Hollywood superstar Will Smith has shared his admiration for South African artist Tyla, calling her the “first real African pop star.” During a recent stream with Félix Lengyel, Smith expressed his love for African music and specifically highlighted Tyla’s groundbreaking influence on the global stage.
“I’ve been listening to a lot of world music. I love what is happening in Africa. I love what Tyla’s doing. We don’t even think about it that way but she is the first real African pop star. She is a new thing the world has not really seen,” Smith said. His praise comes after Tyla’s incredible achievement as the only solo African artist to reach one billion hits on Spotify with her hit song Water.
Tyla, 23, has been making waves in the international music scene since signing with US label Epic Records in 2021. Her impressive list of accomplishments includes joining Chris Brown on his European tour, collaborating with Travis Scott and DJ Marshmello, and performing on the Jimmy Fallon show.
In a previous interview with TshisaLIVE, Tyla reflected on her swift rise to fame. “I hope people around the world can enjoy the music, the African music, because I feel we don’t have a big enough international audience. We need attention because we have so much talent,” she said.
Tyla admitted that her quick success has left her feeling overwhelmed. “It feels crazy. I don’t know if I am there yet, but the international attention I am getting, I never expected it, especially so early. I was willing to work years to get to this point and to think it happened from one song. I feel so blessed to have this opportunity,” she explained.
With her unique blend of pop and African sound, Tyla hopes to gain wider international recognition. “When people listen to my music, having a pop style to it, I hope it becomes a more internationally recognized sound and they start falling in love with it,” she added.
In an interview with Kanal 5 Sverige, Tyla shared her dream of becoming one of Africa’s biggest pop stars and inspiring young people worldwide. “I want to be the biggest pop star and I want the biggest pop star to be from Africa. I see myself on the biggest stages, winning the Grammys, collaborating with the Drakes and the Rihannas of the world,” she said.
Having watched these global icons growing up, Tyla now aspires to be that source of inspiration for the next generation. “I want to be an example that it could happen for us,” she concluded.
