South African pop star, Tyla is making a positive, yet abrasive statement with her debut album.
Made her way to global stardom in 2023 with the smash track, Water, Tyla commenced a journey to position herself as the next biggest pop star in Africa,
Her journey has been extraordinary, pushing boundaries in the music industry and exporting a refined sound to larger prospects.
Tyla’s debut album features 14 songs exploring various genres. She leans towards commercialization over defining fun. Most tracks lean heavily towards commercial appeal, prioritizing commercial success over entertainment value.
A rundown of the tracks: the album opener ‘Safer’ dispels any notion of Tyla being a one-hit-wonder. Its lively sound contrasts with lyrics delving into romantic challenges, echoing the themes in her recent single ‘Truth Or Dare’.
As the album progresses, tracks like ‘No 1’ featuring Nigerian artist Tems, reflect Tyla’s renewed sense of self-worth. Collaborations with rappers Gunna and Skillibeng on ‘Jump’ bring a shift to dancehall beats, while a feature by Latin-American pop star Becky G on ‘On My Body’ further underscores Tyla’s global influence and artistic evolution.
These songs are best in terms of commercial positioning with its collaborators for new audiences, acceptance, recognition and awards, yet, they lack the urge for a re-listen.
Tyla, however, expressed her overflowing emotions about the album: “Honestly, everything that’s happening right now is beyond anything I ever dared to dream of. African music is taking the world by storm, and I’m so grateful to be one of the artists pushing our incredible culture forward. For the past two years, I’ve been meticulously crafting my sound, and I can’t wait to share it with the world. Get ready to experience an African Popstar – let’s go wild, Tygers!”
With her eponymous album boasting an impressive lineup of collaborators, Tyla marks a promising start to her music run, yet shields the importance of establishing her own uniqueness to listeners.
It’s a vibrant celebration of African music on the global stage, signaling the emergence of an artist with immense potential.
Listen up!