Tyla Seethal is confident, assertive, and ready for a good time. No wonder – in the past 12 months, the South African Grammy winner has graced stages and red carpets from Coachella to the Met Gala. She’s come of age in real-time, thrust into viral prominence with her hit 2023 single ‘Water’ and subsequent debut album last year, and now she’s reaping the rewards.
Since her breakout, the 23-year-old Edenvale native has gained reverence through memorable performances at major festivals and hypnotic Bacardi dances that have dominated TikTok. She injects the energy of both into ‘WWP’ – her first “bundle” of music since the deluxe edition of her self-titled debut late last year – and encourages listeners to hit the dancefloors at block parties and sweaty nightclubs this summer.
‘WWP’ continues in the same vein as some of her earlier releases, including the Sean Paul-assisted dancehall remix of ‘Push 2 Start’ and the TikTok-ready ‘Show Me Love’. Both tracks are indicative of her current mood: gleeful and hedonistic. Where many artists approach their sophomore release as an outlet to demystify their newfound lifestyles, Tyla subverts expectations with four tracks that feel stronger individually than together.
Where last year’s ‘Tyla’ came with range and dexterity, ‘WWP’ is succinct by design. The singer hits every note in her vocal repertoire, but the collection’s brevity weighs it down at times. Still, chiselled under four earworm tracks is music for women to party and feel themselves to.
Opener ‘Dynamite’ – a highly anticipated collaboration with celebrated Afropop hitmaker Wizkid – is a worthy soundtrack to lust and desire. Over a P.Priime-produced beat, the pair trade sultry lyrics and mirror their vocal timbres on a danceable hit that takes you from home to the function. Beneath the song’s rapturous surface, the pair’s breathless delivery, along with Tyla’s own South African lilt and charisma, makes you acutely aware of the fluidity in your body.
Tyla veers through her trademark soundscapes, from amapiano’s syncopated patterns to pop-leaning R&B arrangements and cascading melodies. On ‘Mr Media’, she confronts the attention that comes with fame and success, letting her voice weave in, over, and through the production as she croons “No matter how hard I try/I can never get it right” with a laissez-faire attitude. As a live audience chants “Woza” (a Zulu word for “come”), it’s hard to imagine a reality where Tyla isn’t commanding stadiums with the same composure she keeps on the track.
Pre-released singles ‘Bliss’ and ‘Is It’ were primers for the mixtape’s sonic direction – one where the party goes on, despite any outside noise and attention. ‘Is It’ is an amped-up party starter that reinforces that dedication to having a good time. Here, she sounds at ease with her talent as she sings: “Is it wrong that I wanna get it right with you?” over hypnotic drums and a cocktail of sonic homages to her home country.
‘Bliss’, meanwhile, pulsates with the adrenaline of youthful desire laced with honeyed production. Its accompanying video – a dystopian affair – finds her solemn as the world ends in one moment, and breaking into dance in the next. Gloom and ebullience can exist in tandem, a signal of the recession pop revival in South Africa.
‘WWP’ might not make any grand statements, but Tyla doesn’t need to. She’s worked hard for this life, and now, she’s just dancing to its tune.
