South African pop sensation Tyla is finally opening up about the weight of global success. Just two years after her breakout hit “Water” dominated charts worldwide, the 23-year-old singer says the sudden rise to fame left her feeling more confined than celebrated.
“For a while, especially last year, I felt so trapped,” Tyla admitted during a recent Q&A in London, as reported by The Sun.
“Like, ‘Oh my word, I blew up and I just have to have everything right and everything has to be perfect now because the world is looking.’ It was kind of stressful for me.”
From Viral Sensation to Global Star
When Water exploded in 2023, Tyla became a household name practically overnight, but the visibility came at a cost. She confessed in an earlier interview with British Vogue that fame has “robbed” her of normalcy.
“Sometimes I even cry over it,” she shared. “I just miss being able to walk. Or sit in the park. Or go to Nando’s.”
A New Era With
We Wanna Party
Now, with her debut mixtape We Wanna Party, Tyla is taking back control — musically and personally. The project, released this summer, was a spontaneous decision born out of joy and creativity, not pressure.
“I wasn’t planning on doing this. I was just making music at the beginning of the year… but as I got closer to summer, I was like, ‘Hey, the songs I was making were too good. Where are the summer songs?’”
The mixtape serves as a fun, freeing contrast to the weight of expectation she’s felt since Water. “I really just want people to hear it and party to it,” she said. “See how I’ve grown through the years and just see who I am now.”
“Call It Arrogance, I Call It Confidence”
Despite the struggles, Tyla makes one thing clear — she’s still got the fire. Asked how she deals with pressure and criticism, she pointed to self-belief as her anchor.
“I just always knew I had something in me… I think I’m just confident.
A lot of people say arrogant, but I think everyone needs a little bit of arrogance, especially to make it in this industry. If you’re not that proud and don’t believe in your stuff as strongly as you should, why would someone else?”
As Tyla continues to navigate fame and evolve as an artist, one thing’s for sure: she’s rewriting the rules on her own terms — no box, no limits, and definitely no apologies.
