The Surreal Life of Tyla

The night before the Opening Ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics, Tyla was unusually calm. The South African singer was about to give a surprise performance at the Prelude to the Olympics, held at the Fondation Louis Vuitton and attended by celebrities from Zendaya to LeBron James. "I was asked to do the event by Pharrell [Williams, Louis Vuitton Men's creative director], so it was insane—an instant 'Yes,'" she says. "Sometimes I'm nervous, like I'm really nervous." But this time, Tyla looked forward to the show the entire day. She dressed in an oversize black and yellow jersey from Louis Vuitton Men's yet-to-be-released spring 2025 collection, over spandex shorts and thigh-high boots, and performed four songs, including her runaway hit "Water." "I felt hot," she says with a smile. "When I got on, I knew it was going to be that type of crowd: professional, don't dance much. But regardless, I had so much fun." Tyla teased the VIP audience as she sang: "I even called them out onstage like, 'You guys are stiff.'"

Days before, Tyla had been in London, where she was in rehearsal for upcoming shows—including Chicago's Lollapalooza, her first big music festival in the United States—and making both a deluxe album of her self-titled debut EP and new music. At 22, she has had one of the fastest, most explosive rises in music—a true African pop star with a following that spans much of the world. "I just started seeing stars," Ezekiel Lewis, president of Tyla's label, Epic Records, says of first seeing a video of her performing. "It was a grand opportunity to help collaborate and make something truly original."

Just a couple of years ago, the singer, born Tyla Laura Seethal, was in high school in her hometown, the sprawling, dynamic city of Johannesburg, where she grew up on the east side. As a little girl, she posted videos of herself covering pop songs by the likes of Justin Bieber. When she started making music in high school, she experimented by mixing genres from R&B to pop with her foremost love: amapiano, South African house music. When she heard the log drums of the song "Iskhathi (Gonggong)" by Kwiish SA at the age of 14, she was seduced. "When amapiano would come on, we would see everybody's moves just change. Seeing the energy of it…it felt so spiritual," she tells me. "I always wanted to mix it with other styles that I enjoy, like R&B and pop—and make it my own." It was frustrating to watch her country's unique music, from amapiano to kwaito house, go unnoticed by the rest of the world. "I felt it was so special, and it needed to be shared. I did my own version of it in hopes of getting people to go deeper and discover the other artists we have and the origins of my sound."

