Tyla has finally released her self-titled debut album. On it, the rising star’s pop sensibilities stay loyal to her South African roots amid a genre-fluid landscape.
Tyla’s come-up has been an inevitable one, it feels like she belongs here. True to her popstar status, Tyla appeals across the board, having the ability to make songs that check several boxes for a modern-day hit. The 22-year-old has come a long way in a short time. Her 2019 debut single, “Getting Late” featuring Kooldrink, made her an internet favourite, earning her a deal with Epic Records in 2021. Three years on, her first major label single “Water” became an instant global smash – making it the first song by a South African soloist to enter the US Billboard Hot 100 in 55 years and eventually earning her the inaugural Grammy Award for Best African Music Performance.
For her debut album, it was clear the South African starlet had set the bar high. Tyla feels like an anthology of the Afro-Piano era. It tinkers with some of the biggest sounds of the 2020s, producing a feel-good project that pays homage to her roots. Lead singles, “Truth or Dare” and “Water” cannot be overlooked here due to their impact – with a Travis Scott remix of the latter making a bonus appearance. Across 13 tracks, Tyla settles into her element, switching between genres just as confidently as she does collaborators. The intro with South African elite producer Kelvin Momo sets the tone for a genre-fluid Piano-pop experience.
“No.1”, one of the standout songs on the album, sees Tyla join forces with Nigerian star Tems. The glamorous girl-power anthem sees the powerful duo prioritise themselves over everything including their lovers. The Alex Lustig and Sammy Soso co-production dials into a familiar insatiable groove and trendy Afropop sounds. It’s a familiar charm offensive that shines through the album on songs like “Safer” and “Breathe Me.”
Despite the familiarity with her trademark sound, Tyla proves she can equally croon on pure R&B records. Her Aaliyah-esque evocations are easily some of Tyla’s strongholds and critical moments on the album. “Butterflies” is one of the best ballads you’ll hear all year. Here, the songwriting is compellingly straight-forward – she is in love, and wants to share it with the world. She slows things down on “On and On,” adding plaintive vocals to the ambient new-age-R&B soundscape. Despite the songs’ adherence to an Afro-pop template, it’s clear that Tyla’s perhaps at her strongest when leaning into an R&B pocket.
Still, the young star’s A&R power and commercial aspirations are never far off. “Jump,” a dark club banger sees Tyla and Skillibeng riff off each other on a dancehall-influenced Sammy Soso production. When Gunna chimes in with a verse it’s blatant that this will compliment Tyla’s come-up. Then Becky G’s presence on “On My Body” injects even more pop power into the project.
Even so, the album always finds its way back home, bookended by her most faithful takes on Amapiano. The outro pays homage to her country’s core sound, giving us an electronic love ballad with “To Last.”
Tyla is part of a generation of African musicians giving mainstream credence to genres that are crossing borders. Her debut album is a refreshing dose of carefree sounds that dance around Tyla’s star power. An album that deftly incorporates virtually every style of music that she has adopted over the years, making it a wholesome amalgam of today’s biggest pop trends.
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