South African sensation Tyla has made history by becoming the youngest artist from the country to feature on the Billboard Hot 100, a feat not achieved since Hugh Masekela’s hit in 1968. Her track ‘Water’ has debuted at number 67, marking a significant milestone in her career.
This achievement comes 55 years after Hugh Masekela’s ‘Grazing in the Grass’ topped the chart for two weeks. At just 21, Tyla has etched her name on this prestigious list, which ranks the most popular music in the US weekly.
Born Tyla Laura Seethal, she has taken the music scene by storm with her unique blend of contemporary R&B and amapiano. Her track ‘Water’, released on July 28, sparked a viral trend on TikTok and made it onto Spotify’s Global top 50 playlist. It also climbed from number 71 to 38 on the Billboard Global 200 chart.
The song’s popularity was fueled by a TikTok dance challenge created by Tyla’s choreographer Lee-che´ Janecke, resulting in over 600,000 videos. ‘Water’ is nearing 50 million listens on Spotify and continues to gain traction on other platforms. Tyla is also the first South African artist to surpass 10 million monthly listeners on Spotify.
Tyla expressed her disbelief at predictions of her song debuting on the chart and thanked her fans for their support. Major League Djz, who recently supported Black Coffee at Madison Square Garden, congratulated Tyla on her achievements.
The music video for ‘Water’ garnered over one million YouTube views on its release day, making Tyla the first South African female musician to achieve this feat.
After signing with Epic Records in 2021 following the success of ‘Getting Late’, featuring Kooldrink, Tyla has continued to make waves in the music industry. She joined Chris Brown for his 2023 European tour and recently had her first official TV interview and performance aired on Swedish television.
Tyla revealed that she has been working on an album for the past two years and is excited to bring it to life. She fondly recalled her early life growing up in South Africa, performing songs for her family and embracing the rich culture of dance that is inherent in Africa.