Tyla creates music that is at once indelibly South African and ambitiously global. It’s a unique balance, one moulded by the sounds she heard as a child growing up in Johannesburg. Not only did Tyla (born in 2002) listen to plenty of homegrown music, including Kwaito and Afropop, but she was also exposed to ’90s American R&B greats like Aaliyah and Brandy. As with so many artists coming of age in the 21st century, the motivated teenager utilised social media to showcase her swiftly evolving talent; she then teamed up with South African producer Kooldrink for “Getting Late”. The 2019 single is a mesmerising realisation of Tyla’s love for bridging styles. The killer rhythm track is rooted in amapiano, and the singer’s translucent vocals reveal stunning versatility: hypnotic enough for dance music yet packed with pop’s effortless catchiness and R&B’s undiluted soulfulness. Tyla swirled all of those elements together seamlessly for <i>Tyla</i>, her 2024 eponymous debut that crystallised her status as an emerging global superstar. Powered by the irresistible "Water", not to mention the Gunna- and Skillibeng-aided "Jump", the project proved her ability to unite people and genres on the global embassy of the dance floor.