Q&A
Tyla Wants To Show America How To Really Party
The South African pop star on staying true to herself, dancing all night, and her Belieber past
When Tyla was making her hit single “Water,” she had a simple goal in mind. “I just wanted a summer song that everybody could vibe to and have fun to,” the South African singer told Rolling Stone last year. “The meaning of the song is frisky: It’s me letting a guy know, ‘Show me what you got to offer. I’m done with all the talk.’ ”
Her plan worked, to the tune of 382 million Spotify streams, the first-ever Grammy Award for Best African Music Performance, and a career with as much forward momentum as anyone’s in 2024. As she readies her debut album, Tyla, she is still set on making you sweat, making you hotter — and making you remember what it’s like to watch a pop star rise to the top.
She’s also trying to rewrite some narratives in the music industry. “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, 22, tells Rolling Stone now over Zoom. The record — which features star-studded collaborations with Gunna and Tems, among others — is the culmination of years of work, despite what Tyla’s apparent overnight success might lead you to believe.
She’d like to create a “perfect blend” between African and Western music. “Pop stardom is just being huge — huge songs, huge influence, and making history, and being remembered for something,” Tyla says.
That’s why she’s capturing every moment for future documentaries; championing amapiano, South Africa’s globally popular house-music style; and doing her best to manifest potential pop collaborations with the likes of Drake and Justin Bieber. “When I listen to the album, I’m so proud of it,” she says. “I just see our sound going so far: the culture, the words, the slang. Even just Joburg — the thought of people now singing about Joburg.”
You started posting on TikTok in March 2020, and now you’re releasing your debut album in March 2024. Looking back over those four years, what was the greatest lesson that you learned?
Basically just to trust in myself and be patient. Because even though I knew that the day would come because of God — I love God, and I love praying — and even though I had a feeling that this was my calling and it was gonna come, naturally, there were days where I would doubt. I’d be like, “When is it going to happen? Is it going to happen? Is it not meant for me?”
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You’ve been influenced by Rihanna, and you’re frequently compared to her. It seems like people have nostalgia for what it felt like to first experience Rihanna in the 2000s, more than your actual sound. How do you feel about that comparison?
I love it. I feel like I understand it completely, because I’ve felt that way as well. I could have easily just sang pop, or easily just sang whatever. But I really wanted to make something new and fresh and bring something different to the industry. That’s what I strive to do, with literally everything that I do when it comes to video, music, vibe, clothing, everything. I love that people feel like it’s nostalgic and a breath of fresh air.
Even going by your first name has a star quality about it. Rihanna, Beyoncé, Zendaya, Madonna. What statement are you making by having your first record be self-titled?
It’s my introduction, so I just wanted it to be easy: Tyla. Plain and simple, letting people know I’m here. This is me. This is what I’m coming with. I really wanted to give a statement because I think that shows confidence, and I’m just ready. I’ve been working on this for so long. And even though people think I just [arrived] a few weeks ago, I’ve literally been working for very long on this. Self-titled was the only way for my first album.
You’ve talked about making a time capsule of your life right now, saving those moments to remember. How do you approach that?
I’m very much a big dreamer, and I believe that if I act as if I got something already, it will come to me. So we are always shooting everything and anything, and we always say years from now, when we do a Tyla documentary, this will be so good.
Some people might be like, “Girl, you’re not going to get a documentary.” But I don’t know, everything is about feeling, and I feel like this is gonna go crazy. I love old digital cameras, film cameras, and things that look old — but also still things that are new, because you never know. Years from now, iPhone footage may look ancient.
Do you have a favorite pop documentary?
Beyoncé’s, obviously. But then also I really like Katy Perry’s and Justin Bieber’s. I used to be a huge Belieber — oh, my word.
He’s also someone who has dabbled outside of the pop world. He even had Burna Boy on his most recent album.
I have to meet him at least once. He definitely has shown love to African music and African culture, especially with the remix of [WizKid and Tems’] “Essence” and all of that. I can tell that he really enjoys that vibe. And I mean, he’s always explored in his career. So maybe there’ll be a Justin Bieber and Tyla song.
You’ve been manifesting a Drake collaboration, too. Which of the many eras of Drake would you most want to work with?
Yo, every era is so good. I really enjoyed his album More Life. That was an album that I kept playing because it was also very dance-y and had South African vibes in it. You know, like “Passionfruit,” “Get It Together.” That’s the type of vibe. I feel like we could create something fire.
What’s the biggest difference between parties in America and South Africa?
Firstly, parties close way too early in America. Why are you guys going home at 2 a.m.? Our parties go till whenever — some people leave at 1 p.m. the next day. In America, I feel like the parties are more for networking than partying. In South Africa, it’s literally purely just to dance. Everyone is dancing.
What if you go out somewhere and the music isn’t hitting? Do you try to make the most of it anyway?
If I’m with friends, then we can make the party by ourselves in our own section and we’ll be fine. But if you’re just going out and it’s dry, I’d rather be home. I’m not really a party girl, so I won’t force anything.
That message of putting yourself first appears a few times on your album. How do you decide which opportunities to say no to in order to put yourself first, while still maintaining your momentum?
Health, as well as happiness, are so important. I’m happy that I have a team that never pressures me into doing anything that I don’t want to do. At the end of the day, that’s it. This is a job, you know? It’s not really my life. I feel like some people lose that when they stretch themselves further than they need to.
Being one of the first South Africans to make pop hits in this era means having your identity be somewhat unfamiliar to Western audiences. We saw that last year with commentary around how the word “coloured” functions differently in the context of America (where it’s seen as a slur) versus South Africa (where it’s used to refer to people of mixed heritage). How did you prepare for that cultural gap?
Obviously, things will come and it’ll be out of your control, because you are now in the public eye, and you are introducing people to new things. Because of where I’m from, that’s gonna happen regardless. I’m just here being Tyla, creating what I create, and not really trying to start anything. I can understand both sides of the arguments. I just feel like I want the focus to be on the music, not really what race I am.
You have a feature with Tems on the album. Are there things you’ve been able to bond over, or confide in each other about?
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. It’s just cool that we’re both African girls doing it.
What are you hoping to accomplish in the next four years?
I’m hoping that more people get tuned in and they see what we have to offer, because we’re really just taking it to a different level. I don’t think people understand the plans that we have. Everything that I’m planning on doing and the music and the culture and everything that’s coming with it … it’s bigger than people think.