Imagine starting your music career and the first award you win ever is a Grammy Award. Sounds unbelievable, right? Well, South African singer-songwriter, Tyla, achieved this unimaginable feat at the recent 66th Grammy Awards when she walked away with “Best African Music Performance” for her song Water.
Tyla took a leap of faith when she traded attaining a Mining Engineering degree with pursuing her passion. Her musical career started when she posted song covers on her Instagram page in high school. She went on to release her first single Getting Late in 2019.
Her 2023 single, Water, went viral on social media platforms like TikTok after she incorporated ‘Barcadi’ dance moves into her performances. People all over the world, including celebrities like Ciara, caught on the trend and did their versions of the #WaterChallenge. The online presence catapulted the 22-year-old further into stardom, making her victorious against fellow African nominees Ayra Starr, Davido, and Burna Boy.
As the youngest African to win a Grammy and the first African soloist with a song on the US Billboard Hot 100 in 55 years, Tyla has made history. She joins the ranks of other notable South African Grammy-winning artists such as Black Coffee and Ladysmith Black Mambazo.
“My album is literally an introduction of myself and my sound,” she shared ahead of the release of her debut album. “There’s a lot of bangers on there, like Water and even better ones. I’m looking forward to this year.”
Tyla’s debut album is set to be released in March.
