South African music sensation Tyla, best known for her viral 2023 hit Water, has revealed the emotional struggles she faced behind the scenes amid her rapid rise to global fame. Speaking to Variety, the 23-year-old admitted that industry pressure to conform to a more mainstream pop sound left her feeling disconnected from her artistry and, at one point, in tears.
“[Those songs] didn’t feel like me at all,” Tyla recalled. “I remember being in my hotel room and my managers were calling me: ‘Come down, we need to cut the song.’ I was crying and thinking, ‘This is not what I want. I didn’t get signed to do this.’”
The experience became a turning point, reinforcing her commitment to African music and inspiring her to stand firm in her creative vision. “Through doing that, I realised how much more I love African music. It made me more persistent in keeping my ideas,” she said.
Reflecting on the making of Water, Tyla shared how the intimate recording process just her, an engineer, and his pregnant wife in the studio — allowed her to channel her emotions authentically, despite her initial shyness.
However, the global success of Water also brought unexpected challenges. Speaking to The Sun, she admitted, “For a while, especially last year, I felt so trapped. Like, ‘Oh my word, I blew up and I just have to have everything right… because the world is looking.’ It was kind of stressful for me.”
Tyla’s latest release, We Wanna Party, marks a new chapter in her career. Originally intended as part of her debut album, the project evolved into a summer mixtape that allowed her to experiment with fresh sounds and showcase her growth as an artist. “I really just want people to hear it and party to it, and see who I am now,” she explained.
Despite the pressures, Tyla credits her self-belief and a touch of “arrogance” with helping her navigate the music industry. “I don’t let anybody or anything limit me or put me in a box,” she said. “Everyone needs a little bit of arrogance… If you’re not that proud and you don’t believe in your stuff, why would someone else?”
Tyla’s journey is a testament to the power of staying authentic, even in the face of industry expectations.
