Tyla has opened up about being compared to Rihanna.
The South African hitmaker has responded to fans who compare her to the “Rude Boy” singer.
“It’s flattering because Rihanna is Rihanna. It’s a compliment,” Tyla told Cosmopolitan in a new interview. “But at the same time, I’m my own artist. I’m Tyla.”
“And I know as people get to know me and my music, they will see me as just Tyla,” the 22-year-old continued. “So I’m fine with it now. People want to tie me to something familiar to them, cool. But at the end of the day, we’re doing something no one’s done before, and it can’t really be compared to anyone.”
Elsewhere in the interview, the Grammy-winning singer opened up about how her life has changed following the release of “Water,” the lead single from her self-titled debut studio album.
“So many things have changed,” she told the publication. “I still live in South Africa, but I was able to move my parents, my family. Now they’re in a safer area. My family came to Dubai with me. I was able to bring them to Europe. I’m able to show my parents the world at this age, you know?”
Tyla went on to recall begging her parents to let her pursue a career in music.
“Years back, I was crying on my parents’ bed, saying, ‘Can I sing, please? Can I just do this? I don’t want to go to university,'” she said. “Now they are watching me win and they are seeing plaques and posters. The first time my parents got to be in America, they saw their daughter win a Grammy.”