South African music sensation Tyla has achieved another major milestone in her career by winning the prestigious Best Afrobeat Song Award at the MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) 2024. Tyla’s global hit Water triumphed in the highly competitive category, beating other African music heavyweights such as Burna Boy, Wizkid, Tems, Ayra Starr, and Lojay.
The young star’s victory was met with immense excitement from her fans, but Tyla’s acceptance speech brought attention to an important issue: the categorization of all African music under the Afrobeats label. While expressing gratitude for her win, Tyla described the moment as “bittersweet” due to the tendency of global platforms to group all African artists under the Afrobeats umbrella, regardless of the actual genre of music they produce.
“This is so special, but also bittersweet because there is a tendency to group all artists under Afrobeats,” Tyla stated during her acceptance speech. She highlighted that, although Afrobeats has created tremendous opportunities for African artists worldwide, the continent’s musical landscape is incredibly diverse, and should be recognized as such.
Tyla, whose sound is more rooted in South Africa’s Amapiano genre, emphasized the importance of acknowledging different African music styles. “Even though Afrobeats has opened so many doors for us, African music is so diverse. It’s more than just Afrobeats,” she said.
The Water hitmaker used her platform to educate the global audience about the rich variety of African music, which shows her pride in representing her South African roots. “I come from South Africa; I represent my culture,” she concluded, a powerful reminder of her commitment to showcasing the uniqueness of Amapiano and her country’s musical heritage.
Tyla’s win at the MTV VMAs marks another significant achievement for her, solidifying her status as an international star. The recognition of her music on such a prominent stage shows the growing global influence of African artists, with Tyla being at the forefront of this cultural wave.
Her bold stance on the need for more nuanced recognition of African music genres is a call for the global music industry to celebrate the full spectrum of sounds that Africa has to offer, beyond just the popular Afrobeats. Tyla’s win and her message serve as a reminder of Africa’s vast and diverse musical potential.
