Tyla is ready to show the world what she can do.
Just weeks after earning her first Grammy Award (Best African Music Performance), the Johannesburg native came through with her much-anticipated debut album. The self-titled project spans 14 tracks, including the previously released cuts “On and On,” “Truth or Dare,” and viral lead single “Water.”
Tyla detailed the album in a 2023 interview with Variety, saying it had an “experimental” sound that reflected her upbringing.
“What I like is mixing [amapiano beats] with pop and R&B and ‘Water’ is exactly that,” she told the outlet. “You’ll find that vibe in most everything I do but I’m definitely experimenting a bit [for the new record] but it all sounds like me—the music and production styles I enjoy, especially the music I heard growing up. Now, I can’t wait to properly introduce myself.”
Days before Tyla’s release, the 22-year-old shared the official tracklist on Instagram. The photo showed her holding a whiteboard with the list of songs and featured artists: Gunna, Tems, Becky G, Skillibeng, Kelvin Momo, and Travis Scott, who hopped on the “Water” remix.
Tyla shed more light on the eponymous project in a November 2023 Instagram, in which she also reflected on her success.
“Everything that’s happening has surpassed anything I could have dreamt of,” she wrote. “African music is going global and I’m so blessed to be one of the artists pushing the culture. I’ve been working on my sound for 2 years now and I’m so ready for the world to hear it. I cannot wait for the world to experience an African Popstar. Go wild, Tyger.”
You can listen to Tyla now on Apple Music, Spotify, and other major streaming platforms.
The album arrives after Tyla canceled her North American tour and rescheduled her European shows. Although she kept details to a minimum, the singer told fans she had been dealing with an unspecified injury that became increasingly worse.
“As much as this is something I would rather have dealt with privately, it’s important that I share what I have to share with you today,” she wrote on Instagram. “For the past year I’ve been silently suffering with an injury that has tragically worsened. I’ve seen doctors and specialists with high hopes but the pain has only become more agonizing as has the severity of the situation.... In consulting with medical professionals it’s become increasingly clear that continuing any festival or tour dates would jeopardize my long-term health and safety.”
