South African singer Tyla Laura Seethal, known professionally as Tyla, made history on Sunday at the 66th Grammy Awards by winning her first Grammy for Best African Music Performance for her hit song Water. At 22 years old, she is now the youngest South African and the youngest African artist ever to win a Grammy.
“I did not think I would win a Grammy at 22 years old,” Seethal said as she accepted the award at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California.
Tyla first gained recognition while in high school by posting covers on social media. She rose to national fame before achieving international success through her viral TikTok dance challenge, the “Water Challenge,” which showcased a contemporary South African dance style known as Barcadi. Global artists, including Jennifer Hudson and Ciara, participated in the challenge.
Seethal expressed her excitement about the song’s success in an interview with Rolling Stone: “I knew it was going to be an amazing song. I just didn’t know it was going to do this. It has literally changed my whole life.”
The Best African Music Performance award was one of three new categories introduced at the 2024 Grammys to celebrate the diversity and global reach of African music. Seethal was nominated alongside Asake and Olamide (Amapiano), Ayra Starr (Rush), Burna Boy (City Boys), and Davido featuring Musa Keys (Unavailable).
Social media erupted with celebration following her win, praising her talent and dedication.
Tyla’s debut album is set to release in March 2024, just ahead of her performance at the Coachella music festival. The album will feature a blend of Amapiano, Afrobeats, pop, and RnB, serving as an introduction to her unique sound. “The album is literally an introduction of myself and my sound,” she said. “I have been working on it for two years. I have never released a project before. I have been perfecting my sound… and I am so excited for the release. There are a lot of bangers on there.”
