Tyla Reveals She Wasn’t Ready for the Fame That Came With “Water”

When Tyla’s summer anthem Water exploded across TikTok and the charts in 2023, the South African singer didn’t just become the soundtrack to viral dance routines, she became a global sensation. Yet in a recent candid chat with Variety, Tyla admitted she “wasn’t ready” for fame and the pressures that followed.

Released on July 28, 2023, Water is a sleek blend of amapiano, pop, R&B, and Afrobeats, co-produced by Sammy SoSo and others. As fans joined the sultry #TylaWaterChallenge, mimicking her iconic choreography, the track went viral worldwide, with over 446 million combined views and 600,000 TikTok videos by October.

It wasn’t just a social media moment. Water made history, becoming the first song by a South African soloist to enter the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in 55 years, landing at No. 7 and making Tyla the highest-charting African female solo artist ever on that chart. The song also went diamond in Brazil and scored multiple plum accolades—including the inaugural Grammy for Best African Music Performance, a Billboard Music Award, and an MTV VMA for Best Afrobeats Video.

Still finding her footing as an artist, Tyla found the sudden fame overwhelming. “When ‘Water’ happened, I wasn’t ready,” she revealed, explaining how she felt the world saw her rough drafts before she felt fully developed.

The leap from intimate club gigs in Johannesburg to recording studios, TV stages, and international tours, including opening for Chris Brown was abrupt and intense. She says that period pressured her into being perfect leaving little space to grow or experiment creatively.

Despite those pressures, Tyla has continually proved her musical versatility. She dropped a self-titled debut album in 2024, blending amapiano, pop, and R&B, and collaborating with stars like Travis Scott, Tems, Becky G, and Gunna. The album charted at No. 24 on the U.S. Billboard 200.

Tyla has embraced her rapid ascent, not as an obstacle, but as fuel. In public remarks, she acknowledged that “God rushed the process for me”, a reminder that while the ride has been fast and unplanned, she’s learning to harness it on her own terms.