In 2023, 21-year-old Tyla Seethal became pop and R&B’s newest self-titled star, in the first year of fairy-tale music. It’s been two years since she signed a record deal with Interscope, thanks to a hit single in her native South Africa, when the international hit “Water” that catapulted her to fame became inevitable in the pop culture zeitgeist a part of.
The song, a perfectly balanced blend of Amapiano and R&B styles, inspired a TikTok challenge, thousands of interpretations and millions of views; became a top 10, platinum-certified mainstream hit in the US ; and earned the young singer her first Grammy Award – Best African Music Performance.
Although her second single “Truth or Dare” didn’t make the same impact, Tyla also appeared on the remix of Summer Walker’s “Girls Need Love,” toured with Chris Brown and had a series of high-profile of television programs introduced to a wider audience. Appearances, including performances on “The Voice” and “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.”
She ended the year on a super high, and just days after announcing that her self-titled debut album was coming, she learned that she’d been nominated for the aforementioned Grammy Award; the next day, she announced Her first international tour, which is scheduled to begin in Oslo, Norway, on March 22, the day before the album’s release, and wrap up in Minneapolis in May.
However, by the end of March, instead of excitedly preparing for these two major career milestones, Tyra announced that she was canceling the U.S. leg of the tour and postponing the European leg for what she simply described as “tragic.” Worsened injuries.” ”.
As a body of work, TYLA seems to indicate that the young starlet will not only continue on the meteoric path that “Water” seemed to set her on, but that she may become one of the genre-defining stars of her generation. Especially since she and her team seem to have figured out exactly what Afropop and R&B artists have been trying to achieve for the past two years: how to create a sound between the two genres that’s easy to market to American audiences. Mixture.
Tyla’s biggest strength here seems to be that while she appears organically comfortable in the production, proudly possessing all of Amapiano’s signature sounds—namely, the ever-present bass-adjacent cajon—all of her lyrics are written in Expressed in English, which includes Instagram caption-ready lyrics, such as the hook in “Art,” she can be heard singing: “I’ll be your work [peace]/your art. “
Aside from Travis Scott’s completely unnecessary appearance on the “Water” remix, TYLA does a decent job of tapping into recognizable features (Tems, Carol G, Gunna, and Skillabeng), but Not overly dependent on them, nor disappearing in their presence.
The project is a collection of mid-tempo bop music that can easily be used as background music for dinner parties, sports or study sessions; creating an atmosphere even if the listener is not necessarily paying attention to the lyrics being sung. However, when fans actually listen to these songs and their true meaning, they will discover a combination of catchy simplicity and intentionality, backed by equally intentional sonic production. For example, on “Breathe Me,” Tyla sings with a stronger tone in the verse and chorus until she gets to “Breathe me,” where the words are sung airily, perfectly emphasizing the idea behind the song.
While most of TYLA’s songs deliver exactly what one has come to expect and enjoy after listening to “Water,” there are a few songs that go against the overall feel of the project, which are fun and accessible in the best way imaginable . “Butterflies,” the song that strays the most from Tyla’s Amapiano roots, feels like a deliberate interlude designed to showcase her vocals. In fact, it feels much shorter than 2 minutes and 42 seconds, which could be a good or a bad thing: while it succeeds in letting her voice shine, it’s also a bit forgettable.
However, TYLA is not without its missteps. While Gunna’s presence on “Jump” isn’t as questionable as Travis Scott’s, it feels like a waste since he’s barely recognizable on this song. The project’s heavier tracks, “Priorities” and “To Last,” initially feel a little too much like they’re forced to be serious in order to keep the listener engaged.
Overall, Tyra’s debut delivers on the promise of her debut international hit: sonically, she’s a foreign exchange student truly poised to take America by storm. She has all the makings of a relatable, genre-spanning international star hell-bent on forging a path of her own.
Release date: March 22, 2024
Record tag: Epic/FAX
Listen to TYLA’s voice below:
