• January 30, 2002
• Tyla Seethal is a South African singer-songwriter and dancer who performs under the stage name Tyla. Her music is a mixture of Pop, amapiano and R&B.
• She kicked off her musical journey by sharing her own original tracks and covers on Instagram and sending them to some big shots in the music industry. Tyla caught the attention of her first manager, who wasted no time in setting up her first recording sessions.
• At one stage, Tyla was on the verge of studying mining engineering because of the uncertainty attached to the music profession. "A lot of people in my family wanted to become musicians, and it didn't work out, so that's all my parents knew. They didn't want that for me, and it was obviously out of love," she said. "I had to make the decision: 'Mom and Dad, I'm so sorry, but I'm gonna go for this.'"
• In 2021, she signed a recording contract with Epic Records through a joint venture with Fax Records in the United States.
• Tyla earned her first overseas chart placement of her career when "Been Thinking" entered the Billboard Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart in 2023. She rose to international prominence later in the year when "Water" spawned a viral dance challenge on TikTok.

Comments

More Songfacts:

Super FreakRick James

The Temptations sang backup on "Super Freak" by Rick James. He mentions them in the song when he says, "Temptations, sing!"

Tell It To My HeartTaylor Dayne

The guy who wrote Taylor Dayne's "Tell It To My Heart" owns a collection of famous baseballs, including the one that went through Bill Buckner's legs in the 1986 World Series.

La Isla BonitaMadonna

It wasn't one of her biggest hits, but "La Isla Bonita" (from 1986) emerged as one of Madonna's top songs in the age of streaming thanks to widespread usage on TikTok. Creators who visit an island or just want that mood often use it as a soundtrack.

Tubular Bells (Part 1)Mike Oldfield

The Exorcist theme music is a portion of "Tubular Bells," a 25-minute song released by 19-year-old Mike Oldfield.

Head FirstAerosmith

Geffen Records made history on June 27, 1994 when Aerosmith's "Head First" became the first major label song made available for exclusive digital download. Download speeds at the time were so slow it took around 75 minutes to download the track.

Rock of AgesDef Leppard

The "Gunter Glieben Glauten Globen" intro in Def Leppard's "Rock Of Ages" is something their producer Mutt Lange came up with when he got tired of counting them "1, 2, 3, 4..."

Editor's Picks

Top American Idol Moments: Songs And ScandalsSong Writing

Surprise exits, a catfight and some very memorable performances make our list of the most memorable Idol moments.

How "A Rolling Stone Gathers No Moss" Became Rock's Top ProverbSong Writing

How a country weeper and a blues number made "rolling stone" the most popular phrase in rock.

Danny KortchmarSongwriter Interviews

Danny played guitar on Sweet Baby James, Tapestry, and Running On Empty. He also co-wrote many hit songs, including "Dirty Laundry," "Sunset Grill" and "Tender Is The Night."

Howard JonesSongwriter Interviews

Howard explains his positive songwriting method and how uplifting songs can carry a deeper message.

When Rock Belonged To MichelobSong Writing

Michelob commercials generated hits for Eric Clapton, Genesis and Steve Winwood in the '80s, even as some of these rockers were fighting alcoholism.

Gavin Rossdale of BushSongwriter Interviews

On the "schizoid element" of his lyrics, and a famous line from "Everything Zen."