In a few months, Tyla has grown from being that South African music talent to becoming a Billboard chart topper! When Tyla was cooking up that viral TikTok hit song, “Water,” little did she know that she was paying for her ticket to spontaneous global fame, a record which would become her signature in the international music space. From hitting the top charts to making an appearance on *The Tonight Show,* the talented songster has had quite the time! The fan-favorite song, which has found itself in a competitive spot on the US Billboard Hot 100, has not only graced that chart with an impressive surge but has also successfully dethroned the 58-week reign of “Calm Down” by Rema and Selena Gomez on the U.S. Afrobeats chart, becoming the current No. 1 single.
The popular social media sound has not only brought her creator limelight through its major success, the single, “Water” was initially released without any plans for a music video. However, according to Tyla, the song was doing great on social media platforms and they just had to come back to plan a good video for the song, with her choreographer, Litchi. Upon release, Litchi took time to make a video of herself doing the dance from the video on her Tiktok page and this subsequently led to fans making their version of the dance in no time, we had the Tiktok dance challenge going viral in various countries.
“Water” not only brought Tyler internet fame, but the singer has already earned nominations from the Grammys, and South African music awards, among others. Even more, the record was named the first song by a South African soloist to get a firm stand on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 at Top 10, in over 50 years, and also standing as her first ever single to top a Billboard chart. With Travis Scott, Tyla made a remix of the song in November, giving it a boost on various streaming platforms. The international banger has over 8.2 million streams across streaming platforms, getting a surge through the release of its music video.
Who is Tyla?
Tyla Laura Seethal is a South African songwriter, singer and dancer, born and raised in Johannesburg. Despite being a graduate of Mining Engineering, the young artist expressed her passion for music by always creating time to make cover songs and post them on social media platforms. Her entry into the industry proper came with her being discovered by Garth von Gleh, who later became her manager. Her first studio release, “Getting Late” went viral locally on YouTube in late 2019, and after the release of its music video, the singer earned her a nomination. Three years later in 2023, Tyla has her name everywhere, and might just bag her first Grammy in the coming year. The single, “Water” is a blend of multiple genres, which include pop, R&B. and Afrobeats. This is proof of the entertainer’s versatility and ingenuity. It is also a cue for you to look out for more of South African singer’s creations.