Tyla

Tyla Laura Seethal, known professionally as Tyla, is a South African singer and songwriter born on January 30, 2002. Frequently called the "Queen of Popiano," she is best known for combining pop music with amapiano, alongside elements of Afrobeats and R&B. She achieved international fame with her 2023 hit single "Water," which made her the youngest African performer to earn a Grammy Award and brought a South African soloist back to the US Billboard Hot 100 chart for the first time in 55 years.

Raised in Johannesburg, Tyla grew up in Edenvale, located in Gauteng's East Rand, as the third of five children. Her heritage includes Coloured, Zulu, Indo-Mauritian/Indian, and Irish roots. She attended Edenglen High School, where she acted as Head of Culture and graduated in 2019. During her final school year, she actively pursued music by uploading original tracks and song covers to Instagram. Her early efforts attracted her first manager, Garth von Glehn, who helped set up her initial recording sessions.

After completing high school in late 2019, Tyla self-released her initial single, "Getting Late," featuring producer Kooldrink. The song became a national success, and its music video—filmed during COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns—garnered millions of YouTube views and a nomination at the South African Music Awards. Briefly studying mining engineering in 2021, she took a leave from university to focus on music, subsequently signing a joint recording deal with Epic Records and Fax Records in May 2021. She followed her debut with singles such as "Overdue" and "To Last."

Tyla gained global prominence following her 2023 single "Water." Supported by a popular viral dance challenge on TikTok, the song reached top-ten charts internationally, including in South Africa, the United States, and the United Kingdom. In early 2024, "Water" earned her the inaugural Grammy Award for Best African Music Performance. She launched her self-titled debut studio album in March 2024 to critical acclaim, accompanied by promotional tracks and a deluxe edition featuring "Push 2 Start." Her rise brought further accolades, including wins at the BET Awards and MTV Europe Music Awards.

In 2025, Tyla released her extended play WWP (We Wanna Party), featuring singles "Bliss" and "Is It," and launched the We Wanna Party Tour. She extended her catalogue with high-profile collaborations and contributed to soundtrack releases. At the 68th Grammy Awards, she won her second Best African Music Performance award for "Push 2 Start." In July 2026, she released her second studio album, A*Pop, which featured the top-twenty Billboard Global 200 single "Chanel" and collaborations with international artists, alongside a high-profile performance at the 2026 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony.

Tyla's musical style, described as "popiano," incorporates amapiano log drums and rhythms into structured pop and R&B frameworks. She draws major artistic inspiration from performers like Michael Jackson, Rihanna, and Britney Spears, aiming to present South African music on a global scale. Recognized as the youngest African artist to secure two Grammy Awards, her accolades also include MTV Video Music Awards, BET Awards, and MTV Europe Music Awards.