Tyla was determined to become a star, and she wasn’t about to take no for an answer.
The South African singer, now one of the biggest names in global music, reflected on her early struggles and unwavering confidence in an interview with British Vogue, recounting how she transformed self-belief into success.
Her breakout moment came in 2019 with “Getting Late,” a single that resonated deeply across South Africa and the continent.
“That video went…” she said, pausing to gesture upward. “Especially in South Africa and Africa. And from there I showed my parents that I was serious about this and that it is possible.”
While her confidence never wavered, her parents were less convinced at first. Tyla, now 23, admitted they feared the industry’s unpredictability.
“They didn’t want me to be disappointed if things didn’t go my way,” she said. “But I was so adamant. I was going to make it happen no matter what.”
She delivered on that promise. By 2021, she had signed with Epic Records, and in 2024, she solidified her place in global pop culture with “Water,” the chart-topping hit from her self-titled debut album.
Her journey started long before signing a record deal, though.
She recalled meeting her manager, Colin Gayle—a music industry veteran known for working with Ne-Yo and 50 Cent—who played a pivotal role in her rise.
“He wanted me to come in to record in a studio,” she said. “So I met him—my parents came with me—and I recorded my first song that day.”
From then on, it was a grind. “I was literally going between school and the studio, school, studio, school, studio…” she said, laughing.
That final year of school was tough, but she never lost sight of the dream she had been chasing since childhood.