On February 4, 2024, Tyla won the first major award of her career, a Grammy for the just inaugurated Best African Music Performance category at the 66th edition of music’s most prestigious night. “I never thought I’d say I’ve won a Grammy at 22 years old,” she said as she accepted the plaque amid a rousing ovation.
The South African artiste was in stiff competition in a category that had Nigeria’s Burna Boy, Davido, Ayra Starr, Asake and Olamide as co-nominees. But her hugely successful 2023 single, Water, proved just enough to secure the win. SA’s pop princess has been at it for all of five years. While her meteoric rise to the top can be credited to the massive success of the sexy, orgasm-charged single off her upcoming self-titled debut album, Tyla, here’s a rundown of her seven other songs that should be on your radar.
Getting Late
Tyla released her debut single Getting Late, featuring South African record producer, Kooldrink, in 2019. With a catchy chorus — “Baby, I know it’s getting late” — Tyla tells her love interest she’s not one to waste time. It was her official introduction to the world and music lovers’ first taste of her velvety vocals, and perhaps, her general sense of urgency.
If you’ve ever wondered what Ariana Grande sounds like on an amapiano beat, this song is your answer.
Been Thinking
Tyla is trying to make sense of the all-consuming nature of love. She expresses infatuation and longing for a lover in the uptempo, rhythmic, two-minute track. You should put a spin on this if you love Tiwa Savage’s Pick Up.
Truth or Dare
This song is one of three released tracks off her self-titled upcoming album set for release on March 1, 2024. Tyla opens the three-minute-long track with a triple barrel question to a seemingly unserious love interest: “ Did you say you’re on your way? Why now? When you just went MIA?” By the time she gets to the chorus, all she wants to know is where her partner’s head is at and the sincerity of their intentions to her. This one is perfect for relationship people with partners who are moving funny.
Butterflies
The intro treats listeners to a satisfying cocktail of Tyla’s velvety vocals backed by a piano. She sings about a love interest who sends her stomach fluttering with butterflies. “You give me butterflies, got me falling in the deep end of your disguise.” But she very quickly smacks her listeners out of fairytale la la land when she calls the lover out with, “So I fear this might be goodbye. I don’t need reparations, boy, bye.” If you’ve got a “Bye bye to fuckboys” playlist, this song should be on it.
Girls Need Love remix
Released in late 2023, Girls Need Love is that one song where Tyla states categorically that “I’m that GIRL”. She pulled in as a featured artist on yet another remixed version of the 2019 hit track by R&B sensation, Summer Walker. Tyla sings her heart out about how girls need intimacy and physical connection too, and should be able to communicate these desires without caving under societal expectations. When Summer Walker closes off her verse with “Girls can’t never say, Now, oh now, babe,” Tyla reinforces her message with the line: “If I come off as thirsty, know I’m just that.”
Water
The three-minute track leaves no room for guesses about its intention as it opens up with the intensely vivid chorus: “Make me sweat, makeake me hotter, make me lose my breath, make me water.” And then, it follows up with more orgasm-charged verses that make for a completely satisfying experience for listeners. The global standout hit, Water, takes a deep dive into the depths of romance, sex and orgasm. It’s the one track off Tyla’s discography that screams “horny” the most, earning Tyla her first Grammy nomination, and win. It also earned her her first Billboard Hot 100 feature, debuting at 67, and making her the highest-charting African female solo artist of all time. The hit single peaked at number 7 and has spent over 16 weeks on the chart — a huge achievement for a solo non-American singer with no features.
To Last
Released in late 2022, the verses of To Last carry a heaviness that drives Tyla’s not so subtle message of disappointment and betrayal by her first love. “Can’t beg for love to stay. Never thought you’d be my first heartbreak. Don’t know what more to say,” she sings. However, the sober and heartbreaking mood of the song is delivered with the chorus where she comes out with it and says her love interest never gave their relationship a chance, and in fact, didn’t want it to last. The melody is everything on this song, and anyone nursing a heartbreak will find comfort in this one.
