South African singer-songwriter Tyla has released her highly anticipated debut album, “TYLA,” hot on the heels of her recent triumph at the Grammy Awards. In just a week, her self-titled album has skyrocketed to over 630 million streams worldwide, making it the fastest ever by an African artist.
The 22-year-old sensation’s ascent to stardom kicked off with a bang last year, soaring into the top 10 on the U.S. Billboard’s Hot 100 chart and the top 5 spot on the British charts with her viral amapiano hit, “Water.”
Tyla’s breakout hit, “Water,” took TikTok by storm. It went viral and inspired users worldwide to participate in the #WaterChallenge, where they flaunted their dance skills, drawing inspiration from the song.
Tyla’s new album features 14 tracks featuring collabs with heavy hitters like U.S. rapper Travis Scott and Nigerian singer Tems. In an interview with Reuters, Tyla described the album as “a melting pot of all the influences,” including “pop, R&B and then obviously amapiano and Afrobeats because that’s where I’m from, that’s the sounds of home.”
The highly anticipated album quickly broke records following its release date on 22 March, overtaking the previous record held by Burna Boy for the fastest album by an African artist to surpass 630 MILLION. Tracks like “Water” have amassed half a billion streams on Spotify, while others are climbing the charts. But it’s not just about the numbers—Tyla’s also racking up nominations. She leads the nominations at the 2024 Metro FM Awards. With an impressive six nominations for her viral hit song “Water,” Tyla has garnered accolades in categories such as Song of the Year, Best Female Artist, Best Music Video, Best Viral Challenge, and Artist of the Year, affirming her status as a heavy hitter in the industry.
