Few stories have captivated the past couple of months like that of Tyla, the young South African singer whose single, “Water,” emerged as a sultry mix of Afrobeats and R&B and exploded around the world. The song debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 in October — her first appearance on the chart — and quickly took off from there. It almost immediately topped the Billboard US Afrobeats Songs chart – where it spent 14 weeks at No. 1 – and climbed all the way to No. 7 on the Hot 100, where it spent the last two weeks. It's also been sitting comfortably at No. 1 on Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay for eight weeks.
It's a true coming-of-age story for the artist, who also saw 'Water' nominated for a Grammy in the brand new category of Best African Music Performance at the upcoming awards this February – not to mention a testament to the work of her management and team at Epic Records, where he signed in 2021. The song started to resonate organically, got a boost from a TikTok challenge, and rocketed to radio, picking up remixes from Travis Scott and Marshmello along the way. And the success of the song so far wins the president of Epic Records Ezekiel Lewis its title Advertising sign's Executive of the Week.
Here, Lewis breaks down how “Water” burst onto the world stage, the multiple genre influences that went into its final version, and how the singer can ride the song's success leading into her debut album, which is expected to be released in next months. . “From the beginning of the record-making process, we set out to find the best chemistry between creatives from different backgrounds to reflect the cosmic influences you hear in the song,” says Lewis. “That's a key factor that allows it to appeal to audiences not just in the U.S. but around the world.”
This week, Tyla's “Water” spent its second week at No. 7 on the Hot 100, its 14th week at No. 1 on the US Afrobeats Songs and was certified platinum by the RIAA. What key decisions did you make to make this happen?
The story begins with the creation of the song. I feel like a big part of our job is to curate an environment that creates an opportunity for magic to happen. Consider the fact that the four main writers of the song had never worked together as a collective before Tyla. From the beginning of the record-making process, we sought to find the best chemistry between creatives from different backgrounds to reflect the worldly influences you hear in the song. This is a key factor that allows it to attract audiences, not just in the US but around the world.
“Water” combines an Afrobeats/Amapiano drum pattern with more traditional R&B elements, bringing together a number of different styles. Why do you think it was able to break through in such a big way?
The song not only has elements of Afrobeats but also more specifically Amapiano which is an integral part of South African music culture. While the wider influence of Afrobeats is obvious, Sammy Soso's use of the stump is key to the connection to this particular element of South Africa. Then moving to the top line, lyric and melody, R&B and pop dominate the influence there. We really hit a sweet spot in terms of multiple influences coming together seamlessly. There is something for everyone.
The song also did very well at radio, spending eight consecutive weeks at No. 1 on Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay. What was the strategy there and how did it pay off?
Once we completed a strong Shazam story, digital and streaming, the stage was set for radio to follow. The audience spoke loudly and told us they wanted to hear more and more of the record. The song's gains in playlists across multiple genres gave us a strong sense that radio could replicate this success and that we could have a chart topper in multiple formats. Once all the pointers pointed up, we went for it, and luckily we were right about it.
The song was also boosted relatively early with remixes from Travis Scott and Marshmello. How do remixes fit into your strategy and what has been the payoff?
When we thought about remixing the song, we didn't want to significantly compromise the unspoken nature of the track by doing something just to gain more of an audience. Authenticity is sometimes hard to articulate, but you know it once you hit play and start listening. Travis came to the table organically, as a fan of the song, and wanted to be involved. We knew right away that it would make sense creatively and add to the visibility of the track. Travis is a prominent curator himself, so the vote of confidence was welcomed. His involvement gave listeners a different take on a song they had already embraced.
Similarly, and perhaps less obviously, was Marshmello, who was also a fan of the song and asked if he could do a remix. Once we heard how he reimagined the track, we were thrilled to have him on board. His version definitely gave the track wings on the dance floor and helped take it further with added streaming into this world. All of this cross-pollination helped the track climb the Billboard Hot 100.
So far, music by African artists has mostly broken into singles in the US. How do you plan to keep Tyla's momentum going until a full album is released?
We will continue to build on Tyla's momentum by keeping African culture at the heart of what we do musically and creatively overall. There is a sonic consistency that listeners will hear on this first project and we expect this to mesh well with the new fan base he has developed. There is already an almost exhaustive tour planned in both Europe and the US. Also, her new track, “Truth Or Dare,” is showing early signs of greatness as we build daily and is in the top five of both the US and US. UK Afrobeats charts.
The song also earned a Grammy nomination in the first category of Best African Music Performance. How do you see the future of African music in the US moving forward, both musically and industrially?
The sky is the limit for African music in the US as I foresee continued cross-pollination to move it forward. He has proven his ability to be a chart topper in urban, pop and even dance. It simply cannot be ignored and the Recording Academy has made a smart and timely decision. I couldn't be more excited for the future. Everyone wants a piece of the action.
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/pro/tyla-water-radio-hit-global-star/