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. It had been two years since she landed a record deal at Interscope, thanks to a hit single in her native South Africa when “Water,” the international hit that put her on the map, became an inescapable part of the pop culture zeitgeist.
The song’s well balanced mix of Amapiano (South African house music) and R&B scored the trifecta of inspiring a TikTok challenge which spawned thousands of interpretations and millions of views; becoming a Top 10, Platinum-certified mainstream U.S. hit; and earning the young chanteuse her first Grammy — for Best African Music Performance.
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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.
She ended the year on a super high, learning of her nomination for the aforementioned Grammy just days after she had announced the pending arrival of her self-titled debut; then, the following day, announcing her first international tour, which was set to start in Oslo, Norway the day before her album’s March 22 arrival and conclude in Minneapolis in May.
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However, by the top of March, rather than excitedly preparing for both major career milestones, Tyla was announcing the cancellation of the U.S. leg of her tour and postponing the European run, due to what she simply described as an injury that had “tragically worsened.”
As a body of work, TYLA seems to herald that the young starlet is set to not only continue on the path to meteoric growth that “Water” seemed to put her on, but that she could become one of the genre-defining stars of her generation. Especially because she and her team seem to have figured out exactly what both Afropop and R&B artists have been trying to achieve over the past two years: how to create a hybrid between the two genres that is easily marketable to U.S. audiences.
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Tyla’s greatest strength in that regard seems to be that, while she comes off as organically comfortable over production that proudly boasts all of the trademark sounds of Amapiano — namely the ever present bass-adjacent log drum — all of her lyrics are delivered in English, which include Instagram-caption ready lyrics like the hook on “ART,” which hear her sing: “I’ll be your piece [peace]/ Your A-R-T.”
With the exception of Travis Scott’s totally unnecessary appearance on the “Water” remix, TYLA also scores when it comes to tapping recognizable features — Tems, Carol G, Gunna and Skillabeng — without leaning on them too heavily or fading in their presence.
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. “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.
While most of TYLA delivers exactly what one might expect — and enjoy — after hearing “Water,” there are a few songs that depart from the projects overall feel, which is fun and easily digestible in the best way imaginable. “Butterflies,” the track which strays most from Tyla’s Amapiano roots, feels like an interlude purposely placed to showcase her vocals. The fact that it feels much shorter than its 2:42 could be good and bad: while it succeeds at letting her voice shine, it’s also kind of forgettable.
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TYLA is not without its missteps, however. While Gunna’s appearance on “Jump” doesn’t feel as questionable as Travis Scott’s did, it feels wasted in that he’s barely recognizable on the song. The project’s heavier tracks, “Priorities” and “To Last,” start out feeling a little too much like forced seriousness included to keep listeners engaged.
Overall, Tyla’s debut fulfills the promise of her first international hit: sonically, she is truly the foreign exchange student who is ready to take America by storm. And she has all of the makings of a relatable, cross-genre, international star intent on carving a lane of her own.
RELEASE DATE: March 22, 2024
RECORD LABEL: Epic/FAX
Listen to TYLA below:
