Early Life & Background
Tyla Laura Seethal was born on 30 January 2002 in the
suburb of Edenvale, Johannesburg, South Africa. She is from a deeply
multicultural "Coloured" background with Zulu, Indian, Indo‑Mauritian
and Irish heritage. Raised in Johannesburg, Tyla did her high school education
at Edenglen High School, where she was Head of Culture and developed an interest
in performing and the arts.
She was introduced to music at a young age, doing covers and
posting original material on Instagram. Over her last year of high school in
2019, she spent every weekend in the recording studio, driven by a dream:
"I wanted to go hard," she would later explain. Her exposure to
Afrobeats, amapiano, kwaito, house, R&B and pop at a young age, drawing
inspiration from icons like Aaliyah, Rihanna, Michael Jackson and Adele, was
the starting point for her eclectic sound.
Education & Music Pursuits
Following her high school graduation in 2019, Tyla embarked
on a brief stint at the University of the Witwatersrand, pursuing mining
engineering. But music never left her veins. With her family's blessing, she
convinced her parents to allow her one year to prove herself in the industry,
and she seized the opportunity with style.
Career Breakthrough & Ascension
- 2019: Tyla released her debut single, "Getting
Late," with Kooldrink. This mix of amapiano and
R&B—"popiano"—took the country by storm and led to her being
signed by Epic Records in 2021.
- 2021–2022: She then released periodic singles and collabs,
always building her brand and sound.
- 2023: The track "Water" was released under
"Epic Records" and skyrocketed around the globe. It was the first
solo song of a South African artist to hit the US Billboard Hot 100 in 55
years, topping the U.S. top ten as well as making it to No. 4 in the UK. The
dance challenge in the song video, where Tyla watered herself, went viral,
making her even more popular globally.
Early in February 2024, Tyla's international fame was
cemented when she won the Grammy Award for Best African Music Performance for
"Water," the youngest African artist and the first solo South African
artist in roughly six decades to garner this accomplishment.
Debut Album & Artistic Style
Her debut self-titled album, released in March 2024, is a
vibrant mix of amapiano combined with pop and R&B. The album has
collaborations with Tems, Gunna, Skillibeng, and Becky G. Tyla describes her
popiano genre as a mix of innovation in world pop alongside respect for African
beats.
The album was a critical and commercial success, charting in
the top 25 of six nations, including the US. It's supported by across-the-board
media appearances, from The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon to top-billed
festival gigs, showcasing her energetic performances fusing dance and vocal
craft.
Personal Life & Family
Tyla is single and close to her family. Her parents, Sherwin
and Sharleen Seethal, initially pressed her towards a traditional career, but became
supporters when she made herself known through studio weekends and viral drops.
They watched her Grammy victory, including the Met Gala entrance, with her
siblings (Sydney, Whitney, and Tyrese)
Net Worth
Tyla's net worth is $1.9 million as of 2025.
Live performances are said to make her $150,000–$299,000 per
event.
Controversies and Rumours surrounding Tyla's life
1. Use of the term "Coloured"
A resurfaced-viral 2020 TikTok of Tyla identifying herself
as "a coloured South African" sparked outrage in the United States,
where the term has a highly offensive history.
She detailed in interviews (e.g., with British Vogue and on
The Breakfast Club) that in South Africa, "Coloured" is a formal
mixed-race category, and she considers herself both Black and coloured.
2. VMA Trophy Hand-Off Incident
At the 2024 MTV VMAs, when she accepted Best Afrobeats Video
for "Water," Tyla asked Lil Nas X (not Halle Bailey) to hold the
heavy Moon Person award, which was condemned by some. Some had referred to her
as "entitled" or worse, even "uppity," and blamed her for
cultural insensitivity.
Tyla said that she asked because of the weight and did not
intend any offense.
3. Afrobeats vs. Amapiano Controversy
In her VMA speech, Tyla emphasized she represents amapiano,
not afrobeats, which drew criticism, especially from Nigerian media, accusing
her of undermining afrobeats while receiving an award in that category.
4. Backlash over Coachella Outfit
During Coachella 2025, Tyla’s “green micro-denim” look
sparked comparisons to Britney Spears’ iconic 2001 “I’m a Slave 4 U” outfit.
When fans claimed she “copied,” Tyla snapped “stfu” on social media.
5. Snubbing Davido & Met Gala Hourglass
- After she won the Best Afrobeats Artist at the 2024 MTV
Base VMA, she openly thanked Nigerian artists Burna Boy, Lojay, Ayra Starr and
Tems without mentioning Davido, which raised outrage among his fans.
- She accessorized with an hourglass piece from the 2024 Met
Gala, which Nigerian fans interpreted as a dig at Davido's album Timeless.
6. Intellectual Property Claim by Groovy
Nigerian sensation Groovy accused Tyla of stealing his song
"On My Way" without permission in her song "Truth or Dare,"
requesting the right clearance.
7. Defamation as an "Industry Plant"
South African podcaster MacG and others, including online
commentators, suggested that Tyla's overnight fame was a construct by her
record label and labeled her an "industry plant" with
"manufactured" numbers.
Reddit users were similarly cynical, citing marketing
campaigns and her "racially ambiguous" representation
Conclusion
From her first studio weekends as a teenager in Johannesburg
to being the first solo South African artist since over half a century to reach
the US Billboard Hot 100, Tyla Laura Seethal has gone from a focused teen to a
Grammy-winning global icon at a breakneck pace. Blending amapiano with R&B
and pop, she not only transformed the sound of modern pop but also gave a platform
to the new generation of African artists.
Share:
