The Bite Magazine - Spring/Summer 2026 - Issue 39

bitemusicceleb When the music video for the song, directed by her man- ager, dropped, it started a highly competitive, internation- al bidding war among major record labels. While several labels actively pursued her across international waters, she chose Epic Records for its promise of creative freedom and a unique, persistent outreach effort led by executives Sylvia Rhone and Ezekiel Lewis. Rhone even put up a billboard in Johannesburg featuring Tyla’s face to show her commitment, with the caption, “Love, Sylvia Rhone from Epic.” Another track, ‘Overdue’, emerged from blending amapi- ano’s rolling log drums with the glossy sheen of Western pop. While less widely discussed than her initial standout song, it reflected the singer’s early songwriting themes of crushes, longing, and the emotional intensity of teenage relationships. Tyla has spoken about how many of her first compositions were inspired by school‑age infatu- ations, written in a notebook her mother gave her, and ‘Overdue’ fits squarely into that early emotional palette. Her song ‘Been Thinking’ marked a shift toward a more polished, club‑ready sound. Co‑written and co‑produced with Christopher ‘Tricky’ Stewart, known for hits like ‘Um- brella’ and ‘Single Ladies’, the track channels the tension of obsessive attraction, pairing sleek pop‑R&B vocals with a dance floor pulse. It represents Tyla’s evolution from a newcomer into an artist capable of commanding global‑level production. It serves as an early teaser for the more refined direction of her later work. With ‘Girl Next Door’, her collaboration with Nigerian singer-songwriter Ayra Starr, Tyla leaned into a breezy, flirtatious Afropop sensibility. The song’s story is rooted in the shared experience of two rising African artists navigating fame, femininity, and desire with playful confidence. It also reflects Tyla’s growing interest in cross‑continental collaboration and her desire to merge amapiano with other African genres in an organic rather than engineered way. ‘Getting Late’ may have launched her music career, but the sultry, sensual, and playful bedroom anthem, ‘Water’, inspired by Aaliyah’s ‘Rock The Boat’, detonated her career on a global scale. The song went viral, became a cultural event, a dance challenge, a TikTok phenomenon, and a chart‑climbing juggernaut. The track earned her a Grammy for Best African Music Performance, making her the youngest South African to win in a major catego- ry and cementing her as a generational talent. Its success saw Tyla make an appearance at the MTV Europe Music Awards, where she delivered her first‑ev- er televised UK performance, blending ‘Water’ with her then‑new single ‘Push 2 Start’. The show, broadcast live from Manchester, marked a major milestone and earned her three EMA wins: Best African Act, Best Afrobeats, and Best R&B. Her rising profile also led to a perfor- mance at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, where she brought her choreography‑driven stage presence to millions of viewers. She was invited to perform at the LVMH Prelude to the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, a high‑visibility cultural event that placed her alongside global luxury and sports icons. Tyla became a regular at major ceremonies, in- cluding the MTV VMAs, the BET Awards, and the South African Music Awards, where she won multiple times and delivered standout performances. She appeared at the Met Gala two years in a row and attended the CFDA Awards, with coverage from Vogue, WWD , and ELLE for her red‑carpet impact.