The audience belts out the lyrics to every tune.
The glorious roars, screams, chants, cheers and whistles of approval dont stop.
And neither do the bodies dancing.
TYGER TYGERTyla wears Balenciaga. Photographed by Rafael Pavarotti. Styled by George Krakowiak.Vogue, March 2025.
You know when youve always felt like youre destined for something?
That youre going to make it one day?
But then when itactuallyhappens… Its like something you cant explain.It doesnt feel real.
Coated linen trench coat, Jil Sander by Lucie & Luke Meier
Its not quite a horizontal stance a la Mariah Carey, but definitely a kind of half-laying situation.
Tyla is literally, unapologetically, taking up space.
She could be forgiven for being a little on the tired side.
Jacquard bandeau top, Prada. Spandex legging boots, Balenciaga
Props to my mum!
Tyla says, smiling widely in response to me lauding her catwalk strut.
She taught me how to walk.
Crepe jersey bandeau top, Courrèges. Embellished duchesse satin shorts, Dilara Findikoglu. Embellished chain-mail bags, (worn as a headdress and necklace), Leo Costelloe for Monique Fei
Thats not how she sees it.
Coming from somewhere outside the States, I really looked up to her, she says.
I used to think youre only going to become famous if youre born in America.
Textured jacket, Stella McCartney
She made me realize there is another way.
That video went… she says signalling upwards, alluding to its success.
Especially in South Africa and Africa.
Leather coat, Bottega Veneta. Belts, Hermès, Michael Kors Collection and Stella McCartney. Legging boots, as before
And from there I showed my parents that I was serious about this and that it is possible.
They didnt want me to be disappointed if things didnt go my way.
But I was so adamant.
Jersey vest and linen miniskirt, Gucci. Vegan leather belt, Stella McCartney. Socks, Falke. Patent-leather shoes, Paris Texas
I was going to make it happen no matter what.
Her perseverance paid offher parents were convinced, as were Epic Records.
Jacquard bandeau top, Prada.
Feather jacket, Dilara Findikoglu
Did she have those conversations with her parents?
Always, says Tyla, not missing a beat.
My parents have always been very protective.
Bikini and leather sandals, Marc Jacobs, at Bergdorf Goodman. Socks, Falke.
And while she describes herself as street smart, she is nevertheless cautious.
Even before Water, I would never go to the studio alone.
I was very careful, she says.
But yeah, my parents are always worried.
If her siblings are as anxious as their parents, it certainly doesnt show.
He doesnt want to take pictures with me!
Its her younger sister, Sydney, who is making the most of her big sisters fame.
says Tyla, laughing, her South African accent thickening.
She is going to all the events, literally just eating it all up!
How is she adapting to the Big Apple?
Hmm, its very different, is her diplomatic response.
Sometimes I just miss having the sun and a yard and all my family around.
So I love my sister being with me.
Shes like a piece of home.
Unsurprisingly (the face!
), the fashion world has welcomed Tyla with open arms.
I was just excited to meet Pharrell.
I could not think of a better woman to wear this look.
Playing dress-up, says Tyla, is fun.
And I love wearing heels.
It just makes me feel more like a diva!
Her looks, be it on the red carpet or on set, are wholly collaborative.
Im very hands-on with everything I put out.
I know how I want to feel that day and how I want to look.
Tyla has so much fun with fashion.
Crepe jersey bandeau top, Courreges.
Embellished duchesse satin shorts, Dilara Findikoglu.
She unapologetically showcaseseven boastsabout our culture.
After everything we have been through, its such an amazing feeling.
Which, ironically, resonated deeper when lockdown hit.
That spirit of joy really connected with people.
Hence the level of fame Tyla is now operating in hits far beyond her home turf.
But it can be lonelyand, at times, intimidating.
They were like, We know you.
Youre Tyla, she recalls.
We should go for a drink.
Sometimes I even cry over it, she admits.
I just miss being able to walk.
Or sit in the park.
Or go to Nandos.
It feels like it should be illegal.
Tyla takes a breath.
People took it and…
It just went so far that I didnt know what to do.
I just would have wanted an opportunity for people to actually truly listen and learn.
Leather coat, Bottega Veneta.
Belts, Hermes, Michael Kors Collection and Stella McCartney.
But she stands by her decision.
Me choosing not to say anything, Im happy that I didnt.
Ive explained it a lot of times before, but people took that and put words in my mouth.
They said a whole bunch of things that I never said and ran with it.
If people really searched, theyll see that in South Africa we had a lot of segregation.
It was bad for a lot of us.
They just classified us.
And that just so happens to be the name that the white people called us.
They chose to call people that were mixed coloured.
So when I went to America and people were like, You cant say that!
I was in a position where I was like, Oh, so what do I do?
It wasnt the first time her identity was questioned.
In primary school, Tyla was bullied for her hair texture (Your hairs so poofy.
Your hair looks better straight) and her skin tone (Look how much darker you are!).
I went to a very white primary school, she explains.
I really hated myself.
The debate has simmered.
The fire, she acknowledges, is not quite out.
But she has made her peace with it.
You know that even if you give the best explanation, people will still choose not to understand.
And the people that care to learn, they understand now.
And thats enough for me.
Jersey vest and linen miniskirt, Gucci.
Vegan leather belt, Stella McCartney.
We can talk about anything, she says of the multi-Brit Award winner.
We can laugh, joke, dance, we pray together… Shes like a big sister to me.
Tyla is such a beautiful, sweet soul, Raye tells me.
Its a beautiful, safe friendship we have formed.
And, she adds, shes even helping me learn to shake my bum better.
Shes flying back to her hometown, Johannesburg, ahead of her South African tour.
Imsoexcited to be performing in Africa again, she says, her eyes lighting back up.
She is poised, focused.
Her self-possession is at points a touch disconcerting; breaking eye contact is not her style.
Shes unafraid in her responses, while remaining a no-is-a-complete-sentence kind of girl.
So there are guardrails.
Some are cant-put-your-finger-on-it intangible, others more direct, such as when I ask her about her love life.
Hmmm, she starts, bemused.
I have really good friends.
Yeah, so just leave it at that.
She bursts out laughing.
The mirth carries with it an undercurrent of Tylas particular brand of charisma.
It speaks to an unwavering confidence, a faith in herself that she attributes to a higher power.
She seems so much more at ease than she was in London.
When I come home, she explains, I feel like Im performing for my family.
They get me, they get the random things I say, we feed off each others energy.
Their scale marks a tipping point in her career, enshrining her arrival in the fast lane of fame.
And so what more can we expect from Tyla in 2025?
I really feel like I have changed so much since Water and my debut album.
I have grown into a different version of myself.
A little more spicy, a little more bold.
Im excited to just put that into the music.
Music is my first love, she says with a smile, giving nothing away, ruling nothing out.
Maybe one day Ill want to dabble in acting, beauty, creative directing, fashion…
I really have a love for it all and I know I can do it all.
She locks eyes with me once more, her gaze seemingly superglued to mine.
While Im on this earth, I just want to touch everything.
Bikini and leather sandals, Marc Jacobs, at Bergdorf Goodman.
In this story: Hair: Zhou Xue Ming.
Make-up: Chiao Li Hsu.
Nails: Simone Cummings.
Set design: Ibby Njoya.
Production: Ragi Dholakia Productions.
Digital artwork: Dtouch London