View in Browser  Days before, Tyla had been in London, where she was in rehearsal for upcoming shows—including Chicago's Lollapalooza, her first big music festival in the United States—and making both a deluxe album of her self-titled debut EP and new music. At 22, she has had one of the fastest, most explosive rises in music—a true African pop star with a following that spans much of the world. "I just started seeing stars," Ezekiel Lewis, president of Tyla's label, Epic Records, says of first seeing a video of her performing. "It was a grand opportunity to help collaborate and make something truly original." Just a couple of years ago, the singer, born Tyla Laura Seethal, was in high school in her hometown, the sprawling, dynamic city of Johannesburg, where she grew up on the east side. As a little girl, she posted videos of herself covering pop songs by the likes of Justin Bieber. When she started making music in high school, she experimented by mixing genres from R&B to pop with her foremost love: amapiano, South African house music. When she heard the log drums of the song "Iskhathi (Gonggong)" by Kwiish SA at the age of 14, she was seduced. "When amapiano would come on, we would see everybody's moves just change. Seeing the energy of it…it felt so spiritual," she tells me. "I always wanted to mix it with other styles that I enjoy, like R&B and pop—and make it my own." It was frustrating to watch her country's unique music, from amapiano to kwaito house, go unnoticed by the rest of the world. "I felt it was so special, and it needed to be shared. I did my own version of it in hopes of getting people to go deeper and discover the other artists we have and the origins of my sound."" title="The night before the Opening Ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics, Tyla was unusually calm. The South African singer was about to give a surprise performance at the Prelude to the Olympics, held at the Fondation Louis Vuitton and attended by celebrities from Zendaya to LeBron James. "I was asked to do the event by Pharrell [Williams, Louis Vuitton Men's creative director], so it was insane—an instant 'Yes,'" she says. "Sometimes I'm nervous, like I'm really nervous." But this time, Tyla looked forward to the show the entire day. She dressed in an oversize black and yellow jersey from Louis Vuitton Men's yet-to-be-released spring 2025 collection, over spandex shorts and thigh-high boots, and performed four songs, including her runaway hit "Water." "I felt hot," she says with a smile. "When I got on, I knew it was going to be that type of crowd: professional, don't dance much. But regardless, I had so much fun." Tyla teased the VIP audience as she sang: "I even called them out onstage like, 'You guys are stiff.'" Days before, Tyla had been in London, where she was in rehearsal for upcoming shows—including Chicago's Lollapalooza, her first big music festival in the United States—and making both a deluxe album of her self-titled debut EP and new music. At 22, she has had one of the fastest, most explosive rises in music—a true African pop star with a following that spans much of the world. "I just started seeing stars," Ezekiel Lewis, president of Tyla's label, Epic Records, says of first seeing a video of her performing. "It was a grand opportunity to help collaborate and make something truly original." Just a couple of years ago, the singer, born Tyla Laura Seethal, was in high school in her hometown, the sprawling, dynamic city of Johannesburg, where she grew up on the east side. As a little girl, she posted videos of herself covering pop songs by the likes of Justin Bieber. When she started making music in high school, she experimented by mixing genres from R&B to pop with her foremost love: amapiano, South African house music. When she heard the log drums of the song "Iskhathi (Gonggong)" by Kwiish SA at the age of 14, she was seduced. "When amapiano would come on, we would see everybody's moves just change. Seeing the energy of it…it felt so spiritual," she tells me. "I always wanted to mix it with other styles that I enjoy, like R&B and pop—and make it my own." It was frustrating to watch her country's unique music, from amapiano to kwaito house, go unnoticed by the rest of the world. "I felt it was so special, and it needed to be shared. I did my own version of it in hopes of getting people to go deeper and discover the other artists we have and the origins of my sound."" height="auto"> The Surreal Life of Tyla The night before the Opening Ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics, Tyla was unusually calm. The South African singer was about to give a surprise performance at the Prelude to the Olympics, held at the Fondation Louis Vuitton and attended by celebrities from Zendaya to LeBron James. "I was asked to do the event by Pharrell [Williams, Louis Vuitton Men's creative director], so it was insane—an instant 'Yes,'" she says. "Sometimes I'm nervous, like I'm really nervous." But this time, Tyla looked forward to the show the entire day. She dressed in an oversize black and yellow jersey from Louis Vuitton Men's yet-to-be-released spring 2025 collection, over spandex shorts and thigh-high boots, and performed four songs, including her runaway hit "Water." "I felt hot," she says with a smile. "When I got on, I knew it was going to be that type of crowd: professional, don't dance much. But regardless, I had so much fun." Tyla teased the VIP audience as she sang: "I even called them out onstage like, 'You guys are stiff.'" Days before, Tyla had been in London, where she was in rehearsal for upcoming shows—including Chicago's Lollapalooza, her first big music festival in the United States—and making both a deluxe album of her self-titled debut EP and new music. At 22, she has had one of the fastest, most explosive rises in music—a true African pop star with a following that spans much of the world. "I just started seeing stars," Ezekiel Lewis, president of Tyla's label, Epic Records, says of first seeing a video of her performing. "It was a grand opportunity to help collaborate and make something truly original." Just a couple of years ago, the singer, born Tyla Laura Seethal, was in high school in her hometown, the sprawling, dynamic city of Johannesburg, where she grew up on the east side. As a little girl, she posted videos of herself covering pop songs by the likes of Justin Bieber. When she started making music in high school, she experimented by mixing genres from R&B to pop with her foremost love: amapiano, South African house music. When she heard the log drums of the song "Iskhathi (Gonggong)" by Kwiish SA at the age of 14, she was seduced. "When amapiano would come on, we would see everybody's moves just change. Seeing the energy of it…it felt so spiritual," she tells me. "I always wanted to mix it with other styles that I enjoy, like R&B and pop—and make it my own." It was frustrating to watch her country's unique music, from amapiano to kwaito house, go unnoticed by the rest of the world. "I felt it was so special, and it needed to be shared. I did my own version of it in hopes of getting people to go deeper and discover the other artists we have and the origins of my sound." READ MORE Kylie Jenner and Timothée Chalamet Enjoy Pizza Date in New York City A rare outing for the very private couple. 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