Tyla has been reflecting on her rapid rise to fame, and she credits her 2024 song "Water" as the turning point that changed everything.
"That was insane," the 24-year-old South African singer told E! News at Billboard's Women in Music event on April 29. "My life literally flipped on its head. It was a lot of adjusting, you know? Because where I'm from in South Africa is very different to everything over here, so that moment changed my whole life, honestly."
Because her ascent was so swift, the artist had to learn the ropes of the music industry on the fly. "I just went with what feels good," she explained. "And now I feel like I'm at a place where I'm really just having the most fun."
Tyla has become a driving force behind bringing South Africa's amapiano sound to a global audience. "That thought is just too big to think about, honestly," she said of her music's international success. "Coming from literally the bottom of Africa and my music playing all over the world, it's like a dream for a lot of people. So, I'm just blessed."
She added, "The music that I make is a mixture of a lot of different things, and I always felt like it was big, like it was pop. So the fact that it's getting recognized that way is just amazing."
Looking ahead, Tyla has high hopes for her second studio album, APop*, set for release on July 24. She wants the album to evoke a specific feeling: "I want them to feel like they're in their bedroom alone in underwear," she teased. "Dancing in front of a mirror, loudspeakers or headphones—like that's exactly what I want them to feel."
That preference for home entertainment fits her personality. "I rather that than a club every weekend," she shared on the Miami on the Rocks podcast in 2024. "I also love being at home and chilling. I'm not a gamer, but I like playing games."