South African sensation Tyla is shattering records with the release of her debut studio album “Tyla.” The Amapiano/R&B fusion project debuts at an impressive No. 24 on the Billboard 200 chart, marking the highest-ever entry for an African female solo artist. Tyla Laura Seethal, who is popularly known as just Tyla, was born on January 30, 2002. She was raised in Johannesburg and comes from a culturally diverse background, with ancestry including Indian, Zulu, Irish, and Mauritian roots.
In 2021, Tyla signed a deal with Epic Records, and since then, she has been actively carving out new paths for African artists in the global mainstream consciousness. In its first week alone, “Tyla” gathered over 24,000 equivalent album units from sales and streaming in the U.S. Its commercial success was driven by singles such as the Platinum-certified “Water” and “Truth or Dare.”
Tyla’s domination on the Billboard doesn’t end there. Her album also debuts at No. 1 on the Worldwide Albums chart, making her only the third African act to top that list after Burna Boy and Wizkid.
The 14-track “Tyla” demonstrates the 22-year-old’s dynamic versatility, blending Amapiano rhythms with R&B vocals, accompanied by an impressive roster of features.
Tracks like “Jump” with Skillibeng and Gunna and “On My Body” with Becky G made significant impacts on the U.S. Afrobeats and R&B song charts.
In total, an incredible seven songs from “Tyla” debuted in the top 10 of the Billboard Afrobeats chart, including “Art” at No. 4 and the Tems-assisted “No. 1” at No. 5. Tyla’s breakout hit “Water” continues its global domination, rising to No. 19 on the Hot 100 after peaking at No. 7 previously. The smash earned her the Grammy for Best African Music Performance earlier this year.
With her debut album making such seismic waves, Tyla has definitely cemented her status as a pioneering force in expanding Amapiano and Afrobeats to a truly global audience. From South Africa to the streets worldwide, she’s well on her way to superstardom and, hopefully, more recognition for her work.
You can listen to her whole album on YouTube Music here.
