Tyla. Picture: File
Tyla Seethal's historic victory at the prestigious Grammy Awards, which were hosted in the United States of America and attended by luminaries from all over the world, was one of the most noteworthy events of the week.
Just a few weeks after its release, “Water”, a smash hit by the award-winning artist became a global phenomenon, with millions of people jumping on the “Water” dance challenge flawlessly initiated by the artist.
While the celebrations continue, worldwide music streaming company Spotify reveals exciting insights about the song's origins and success, which earned it a coveted award.
In July 2023, Greasy Tunes in Braamfontein staged a pre-release party for Tyla's Water, which marked the beginning of her adventure with Spotify. She was invited to the pre-release celebration since she is one of Spotify's RADAR Africa artists, a programme that promotes the global discovery of up-and-coming musicians.
Jodie Tabisher, Artist, Label, and Partnerships Manager, South Africa, praised Tyla as a tremendous talent, saying that she believes her song will continue to gain popularity.
“Watching this song grow globally in places like the Philippines and Indonesia has been amazing for us. Tyla is a massive talent from South Africa, and the growth we have seen for this track—over 300 million streams since release—is a testament to that,” says
Jodie claims the song has travelled a long way from Johannesburg's streets to worldwide stages, with the top five countries streaming it in the last year being the United States, Philippines, the United Kingdom, Brazil, and Australia.
With this Grammy win, she believes the song will continue to gain popularity in the coming months.
Tyla and Spotify filmed her journey to becoming a global musician, culminating in an exclusive first-look screening of her RADAR Africa documentary.
This was also the first public playback of “Water” to a limited, select audience, 11 days before its release. Water was officially launched on July 28th, 2023.
The song also got President Cyril Ramaphosa dancing after he acknowledged her win at the Presidential Youth Engagement on Tuesday, held at the Belhar Sports Complex.
“My spirit was raised so much today as I spent time engaging with young people, including a video call with Tyla, our Grammy-winning performer and songwriter, who celebrated her 22nd birthday less than a week ago.
“I shared with her my pride and that of the nation at her achievement at the Grammy for Best African Music Performance. Well done again, Tyla,” said Ramaphosa on social media.
Saturday Star
anita.nkonki@inl.co.za