SA’s Tyla makes music history with Billboard debut
Tyla has become the youngest South African to debut on the Billboard Hot 100 list!
South African singer Tyla (21) has made history by becoming the youngest South African musician to have a Billboard Hot 100 hit, and the first soloist in 55 years to have a hit on the legendary US music ranking list since jazz star Hugh Masekela achieved a spot 55 years ago (with Grazing in the Grass’).
This week Tyla’s viral song Water debuted at number 67 (the highest debut for a South African), after going viral on TikTok the last few weeks. She released Water in July, and the following month started posting videos on TikTok of her dancing to the song… which led to a viral water dance challenge, and the song being used over half a million times on TikTok.
Billboard said on Monday: “Tyla debuts at number 67 on this week’s Hot 100. It is her first career entry on the chart.”
Tyla, whose posts have been liked by several well known South Africans including SA expat and comedian Trevor Noah, was elated by Billboard’s announcement.
Tyla (full name Tyla Laura Seethal) tweeted on X: “I’m a South African girl born and raised in Johannesburg. This is crazy.”
The official video of the Amapiano / pop / Afrobeats / R&B song has had over 4.2-million views on YouTube since it was launched five days ago, and praise for the hard-working musician has been streaming in from proud South Africans at home and abroad. Tyla opened for Chris Brown in Europe earlier this year, and has her first album coming out in November.