Tyla never cared for the narrow definitions of African music, and her new album, A*Pop, reflects that. Speaking to Apple Music’s Ebro Darden, she said the project expands perceptions of what African pop can sound like.
“A*POP, African Pop … is literally me trying to extend the idea of what an African pop star looks like and what an African pop star sounds like,” she says. “I think that sometimes when you’re from somewhere you’re expected to look a way or sound a way. I’ve seen things where they’re like, ‘Oh, Tyla‘s not African enough,’ and I’m like, what is African enough?”
With this new album, she’s reflecting on the range of influences that shaped her. “I’m really excited to show how diverse I am and how I grew up around so many different influences,” Tyla says. “I really want to show that and share that.”
The 14-track album follows Tyla’s album self-titled debut album and arrives after her rise to global stardom.
“Honestly, I could have never predicted any of this. Like everything from the good times to the bad times, it was really a story. I feel like I could write a movie about this journey, honestly,” she tells Ebro. “So much has happened. I remember being in South Africa, simple life … just making videos, singing and my life completely changed to now being in front of the world.”
She said the experience has made her stronger and more confident.
“I had a very innocent idea of the world and the industry,” Tyla said. “I thought it’s all like rainbows and ‘Yay, I get to sing!’ — and it is that, but you also have to be strong-minded in order to stay yourself in all of this. Right now I’m as the most confident I’ve ever been.”
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