Tyla is the debut studio album by South African singer
Tyla. It was released on 22 March 2024 through Fax and
Epic Records. Capitalizing on her international breakthrough with its lead single "
Water", the album features guest appearances from Kelvin Momo,
Tems,
Gunna,
Skillibeng,
Becky G, and
Travis Scott. Sonically, it blends elements of
amapiano,
pop,
afrobeats, and
contemporary R&B and includes lyrical themes of empowerment and relationships.
Tyla was originally scheduled for release on 1 March 2024. Recording sessions for Tyla took place in seven countries over two and a half years as Epic Records focused on fostering Tyla's formal studio experience. Production and songwriting on the album were spearheaded by Tyla and her collaborators
Ari PenSmith, Mocha Bands, Believve, and Sammy SoSo. "Water", "
Truth or Dare", "
Jump", and "
Art" were released as singles from the album, and the
Tyla Tour was announced. Multiple dates were cancelled due to injuries.
Upon its release, Tyla was met with critical acclaim, with many critics praising Tyla's versatility for featuring multiple music genres. The album debuted at number 24 on the U.S.
Billboard 200 as well as within the top 20 in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand, and Switzerland.
Background and release
Shortly after completing high school in 2019,[1]Tyla self-released her debut single, "Getting Late" featuring Kooldrink, which gained popularity in South Africa and piqued the interest of executives at
Epic Records.[2] In 2021, Tyla signed a recording contract with the record label and then departed from
South Africa for the first time in her life in order to attend a writing camp in
Dubai,
United Arab Emirates, where the label had organized a
songwriting camp for Tyla.[3] Over the following two-and-a-half years, she would attend recording sessions in countries such as
Ghana,
Nigeria,
Tanzania, South Africa,
Jamaica, the United Kingdom and the United States in order to develop her formal studio recording experience and write and record her debut album.[3] It was during this time that she met Ari PenSmith, Mocha Bands, Believve and Sammy SoSo, who would go on to become her collaborators and handle the majority of the production and songwriting work on Tyla.[3]
While speaking on the album's sound before its release, Tyla described it as an "experimental album" in December 2023.[4] She told
Capital Xtra in October 2023 that she had been recording the album for over two years and that it would primarily be "popiano", a blend of the amapiano and pop genres.[5] Part of the album was recorded in
Portland, Jamaica.[6] She announced the release of the album via social media on 30 November 2023.[7] Originally scheduled for release on 1 March 2024,[8]Tyla was released on 22 March 2024,[9] through Fax Records and Epic Records.[10] She had extended the album submission date to collaborate with the Nigerian singer
Tems on the song "No.1".[11]
Tyla is an
amapiano,
pop, and
R&B record which contains elements of
afrobeats;[12] a sound Tyla calls "popiano."[13] Tai Saint-Louis of HipHopDX noted that "the project is a collection of
mid-tempo bops that could easily serve as background music for a dinner party, workout or study session."[14] and Beats Per Minute described Tyla as a solid record with no skips.[13]
Opening with "Intro", with production from South African record producer Kelvin Momo,[15] is a 41-second recording that plays in the background while people converse. In an interview with
Apple Music, Tyla explained the reason behind the song, stating that:[16][17]
I really wanted to start with something proudly South African, something that is raw. The song is a voice recording that I took in a Kelvin Momo session so I love that you’re hearing the song, you’re hearing people talk - you’re hearing our accents, our language - and I just wanted people to also hear the roots of my sound, because obviously I’ve experimented a lot and it’s very much different from how original piano or afrobeats is, so I just wanted people to hear a raw South African session, and then take them through what I did with it.
