Tyla Talks Grammy Nom for ‘Water’ and Her Upcoming, ‘Experimental’ Debut Album
variety.comThania Garcia Tyla has always wanted to be the world’s first global South African pop star — and she’s already well on her way.
In the past month, Tyla’s summer single “Water” became her first Top 10 hit in the United States and also landed her a Grammy nomination for Best African Music Performance. “It makes sense,” she tells Variety nonchalantly over the phone. “I’ve been ready for this moment.” Born Tyla Laura Seethal in Johannesburg, South Africa, Tyla grew up listening to the piano-driven, tech-house beats of the amapiano music she heard at parties and gatherings throughout the 2010s.
Those faster-paced tempos, paired with Tyla’s love for American singers like Aaliyah and Britney Spears, were what made “Water” a standout on the charts. “Amapiano has done so much for South Africa, to the point where the vibe of the country has changed,” she says. “There’s more events, there’s new music scenes popping up everywhere because it’s the first South African-born genre that has crossed these borders.
It’s given us jobs, it’s given us opportunity to travel. In my case, it’s already given me more than I could’ve imagined.” Tyla is part of the inaugural class of nominees for the new Grammy category for African music alongside her friend Arya Starr and Asake, Burna Boy, Davido, along with featured acts Olamide and Musa Keys.
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