Tyla recalls her reaction to “Water” going viral + her goal of taking “African sounds to the world”

Tyla released her first single, “Getting Late,” in 2019, so when “Water” went viral, it wasn’t something she expected. In an interview with V Magazine, she says “it was really a cool moment” that “came as a surprise to all of us, myself and my whole team.”

“I feel like maybe [because] it was something new. It was even new for people back home in South Africa, because even though the [Bacardi] dance style was around for years, it was never really [applied to modern] music like this,” she says of why she thinks the song resonated with audiences. “So it was that dance style with the style of music that I make, and I feel like people just liked it. And I’m happy that they did because it really changed my whole life.”

Tyla started writing music at 12 years old. She also enjoyed performing in talent shows and acting in plays, which she believes prepared her and influenced her career. “I really incorporate those [passions] into my performance today. I love combining everything that I enjoy into one show, balancing acting [and] singing. I really have fun with it,” she says, noting her fashion and music sense have evolved over the years.

“Now, I’m able to play around more and get the pieces and wear the things that I’ve always wanted to wear, so I’m enjoying [it],” she says. “And musically, my direction has always been to take African sounds to the world and mix pop, R&B, afrobeats, and amapiano together and make it huge. All those years of trying, making terrible songs, making okay songs, brought me to this point where I feel like I’ve made a sound that I’m happy bringing to the world.”