She rose to international fame with her 2023 single "Water", which was a top ten hit in a dozen countries including the United States, United Kingdom and Australia. It was also the first song by a South African soloist to enter the US Billboard Hot 100 in 55 years. She has been nominated for a Grammy Award, a Soul Train Music Award, and two South African Music Awards. Early life Seethal was born in Johannesburg, South Africa into a Coloured[5][6] family of Zulu, Indian, Mauritian and Irish descent. [7][8][9] She matriculated from Edenglen High School in 2019 and was the head of culture in that year.[10] She started out posting original songs and covers to her Instagram account, as well as sending them out to a number of figures in the music industry, subsequently being discovered by her first manager, Garth von Glehn, who then organized her first recording sessions. [4][11] She had been studying a degree in mining engineering before she decided to commit to her music career full time.[12] 2019–2022: "Getting Late" and national success In late 2019 after finishing high school,[5] Tyla released her debut single, "Getting Late" featuring production from Kooldrink, which achieved national success.[8] Filmed by her own manager intermittently throughout the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns,[13] the accompanying music video was released in January 2021.[14] It amassed several million views on YouTube,[15] and was nominated for Music Video of the Year at the 28th South African Music Awards in 2022.[16] She then signed a recording contract with Epic Records through a joint venture with Fax Records in the United States in May 2021.[17][18] She followed up this effort with the singles "Overdue" in October 2021, and "To Last" in November 2022.[19][20] 2023: "Water" and international success Tyla's debut performance came in 2023 during the Dolce & Gabbana afterparty at Milan Fashion Week,[21] following the release of her single "Been Thinking",[22][23] which earned Tyla her first chart placements of her career, on the Billboard Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay and Rhythmic Airplay charts.[24][25] Heven Haile of Pitchfork described it as a "slick club anthem that channels the seductive pop-R&B hits of mid-2000s Ciara and Rihanna".[26] Tyla then joined Chris Brown as the opening act for the European leg of his Under the Influence Tour.[27] In May 2023, she released the single "Girl Next Door", featuring Nigerian singer Ayra Starr.[28] She also later released the song "Water" in July 2023 as the lead single from her upcoming debut extended play.[29][8] After spawning a viral dance challenge on the social media platform TikTok,[30] the song entered the top 10 in New Zealand, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, where it topped the UK Afrobeats Singles Chart.[31] Entering at number 67, "Water" made Tyla the youngest-ever South African and the first South African soloist in 55 years to enter the US Billboard Hot 100, following Hugh Masekela's "Grazing in the Grass" in 1968.[32] She performed the song live on The Bianca Show in Sweden and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in the United States.[33][34] Its accompanying music video, released on 7 October 2023, accumulated 3 million views on YouTube in three days.[35] Tyla was then featured on a remix version of the song "Girls Need Love" by Summer Walker, released as part of the latter's Girls Mix extended play in October 2023.[36] She is nominated for Best African Music Performance with "Water" at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards in February 2024.[37] |
