South African superstar Tyla, who recently made waves with her debut performance at Coachella, is now facing legal trouble over her global hit single Water. Two producers, who were part of the song’s creation, have filed a lawsuit alleging they were not properly credited or paid for their work.
The producers, known as Zucca and LoMastro, say they were full contributors to the song and not just session musicians, as some documents suggest. According to the lawsuit, they are listed as co-writers but have been excluded from royalty payments even as Tyla’s fame continues to rise.
The legal documents explain: “Zucca and LoMastro were not ‘session musicians’, and their contribution to the song was not done on a work-for-hire basis. Zucca and LoMastro never received or signed any paperwork indicating that they were session musicians for the song, and they were never paid on a work-for-hire basis for the song. Rather, Zucca and LoMastro were full producers.”
At the same time, Rayan El-Hussein Goufar and Samuel Awuku were named as the main producers of Water, leaving Zucca and LoMastro feeling pushed out of their rightful place in the song’s success. The two believe they are owed not only proper credit but also a share in the royalties the song continues to generate.
While the legal battle unfolds, Tyla’s career continues to shine. Her performance at Coachella introduced her to an even wider audience, and fans are eagerly waiting for her new music.
Tyla’s talent is not only getting recognition from fans, but also from other international artists. Grammy Award-winning singer Ciara recently expressed her admiration for Tyla and her style of music. In a recent interview, Ciara shared how much she would love to work with the South African hitmaker.
“If I could collab with someone, it would be super cool to work with Tyla. I think what she does, her music is really infectious, and she makes people dance through her music. For me, it’s really important to make the world dance. I think me and Tyla can whind it up a little bit,” Ciara said, even doing the dance as she spoke.
Despite the challenges behind the scenes, Tyla remains one of the most exciting artists to watch, both in South Africa and across the globe.
LAWSUIT: Legal battle over Tyla's song Water continues
Olmo Zucca & Jackson LoMastro are claiming to be co-composers and co-authors of the song, Water > pic.twitter.com/MGss7h6UhY
— ZiMoja Lezinto (@ZimojaL) April 14, 2025
