At a Glance
- Tyla, South African music star, aims for 1.5 billion YouTube views by 2024, building on her Grammy-winning hit “Water.”
- With 4.3 million YouTube subscribers and 1.44 billion views, Tyla’s genre-blending “popiano” continues to captivate global audiences.
- Tyla’s debut album and deluxe edition “Tyla+” maintain streaming dominance, with tracks like “Push 2 Start” gaining millions of plays.
South African music superstar Tyla Laura Seethal, known as Tyla, is cementing her place among the world’s music elite. The 22-year-old artist, celebrated for her fusion of amapiano and pop—dubbed “popiano”—continues to ride the wave of her meteoric rise.
After making history earlier this year with a Grammy win for Best African Music Performance for her breakout hit “Water,” Tyla has set her sights on surpassing 1.5 billion total views on YouTube before the end of 2024.
Tyla’s meteoric rise in the African music scene places her alongside stars like Diamond Platnumz, Burna Boy, Wizkid, Davido, and Rema, who have crossed the 1.5 billion-view threshold on the video-sharing platform.
Her YouTube channel, boasting 4.3 million subscribers, currently tallies 1.44 billion views, propelled by her recent releases and continued global appeal.
From Grammy glory to streaming supremacy
Tyla’s Grammy-winning single “Water” has become a cultural phenomenon, marking the first Grammy Award for the newly introduced Best African Music Performance category.
The track shot her into the global spotlight, achieving 258 million views on YouTube and 885.9 million streams on Spotify, as her most-streamed track.
The song also reached the top 10 in South Africa, the United States, and the United Kingdom—making her the youngest and first South African soloist in 55 years to chart on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.
Her debut self-titled album, “Tyla”, released in Mar. 2024, further solidified her position. The project received critical acclaim for its genre-blending production and catchy hooks, while her recently launched deluxe edition, “Tyla+,” has continued to generate buzz.
The deluxe edition, released on Oct. 11, 2024, features new tracks, including “Push 2 Start,” a reggae-infused amapiano pop song that debuted on Nov, 7, 2024. The track has amassed 8.1 million views on YouTube and 22.6 million plays on Spotify, signalling another hit for the star.
Streaming success and global appeal
Tyla’s rise reflects her talent and global appeal. With 21.1 million Spotify listeners, she is among Africa’s top-streamed artists, trailing only Nigeria’s Rema and Ayra Starr.
Her genre-blending style, dubbed “Queen of Popiano,” has drawn fans worldwide with its mix of amapiano beats and pop melodies.
Tyla’s impressive reach on YouTube has formed a key part of her growing influence in the music world, with “Water” leading the way. Her Grammy win has only boosted the track’s popularity, marking a pivotal career moment.
Reflecting on the win, Tyla expressed her amazement during a cover profile interview: “It’s something that a lot of people strive toward and want to win at least once in their lifetime,” she said. “And I’m so blessed to have received one so early in my career.”
