Popular South African singer Tyla is in hot water following the essential flop of her recently released EP. But according to many on social media, there’s one clear reason for her music decline.
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For context, the singer made a splash in a big way with the release of her hit song “Water” in summer 2023. Eight months later, she released her debut, self-titled album which received critical acclaim and went multi-platinum in several countries. However, during her press run after the album’s release, she stopped by The Breakfast Club to speak about her rising career.
While the interview seemed fine at first, things took a turn when co-host Charlamagne tha God asked her to clarify some previous comments where she claimed that she was “coloured South African.” Those words stemmed from a 2020 TikTok video she posted which began to go viral again around the same time that her ablum was popping off. Unfortunately for fans listening, they didn’t get to hear her explain herself as she deferred to her team who asked the host to move on from the question.
That one incident, is now what many Black folks on social media are pointing to as the biggest reason behind the fall in her recet EP’s success (which only sold 4,000 copies), arguing that her decision to not clarify why she referred to herself as “coloured” alienated her from Black American community given the negative connotation and history we have with the word.
Tyla Could’ve Been the “Next Rihanna,” But Failed Due to “Coloured” Comments
According to one user TikTokers, The Breakfast Club interview was the essentially the first domino to fall in Tyla’s journey of dominating the Black music market. And thanks to her lack of clarification, it only hampered the success she could’ve amassed like another famous star.
I knew for certain any attempt that she made breaking into this market was completely over,” TikTok user Sonnybabie said.
He went on to say how she was once touted as the “next Rihanna” but because she failed to really understand certain nuances about the Black American culture and music market, she ultimately isn’t seeing the same level of success.
“She was touted as the next big thing, she was seen as the next Rihanna. A foreign singer breaking into the African-American music market and end up being a massive international music star,” he said. “However, Rihanna actually did take the time to understand and educate herself into said market that she was trying to tap into. Tyla never did that. And when she had the opportunity to clear things up, she turned it down.”
Tyla Should’ve Made It Clear Where She Stood
For user Shamar Alion, he argued that her comments left a sour taste in Black Americans mouth initially, but it was her lack of quickly and coherently explaining the cultural differenced and seeming disdain at doing so that sent people over the edge and left them feeling disconnected from her.
“All she had to do was say over here, I’m considered XYZ. Over here, when I go to other places like America, I’m considered light-skinned, I’m considered Black, I’m considered mixed or whatever. But where I’m from, the socio-cultural norms are different and I’m considered coloured and that’s not a derogatory term. That’s all she had to say,” he said.
He went on to say that when Black Americans look for others in the diaspora to claim they’re Black, they don’t mean to do so in a way that makes them erase their culture. But it’s more so about about showing solidarity with the community as one people and making it clear which side you stood on.
“Y’all just keep trying to make it seem like Black people in America want y’all everybody t0 assimilate to how we move and what we do and how–no. That’s not it. It’s not that deep, it’s not. It’s really not. At the end of the day, we just want to know where you stand,” he concluded.
Tyla Can Ultimately Bounce Back, But May Need to Change Teams
In a rare moment, speaking on the “ART” singer and her recent sales on his podcast, Joe Budden actually defended Tyla, saying that because she’s young and makes good music, she can still course correct.
“I think that reading the room incorrectly can be fixed and addressed. So there’s a future for Tyla in America as an Afrobeats act or whatever she’s trying to do,” he said.
Budden went on to say that while Tyla will ultimately bounce back, her team is the one to blame for “dropping the ball” and “feeding her the stupid sh*t to say in America.”
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