South African sensation Tyla is making waves on the global stage. This year has been a whirlwind, thanks to her viral music.
TYLA AT THE MTV VMA
On Wednesday, 11 September 2024, she achieved yet another career milestone by winning the Best Afrobeats award at the MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs).
It’s a huge moment for African music, but Tyla’s feelings about the win are not without complexity, according to Marie Claire.
As she accepted the iconic Moonperson trophy, Tyla expressed a mix of pride and frustration.
“This is just so special, but also bittersweet,” she began.
TYLA ADDRESSES THE PROBLEM
Tyla took the opportunity to address a problem that many African artists face: the tendency to lump all African music under the Afrobeats genre.
“I know there’s a tendency to group all African artists under Afrobeats. It’s a thing,” she continued.
Although she acknowledged the massive success of Afrobeats globally, she reminded the audience that African music is incredibly diverse.
TYLA ON AFROBEATS AND AMAPIANO
“Afrobeats has run things and has opened so many doors for us, but African music is so much more than just Afrobeats,” she said.
Tyla represents a different sound — amapiano, a South African genre blending house, jazz, and kwaito.

Continue reading Tyla calls MTV VMAs win ‘Bittersweet’ over African music grouping