Tyla Gushes Over Meeting Shakira: “She Made Me Want to Belly Dance!”

In her recent interview with Glamour, Grammy-winning South African singer Tyla opened up about one of her most memorable celebrity encounters — meeting global superstar Shakira. The “Water” hitmaker couldn’t hide her excitement as she recalled the special moment in Argentina, calling Shakira an icon who helped shape a piece of her childhood.

🤍 Tyla about Shakira 🤍

In a recent Glamour interview, Tyla spoke fondly about meeting Shakira for the first time in Argentina 🇦🇷, calling her an icon who shaped a piece of her childhood.

"I just remember around the time of the World Cup in South Africa when Waka Waka came… pic.twitter.com/btaPQv0PpK

— Tyla Metrics (@TylaMetrics) October 22, 2025

“The first time I met her was in Argentina. We were in Argentina around the same time for something special. She’s an icon,” Tyla shared.

Tyla said that her admiration for Shakira began years ago when the Colombian singer’s hit Waka Waka (This Time for Africa) became the official anthem of the 2010 FIFA World Cup held in South Africa. The song, she said, played everywhere and quickly became part of her childhood memories.

“I just remember around the time of the World Cup in South Africa when Waka Waka came out, that song was playing everywhere. I saw her perform it the other day and went crazy,” Tyla said, adding with a laugh, “She made me wanna know how to belly dance. I even have a baby video of me dancing.”

Meeting her idol in person was a dream come true for the young star. “Meeting her was insane. I was really happy to meet her,” she said, still sounding amazed by the experience.

Tyla also shared a sweet moment from their encounter — a picture she took with Shakira at the 2025 Met Gala, which she proudly showed during the interview. 

With so much admiration and mutual global influence between the two artists, fans are now buzzing with excitement, wondering if a Tyla x Shakira collaboration could be in the works. One thing’s for sure — if these two ever hit the studio together, it would be a musical moment the world would never forget.