Popular music and entertainment magazine Billboard hosted its first-ever R&B’s No. 1’s event, which aimed at celebrating the visionary leaders that have helped shape the future of R&B and hip-hop. Taking place at The Box in New York City, the event honoured Usher, Victoria Monet, Lucky Daye, Tyla and Luther Vandross for their contributions to the industry.
South African sensation Tyla was awarded the ‘Global Force’ award as her smash-hit song ‘Water’ has spent 46 weeks and counting on US Afrobeat songs, and eight weeks at the top of the mainstream R&B airplay. Her first entrance onto the Billboard charts was via her first hit song ‘Been Thinking’, however, it was ‘Water’ that catapulted her career into international stardom.
Presenting Tyla’s award was R&B, hip-hop and afrobeats writer at Billboard Heran Mamo, and introducing the young artist she said, “So I’m really honoured to be presenting our next award this evening. For years, she dreamed of becoming Africa’s first pop star. Now she’s taken over the world with her signature ‘papiano’ sound, performing her pop-infused take on her native South Africa’s amapiano in the U.S., France, Portugal, Japan, South Korea and more. Last summer, she made a major splash with “Water,” earning her first Hot 100 Top 10 hit, spending eight weeks at number one on mainstream R&B hip hop airplay, spending 46 weeks and counting, at number one on our US Afrobeats Songs chart, and winning the inaugural Best African Music Performance Grammy Award earlier this year. She successfully transformed “Africa’s the world” from a motto to her mission. Please join me in a round of applause for Billboard’s Global Force Honoree, Tyla.”
“It’s not just a trend, it’s not just a dance move or a sound. It’s culture.”
Here’s Tyla’s (@Tyllaaaaaaa) acceptance speech after winning the R&B/Hip-Hop Global Force Award at the #BillboardNo1s party in NYC.? Billboard pic.twitter.com/GezoPJs7tE
— Spur Play Africa (@spurplayafrica) September 9, 2024
“I remember when everyone used to feel like this was so unobtainable, especially from where I’m from you know and the fact that I’m able to be here today to live out a dream that never felt real, it’s just such a beautiful thing to be able to experience. So thank you to everybody, and thank you to everyone who cares to learn about other cultures and other styles of music and truly appreciates it and loves it for what it is because it’s not just a trend, it’s not just a dance move you know? It’s culture! I just thank everyone who is appreciative of it,” the youngster said as she accepted her award.
Although relatively new to the industry, Tyla’s impact and influence cannot be understated, as she has established a genre that had not been tapped into before and has made it her own. Her unique sound which can be referred to as ‘popiano’ has taken off, and has seen many artists from all across the globe adopting this style. She is also the youngest South African artist to win a Grammy Award and has bagged multiple international awards and nominations as well.
Furthermore, the ‘Water’ hit-maker has made a name for herself as an exceptional performer, and she has been able to secure multiple gigs, with most of them being international, such as the One Universe festival that recently took place in South Korea after having to, unfortunately, cancel her highly anticipated first world tour, as well as her Coachella performance.
Also see: Tyla takes her date to Japan for ‘Breathe Me’ music video
