South African music star Tyla made history at the 2025 American Music Awards (AMAs) by becoming the first female artist and first South African to win Favorite Afrobeats Artist.
This win is a huge milestone, as she beat top Nigerian Afrobeats stars like Wizkid, Rema, Tems, and Asake.
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The news shared on X quickly went viral. Fans and music lovers everywhere celebrated Tyla’s win, showing how far African music genres like amapiano and Afrobeats have come on the global stage.
Tyla’s Musical Journey So Far
Tyla’s rise in the music world has been fast and impressive.
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Her 2023 hit single “Water” became a global sensation, making her the first South African solo artist in 55 years to appear on the US Billboard Hot 100.
The track also helped her win the very first Grammy Award for Best African Music Performance.
In October 2024, she dropped the deluxe edition of her debut album, which included the reggae-amapiano-pop hit “Push 2 Start.”
The song hit #1 on the Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs Chart and earned over 4.2 million streams and 8.3 million radio spins by January 2025.
It also debuted at #88 on the Billboard Hot 100, making her only the second African female artist to land multiple solo entries on the chart.
A viral post featuring a selfie of Tyla and an image of the AMA nominees sparked both excitement and debate online.
Fans praised her, with users like afrikasbaby calling her “the best.”
Others, like EFOSANOSAFRANK1, criticized her as an “industry plant”—a term for artists believed to be heavily backed by record labels rather than growing organically.
Tyla has responded to such criticism by proudly calling her sound “popiano”—a blend of pop, amapiano, R&B, and Afrobeats.
During her 2024 MTV VMA speech, she emphasized how African music is diverse and said she’s proud to represent South African amapiano culture on the world stage.
Tyla’s music journey began in Johannesburg, and she signed with Epic Records in 2021 after her debut song “Getting Late” caught international attention.
Her style, often compared to early Rihanna, mixes smooth vocals with amapiano’s signature beats.
Even with some controversy, like dropping her “Push 2 Start” video around the 2024 U.S. election. Tyla continues to shine.
She’s performed at major events like the 2024 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show and won three MTV EMAs in 2024 for Best African Act, Afrobeats, and R&B.
With her historic 2025 AMA win, Tyla is shifting the Afrobeats spotlight from West Africa to South Africa. She’s not just making music, she’s changing the game and opening doors for more African artists to go global.