"Safer" features soothing melodies and
syncopatedlog drum with chants as an expansion.[18] "
Water" plays in the
key of
D♯ minor and composed in
4 4 time with a
tempo of 117
beats per minute.[19] It is a pop,[20] and R&B infused amapiano song,[18] with Tyla's vocals fluctuating between the low note of
G♯3 and the high note of
C♯5.[19] It is described as a "kind of naughty song".[21] In the song, Tyla sings about the desire of a woman to experience a
squirting orgasm.[22] "
Truth or Dare", the fourth song in the album, is described as a slab of
afrobeats and amapiano.[18] On the chorus, Tyla sings about reminiscing about the times when her then-lover used to mistreat her, and now she's challenging him to catch up.[23] The seventh song on the album, "Butterflies", is a distinct fusion of
hip hop, pop, and R&B, similar to
Ariana Grande's musical style.[24]
Writing for News24, Joel Ontong described the R&B-influenced song "
On and On" as "a great song to just groove to; the subdued atmosphere makes for an intimate experience, heightened by Tyla's luscious vocal performance,"[25][26] as it blends old school R&B, amapiano and pop.[27][25] Tyla's objectives are to maintain the leaders of the movement at the forefront and to promote the pride and sounds of her nation as she sings "they ain't never had a pretty girl from
Jo'burg, see me now and that's what they prefer" on "
Jump".[28] It is the only
trap-infused recording from the album, featuring not so smooth vocals from
Gunna, and
Skillibeng.[13] "Jump" is a fusion of Afrobeats, dancehall and hip hop with echoing log drums and percussion definitive of the amapiano genre.[29] "Jump" opens with an intro by Skillibeng complimenting Tyla, calling her "an original gyal,"[30] then Tyla jumped in for the first verse with
braggadocio,[31] and the single-syllable chorus in a rap-sung
cadence, followed by Gunna on the second verse promising to fulfil Tyla's desires and buy her jewellery.[32] The song ends with an outro by Skillibeng.[33] Described as the most pleasantly erotic song Tyla has released since "Water" is "
Art", the tenth song in the album.[18] It is followed by "On My Body", a
deep house-influenced recording featuring vocals partially delivered in
Spanish language from
Becky G.[34] The thirteenth song on the album, "To Last", is a fusion of R&B and amapiano. It features Tyla's smooth whispered vocals and
synths with the aspect of sadness as she sings “You never gave us a chance, it’s like you never wanted us to last.”[35][36]
To promote the album, on 5 December 2023, Tyla announced her debut
concert tour in support of the album, titled the
Tyla Tour.[37] It was originally set to begin on 21 March 2024 in
Oslo and conclude on 28 May 2024 in
Minneapolis,[38] however the North American leg of the tour was later cancelled due to an injury that Tyla suffered before the tour's commencement,[39] and postponed the UK and European leg of the tour.[40][41] Soon after the album's release, she did pop-up shop appearances in
London and
Johannesburg to promote the record.[42][43]
"
Art" was released in tandem with the album on 22 March 2024 accompanied by a music video on the day of the release.[82][83] The single peaked at number 4 on the Billboard U.S. Afrobeats chart,[84] and number 2 on the UK Afrobeats chart.[85] A teaser video was previously shared on Tyla's socials on 13 March 2024 containing Tyla and
Lisa of
Blackpink previewing the song.[86][87] It debuted at number 18 on the
New Zealand Hot Singles chart.[88] On 12 April 2024 it was sent to Italian radio as a single.[89]
Tyla received a score of 84 out of 100 on review aggregator
Metacritic based on nine critics' reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[99] Several contemporary music critics praised Tyla's ability to fuse a variety of musical styles such as
afrobeats,
amapiano,
pop and
R&B, while remaining "true to her roots."[103][101]
Writing for African Folder, Bomi Anifowose wrote that the album's distinction "reflects the meticulous effort poured into its crafting". He notes that Tyla "refused to settle for mediocrity" and wrote that she "poured her heart and energy" into each aspect of the album. Concluding the review, Anifowose stated that "there is no skippable song" on the project and that it's "one of the most groundbreaking debuts" from an African pop star.[100]Beats Per Minute's Lucas Martins complimented the album's versatility, noting that it "presents restrained yet club-ready songs" that make for the "perfect vibe". Concluding his review, Martins wrote that the "expertly crafted record"'s authentic sound will allow her to become a star.[13] Writing for Clash, Robin Murray wrote that the album "opens with a flurry of highlights", appreciating that "she’s able to remain true to her roots". He writes that the album "taps into the emerging energies of spring" and described it as "one of 2024’s most insistent projects".[101]
Tai Saint-Louis of HipHopDX wrote that the album proves that Tyla has the potential to become "one of the genre-defining stars of her generation". He notes that "she comes off as organically comfortable".[14]i's Ed Power wrote that Tyla stays on "the front foot" on an album where "forward motion is a recurring metaphor".[102] Writing for The Line of Best Fit, Amaya Lim writes that Tylas's USP is that "she has all the trappings of a real Popstar". She notes that amapiano, afrobeats, pop and R&B are "expertly blended into every song" which results in "a record that is above all cohesive". Lim notes that despite the "little emotional or energetic dynamism" on the album, it's "club-ready, danceable and infectious", attracting the masses.[103] Miya Madzada for The Native wrote that throughout the album, Tyla "remained genuine and authentic to herself" and that "her charismatic personality shines out" throughout the album. Madzada stated that Tyla "engraves her artistic" ambitions.[104] Kayleigh Watson of NME wrote that Tyla proves her status as "South Africa's brightest new star".[35]
Pitchfork's Julianne Escobedo Shepherd began her review noting that on the album, Tyla "flexes her fidelity to pop-R&B" and that the it "pulses with amapiano’s log-drum heartbeat". She describes her singing ability as "savvy" and states that her "vocal intimacy betrays her influences".[34] Writing for Rolling Stone, Will Hermes writes that the album "coasts safely on its vibes" and that her debut "shows she’s up to the challenge", labelling her the most "effective ambassador" for amapiano.[106]
^Source(s) does not go into detail on whether the song was unreleased or not during the
Afro Nation festival.[3] This source states that the event was held on 29 June 2023,[44]Billboard says otherwise.
^Replaced with "Water (Marshmello remix)" on the LP version.[118]
References
^Kelly, Jade (1 March 2021).
"The Year of Tyla". Breakroom Africa. Archived from
the original on 14 April 2022. Retrieved 7 September 2023.