There’s no easy classification for the wide variety of music being made and released by African artists in the 2020s. The increased popularity of Afrobeats, the (begrudgingly) accepted catchall term, is proving to be more than just an in-the-moment fascination. It’s not just that more ears are being turned all over the world, it’s also the institutional buy-ins, from dedicated charts in the UK and the U.S, to an all-new award category at the Grammys.
At this year’s Grammy ceremonies, the Recording Academy will hand out the first gilded gramophone for Best African Music Performance. Announced early last year, the new category recognises the consistently growing importance of African music in the global pop music landscape. Last November, the inaugural set of nominees were unveiled, comprising five of the biggest and most important songs of the year in review: Tyla’s “Water,” Ayra Starr’s “Rush,” Burna Boy’s “City Boys,” Davido’s “UNAVAILABLE” and Asake & Olamide’s “Amapiano.”
Nigerian artists fill up all but one of the nods, indicative of the cultural and commercial market share the country’s music and superstar musicians currently occupy where African music is involved. While we eagerly anticipate the debut winner of the category, we’ll be publishing primers detailing the merits of each song as they vie for the prestigious prize.
We start below with Tyla‘s massive hit “Water.”
How “Water” has firmly placed Tyla on the path to global superstardom
In early 2021, when the South African artist born Tyla Seethal released the sleek video for her debut single, “Getting Late,” expectations of proper stardom quickly set in. Her talent was immediately evident in that one song and it showed in the novel sparkle of the music, eventhough its components were familiar.
Created with producer Kooldrink, “Getting Late” was a submission of how much pop gloss could coexist with the booming sonics of club-ready amapiano. Tyla’s voice, feather light and sweetly scented, purred repetitive lines between thick slabs of bass and ricocheting log drums, the charm in her vocal presence serving as the song’s gravitational pull. In its accompanying, maximalist video, Tyla danced with palpable joy, pulling off the variety of leg moves and body rolls that helped propel ‘piano to prominence across Africa and beyond.
Tyla – Water (Official Music Video)
Two-plus years after her debut music video, that same gorgeous singing over groovy, thumping production and a viral dance move have combined to make Tyla a surging global sensation. The trajectory from her first single, originally released in 2019, to 2023’s ultra-ubiquitous “Water” took some time. Very often, there’s an emphasis on capitalising on the moment when an artist breaks out; a momentum play that has its benefits but could also lend itself to fad accusations and quick burn out. For Tyla, there was no rush, which has its disadvantages considering how fast-paced music is in the streaming era. So far, though, the payoff has been massive—and there’s still much, much more to gain.
Tyla’s growth is traceable in her small but growing catalogue. That the foundational elements on “Water” have a through line that stretches all the way back to the beginning of her singing (and dancing) career makes its success more gratifying than the gimmicks associated with many viral stars. Of course, a lot has to do with salaciousness but it’s impossible not to accede to the song’s earworm lilt.
“Water” is centered on sexual desire, strictly presented from a woman’s POV. The instantly memorable hook, “Make me sweat, make me hotter / make me lose my breath, make me water,” is a short litany of thinly-veiled commands; a sequence best suited for women to belt out loud. Tyla confidently struts amidst shimmering keys, a bouncy percussion pattern and log drum embellishments, effortlessly dialing the temperature up and down by flowing between fluttery falsetto runs and smooth melodies.
Then there’s the dance, influenced by the Bacardi dance trend of vibrating hips, winding waists and twisting ankles. As an artist with a worldly view, incorporating pop music aesthetics and R&B melodies into her music, dancing is Tyla’s most explicit tether to her South African roots. From the star-making halls of TikTok to her many performances, some on coveted Late Night stages, Tyla’s interpretation of the Bacardi dance focused on its sex appeal. Even in the video for Major League DJz and Major Lazer’s “Ke Shy,” which dropped a few months before “Water,” you could already catch a glimpse of Tyla playing with the moves that would go viral.
At this year’s Grammys, “Water” is nominated for Best African Music Performance — a testament to how the single has helped push a hugely talented young woman in African music into global music discourse. That she’s still in the nascent stage of her career doesn’t make this a premature achievement; if anything, it’s more proof that Tyla is firmly on the path to global superstardom.
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