Tyla says self-titled album took over three years to put together

Tyla is on the verge of releasing the deluxe edition of her self-titled album, on which she shares her culture with the world. Speaking to BLACKPINK‘s Lisa for Rolling Stone‘s sixth annual Musicians on Musicians issue, she reveals the original album had been in the works for over three years.

“It took a while, mainly because I had a clear vision for it. I knew that I wanted to stay true to my culture — obviously, African music — but also a lot of pop and R&B influences,” she explains. “I had to work with a bunch of people to get the sound right. When I finally got it, I just went in. It felt like such a relief when I reached that point.”

Though it took some time to put the album together, Tyla says sharing her culture has “always been something that I wanted to do.” Now that she’s gotten the opportunity, she notes, “It’s been fun, but also difficult because not a lot of people understand it.”

To ensure she finds joy in her work, Tyla says she thinks about the fact that she’s living her dream. “I’m already at a place where not many of us were able to get to. I’m just trying to be grateful and see it as a gift and a blessing always. The small things keep me going, because I’m inspiring a lot of people back home and showing them that it actually can happen,” she says.

Her goal in the next year is to “look back and be proud of every milestone I’ve achieved so far.” She also wants to show her personality more and “be able to let more people in.”