Tyla is doing South Africa proud. The 21-year-old Johannesburg native is officially a global superstar as she performed her Billboard Hot 100 hit “Water” on the Jimmy Fallon Show in New York City last week.
This comes after the singer sparked a viral dance challenge to the song, with her initial video garnering over 4 million views on TikTok.
Tyla, who is known for her R&B, afrobeats, and amapiono sound, rose to prominence in 2023, but according to her, has “been grinding for years.”
She gained popularity by posting song covers on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube while still a student at Edenglen High School, where she matriculated in 2019.
Her debut single, “Getting Late”, featuring Kooldrink was released in late 2019 and quickly became a hit. After the release of the music video for the single, Tyla cemented herself as a rising star to watch, gathering over 6.8 million views on YouTube.
She then went on to release several other songs including “Overdue”, “Been Thinking” and “Girl Next Door”.
She also joined Chris Brown as the opening act on his European Under the Influence Tour in February this year.
Other notable appearances include being seated next to Kim Kardashian at the Dolce & Gabbana show at MIlan Fashion Week, and featuring in an episode of ‘The Kardashians’ season 3.
Following the success of “Water”, Tyla was nominated by South African Music Awards for Music Video of the Year.
Despite not winning the award, Tyla’s career continues to flourish. Her singing and dancing prowess, coupled with her exceptional stage presence makes her a true triple threat in the music industry.
