Like every young girl with dreams of becoming a singer, Tyla used to practice her Grammy speech in front of the mirror. Last month, at 22 years old, the rising South African artist got to give that speech for real, when she became not only the first-ever winner in the new Best African Music Performance category but also the youngest African singer to ever win a Grammy.
She earned this accolade for “Water,†a steamy amapiano track that went ultra-viral, inspired Travis Scott to jump on a remix, and turned her into an almost-instant pop star. She’s already been compared to Ariana Grande and a young Rihanna, but Tyla is adamant about paving her own path as an African artist. “Obviously, people before me have inspired people in their own way, and for me personally, I just want to have my own complete, unique Tyla come-up story,†she tells GQ from her home in California. “I want to have my own experiences, and I want to inspire people in different ways.â€
Before the release of her debut self-titled album, Tyla chatted with GQ about her whirlwind year, her signature Y2K-tropical looks, working with Tems, and what people get wrong about her.
Tell me about the moment when you won your Grammy!
Very surreal. Still doesn't feel real. I didn't expect it, honestly. Every time there was a new category, my heart would just sink because I'd be like, "Oh, the category is coming." And then, I mean, when he said my name, it didn't register. So I was sitting there for a bit, not knowing that he called my name.
Are your family members musicians, or is this a new legacy you’re creating for your family?
I have family members who are musicians. My gran used to be a singer. I have aunties and uncles who are in music, but I'm basically the first that made it, I guess, which is cool because it makes the family also feel good.
Would you ever collaborate with your family members? Are they asking you to?
They're definitely asking. Maybe the next album will be a family album.
I saw in an interview that you want to be a Disney princess. Which Disney princess made you want to take on a role like that?
Oh my gosh, every single one. I'm still obsessed with Disney princesses and animation and all of those types of things. I definitely want to get into all of that. But yeah I love Princess Jasmine, Ariel, and even Tangled. If they were to do a Tangled live-action—come on, call me. I would love to be my own princess. That would be ideal. I would love to get into that type of fantasy role, just something young and fun.
How did you choose collaborators for your debut album?
For over two years, I've been working on this album and working with everyone and anyone that I could. I feel like things have been happening naturally in terms of my career. Things have been aligning in their own way, and I do feel like it's just God putting the right people in the right rooms at the right time. It’s sometimes me just liking a song and finding whoever worked on that song and getting that person in and then getting this person that's randomly in the city. Everything is just trial and error and yeah, I feel like a lot of that helped me get to where I am in terms of my sound.
I was really excited when I saw that Tems was one of the features. How did that come about? Did your team call her? Did she reach out to you?
We were wrapping up the album and we literally had to submit it in two days, but I sent a song to Tems and she sent the one that we have now back and I loved it. She was in London and I was in LA, so we ended up working remotely on it and finishing it in two days. We've always wanted to work together, so this was a fun first song.
You're kind of rap-singing on some of the songs. Is that something that you would want to continue?
Definitely. I love playing with my voice and trying new things, so I don't want to ever say no to anything.
Are there any genres that you want to experiment with?
I really love the sound of dembow. So I’d want to play with that a bit and also the Jersey sound.
When you were younger, were you in the performing arts space? I know you were in the theater.
When I tell people that I love everything that has to do with the industry like acting, dancing, singing, fashion, and art, I genuinely do. When I was younger, I did drama in school. I would write plays. I'd act in plays. I'd teach people how to act in plays.
What was your favorite play that you've ever written?
I just wrote one in school. It was for a competition. It was actually an old deep play. It was just super fun being on that side of things because I'm used to being on the stage and being the actress and so it was fun to try and be on the other side for a day. It was about school kids and their stories back home, how people are in the school, in the classroom, and how you don’t really know what's going on back at home, where they go home to, but an emotional one.
Your outfits are always so amazing. It always looks like you've just come back from vacationing on a tropical island. Is that how you dress in your everyday life?
Yeah, that's my vibe. If I could live somewhere where it's always hot, I would go there. I love hot weather. I love island-y clothes, sweaty type clothing that looks effortless and just like I threw it on and not perfect. But also when I'm alone, I just love comfort. I'm sometimes just in pajamas for the whole day, or I'm dressed like a boy. I play around with fashion a lot, but in terms of what people see outside, that's how I see the album and the time I'm in right now.
Are there any favorite South African designers that you have worn recently or love?
Yeah. Love Thebe Magugu. I have a few pieces from him. Rich Mnisi. Those are the two main ones that I've been wearing.
So other than BlackPink and of course, the people that you've listed like Rihanna, Beyoncé, and all the greats, who else do you want to collaborate with next?
There are lots, but someone new that I haven't said is Jung Kook. I'd love to make a song with him. I even have a song that I feel like he would sound so good on. I just love also his artistry. He sings. He dances. The videos are cool. I just always imagine a full picture when I think of collaborating with someone like what's the visuals going to look like? What's it going to sound like?
I saw that you're a huge BlackPink fan. What about them? Are you a K-pop stan?
I'm not a K-pop stan, but I admire K-pop so much. Just the visuals, the quality of work, and the work ethic. They come up with such cool ideas, promo ideas, the small things they do for their supporters, and merch ideas. I just find K-pop and K-pop culture so cool. I love Blackpink’s visuals. Such a cute girl group. Each of them, they're unique, they're pretty. They have a different vibe about them, and I don't know. I just love the way they interact with their supporters.
What's one thing that you think people get wrong about you?
Some people think that I'm bougie and I'm serious, but I'm not. People don't know how raw I am.