Tyla: South African who beat pool of established Nigerians to Grammy award

Tyla, the dynamic South African musician, has been making headlines worldwide with her chart-topping hits and captivating performances. She has etched her name in the annals of music history by becoming the youngest South African artist to clinch a Grammy Award.

Her meteoric rise to fame, coupled with her distinctive sound and infectious energy, has positioned her as a trailblazer in the global music industry.

Tyla biography

Tyla Laura Seethal, commonly known as Tyla, was born on January 30, 2002, to parents Sharleen and Sherwin Seethal. She hails from Johannesburg, South Africa. Her roots can be traced to Zulu, Indian, Mauritian and Irish heritage

She graduated from Edenglen High School in 2019 and served as the head of culture during her final year.

Throughout her school days, she began sharing her original songs and covers on Instagram while also circulating them within the music industry circles. Her talent caught the attention of her first manager, Garth von Glehn, who arranged her initial recording sessions. She recalls spending her weekends in the recording studio during her last year of high school.

Tyla’s musical inspirations include icons like Michael Jackson, Aaliyah, Rihanna, Britney Spears, Drake, Cassie and Wizkid. She is vocal about her ambition to blaze a trail as the first African pop sensation to conquer the global stage.

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Career

After finishing school in late 2019, She dropped her first song, “Getting Late”, cooked up with Kooldrink, and it hit big across South Africa. Shot in bits by her manager during the COVID-19 lockdowns, the music video came out in January 2021, racking up millions of views on YouTube. It even got a nod for “Music Video of the Year” at the 28th South African Music Awards, 2022.

Originally studying mining engineering, She managed to convince her parents, after much convincing and tears, to let her take a break from uni for a year to focus on her music gig. Then, in May 2021, she landed a deal with Epic Records in the U.S., teaming up with Fax Records. She kept the ball rolling with more tunes like “Overdue” in October 2021 and “To Last” in November 2022.

In 2023, She hit the big stage for the first time at Milan Fashion Week’s Dolce & Gabbana bash. Just before that, she dropped “Been Thinking”, a track that caught fire on the Billboard charts.

Critics hailed it as a cool club anthem, with vibes reminiscent of Ciara and Rihanna’s golden era. She then joined Chris Brown on his tour as the opening act. By May 2023, she teamed up with Nigerian singer Ayra Starr, for “Girl Next Door” and dropped “Water” in July, which set the stage for her debut album, Tyla, which is to be released in March 2024. “Water” went nuts on TikTok, hitting the top 10 charts worldwide and making her the youngest South African to crack the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 since 1968.

In 2023, She showcased her hit single “Water” on popular TV shows such as The Bianca Show and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. The song’s accompanying music video garnered three million views on YouTube within just three days. Later that year, she collaborated on the remix of Summer Walker’s “Girls Need Love” in October. As a teaser for her forthcoming album, Tyla treated fans to three tracks in December: “Truth or Dare,” “On and On,” and “Butterflies.”

She closed out 2023 with a stellar performance, blending “Water” and “Truth or Dare” in a mash-up for The Voice finale. The pinnacle of her year came at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards in February 2024, where she made history by winning the inaugural Grammy award for “Best African Music Performance” with “Water”, thereby cementing her status as the youngest African artist ever to receive the prestigious award.

During an interview backstage at the Grammy Awards, She disclosed her plans to drop her debut album in March 2024. She expressed her pride in the project, which she has been diligently working on for over two years. Tyla described the album as an introduction to her unique sound, blending African influences with Afrobeats, amapiano, pop, and R&B.

She also discussed her optimism regarding the global rise of Afrobeats, expressing her belief that it will create opportunities for South African artists to showcase their music and culture on a broader scale.

Looking ahead, she sees her Grammy win as just the beginning of her career. Following the release of her debut album, she plans to embark on a tour of the UK, Europe, and North America, starting in March.

Awards and nominations

• 2022 – NOMINATION: Music Video of the Year for “Getting Late” (featuring Kooldrink) at the South African Music Awards.
• 2023 – WINNER: Best Female Artist award – African Entertainment Awards USA.
• 2023 – NOMINATION: Best New Artist  – Soul Train Music Awards,
• 2023 – NOMINATION:  Best Produced Music Video for “Been Thinking” – South African Music Awards.
• 2024 – WINNER: Most Stylish Performing Artist title – South African Style Awards.
• 2024 – NOMINATION: International Song category for “Water” – BRIT Awards
• 2024 – NOMINATION: Best African Music Act – MOBO Awards.
• 2024 – WINNER: Best African Music Performance – Grammy Awards.

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Tyla songs

Here is a rundown of Tyla’s songs:

Singles

• “Getting Late” (feat. Kooldrink) (2019)
• “Water” (2023)
• “Water” (Remix) (feat. Travis Scott) (2023)
• “Truth or Dare” (2023)
• “Butterflies” (2023)
• “On and On” (2023)
• “Girl Next Door” (feat. Ayra Starr) (2023)
• “Been Thinking” (2023)
• “To Last” (2023)
• “Getting Late” (A COLORS SHOW) (2023)

Collaborations

• “Ke Shy” (Major Lazer, Major League Djz, Yumbs, Luudadeejay, Tyla) (2021)
• “Girls Need Love” (Girls Mix) (Summer Walker, Tyla) (2023)
• “To Last Remix” (Tyla, DJ Maphorisa, Young Stunna) (2023)
• “Amawele” (Marioo, Tyla) (2023)
• “I Buy” (feat. Marioo) (Yumbs, Tyla, Marioo) (2023)
• “Ngowam” (feat. Makhanj & Nvcho & Tyla & 2woshort) (Kelvin Momo, Makhanj, Tyla) (2023)
• “Overdue” (Tyla, DJ Lag, Kooldrink) (2023)
• “La Di” (ELucasraps, Tyla) (2023)
• “Deeper-Mixed” (Tyla, Kelli-Leigh) (2023)

Upcoming releases (From her debut album”Tyla”, due March 22nd, 2024)

• “Truth or Dare”
• “On and On”
• “Butterflies”

Tyla’s net worth

There are no accurate reports on Tyla’s net worth.

Camily

As stated earlier, her mother and father are Sharleen and Sherwin Seethal respectively. Additionally, Tyla is not known to be in any relationship when writing this article.

Tyla age

She was born on January 30, 2002. She is 22 years old as of 2024.

Tyla Instagram

Tyla has an active social media presence on Instagram, with 3.8 million followers.

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