshman year in music that fairytales are made of. The well balanced mix of Amapiano (South African house music) and R&B on “Water” scored the trifecta of inspiring a TikTok challenge which spawned thousands of interpretations and millions of views; becoming a Top 10 mainstream U.S. hit; and earning the young chanteuse her first Grammy — for Best African Music Performance.
Despite not making the same impact with her second single “Truth or Dare,” Tyla also appeared on a remix to Summer Walker‘s “Girls Need Love,” toured with Chris Brown, and was introduced to wider audiences through a series of high-profile TV appearances, including performances on The Voice and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
In March, Tyla dropped her eponymous debut album which featured the likes of Tems, Carol G, Gunna and Skillabeng, as well as Travis Scott on the “Water” remix.
As HipHopDX‘s Tai Saint-Louis wrote in a review of the album, “The project is a collection of mid-tempo bops that could easily serve as background music for a dinner party, workout or study session; creating a vibe even when the listener isn’t necessarily in position to pay attention to the words being sung. However, when fans do tune in to the songs and their true meaning, they’ll find a marriage of catchy simplicity and intentionality supported by equally intentional vocal production.
AD LOADING...
“‘Breathe Me,’ for example, hears Tyla singing in a more robust tone on the verses and hook, until she gets to the words ‘Breathe me,’ which are sung airily, in a way that perfectly emphasizes the idea behind the track.”
Read the full review here.
