South African singer Tyla, 24, seems keen to transport listeners back to more carefree times with her second album A*Pop, blending sun, sex and sultriness. From paparazzi-baiting stunts – arriving at a recent London listening party in Y2K cosplay with the album title temporarily tattooed across her lower back – to her music's outsized mix, she channels an old-school pop star energy.
Genre-Bending Voice
On the head-knocking, Christina Milian-esque track Mr Nonchalant, Tyla references her belly ring and tells a man she likes his eyes “cuz they match the thong”. Like Rihanna – her constant point of comparison since emerging in 2024 with transatlantic smash Water – Tyla nimbly traverses genres and reference points thanks to a characterful voice that suits every mood.
On frustrated opener Is It Love she gives it the full-belt treatment, while on Chanel – an intoxicating fusion of R&B, amapiano and pop – she sits back, riding Nigerian-British producer P2J's beats as if on a lilo with a cocktail in hand. Even when the rug is pulled out from under her on the shape-shifting banger Kiss, which careens between lithe Afrobeats shuffle and full-on dance-pop breakdown, Tyla manages to pull focus back to her at its centre.
Mixed Results
At 14 songs, the bolshie A*Pop gets a little overconfident – closer Hot Tubs isn't as interesting as its title suggests; the mid-tempo Fairytale is a bit wet – and its focus on love's highs and lows a tad limiting. But as a bold statement of intent for an old-school superstar, it's close to top marks.
