Tyla Isn’t Interested in Being “The Next Rihanna,” Actually

With a shiny new Grammy, a hear-it-everywhere-you-go hit in “Water,” and a sense of confidence she could basically bottle and sell, our latest cover star has been drawing comparisons to Ms. Fenty since her debut. But while she’s flattered, she has a sound—and story—all her own.

BY ELAINE WELTEROTH AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY AMBER ASALY

If you are one of the few humans left on the planet who has somehow escaped the gravitational pull of the song that has quickly become as ubiquitous as the element it’s named after (spoiler: water), your days are numbered.

Soon after Tyla’s now-hit was uploaded to the internet last July, its uniquely hot vibe catapulted her monthly Spotify streams to 29 million and infiltrated every single one of my playlists. The accompanying choreography spawned a whole pop culture moment of its own on TikTok. Even as a 37-year-old mom, I found myself playing it on repeat while popping that thang everywhere from the beach to the Winelands during my COVID-redo honeymoon in sunny South Africa earlier this year.

I soon became fascinated with this new global pop (or “popiano,” if we’re being technical—more on that later) star from South Africa. And it wasn’t just because of the shiny new self-titled debut album and freshly won Grammy. It was also because she’s sparked nuanced conversations around the world about racial identity simply by being who she is, a proud member of the Coloured community of South Africa (more on that later too). Something that’s even more powerful than a chart-topping track.

We might live in an era when trending songs disappear faster than we can put a face or name to a sound, but Tyla is poised for the kind of stardom and staying power we rarely see from breakout talent these days. As the former editor-in-chief of Teen Vogue and a current Project Runway judge and red carpet commentator, I’ve seen every star track imaginable. The flash in the pan, the social-media-grown sensation, the Disney-to-troubled-rebel pipeline, the rising talent thanks to the support of an even bigger star. And my takeaway on Tyla—after hanging out with her in the kitchen of her West Hollywood pad, getting to know her over platefuls of homemade South African cuisine—is that her success story doesn’t fit neatly into any of these categories. Just like Tyla herself doesn’t fit into any category I’ve known.

She’s not the self-deprecating newbie or the doe-eyed foreigner who’s “just happy to be here.” While she is very much new to America—and over the moon about it—Tyla gives anything but “new here.” She walks into every room like she belongs, because the truth is, she always knew she did.

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