She is one of the hottest Amapiano artists right now! Spotify released the next episode of its original podcast series of Spotify: Mic Check.’ In this episode, listeners learn more about Amapiano artist Tyla whose sound fuses pop, classic R&B, and African Beats. She discusses her beginnings in South Africa, her DM to US-Canadian rapper Drake, the pivotal moment when she almost gave up on music, working with accomplished producers, and the impact of joining Spotify’s RADAR program in Africa and sharing a sneak peek of her new single, "Water."

CHILDHOOD

Tyla speaks about growing up in South Africa. "I always wanted to actually grow up in America," she says. "When I was younger, I just always thought, ‘If I were born in America, I would have been famous by now and all of these things. But I mean, now that I’m older, I just realised how amazing my childhood was. Just like the culture, the music, the food, the people. Yeah, South Africa is amazing. I still believe that everyone needs to visit South Africa at least once in their lifetime."

THAT DM TO DRAKE

She sent her song to Drake via direct message on social media. "When my first song started doing well, I unsent the message. I was like, ‘There’s no way he’s seen this small little girl on his phone singing. So no, he hasn’t. But I have a feeling one day soon he’s going to reach out," she says.

AMAPIANO

She shares what makes a song fit into the Amapiano genre. "I feel like it’s a genre that grew over time. There are roots in kwaito, jazz and South African house." But I feel the thing that makes it Amapiano is that log drum. The log drum that just slams you, like, I feel that’s what makes Amapiano." She believes her first single, "Getting Late," resonated with so many people globally. "You know, I was so surprised. Initially, I was just like, ‘I like the song and hope it does well.’ And then, when people from America, Europe, and all of those people started jumping on, I was so shocked. I was like, ‘Why? Okay, this is cool.’ I feel the dancing, the song, the music video. I feel like it just made a whole package for everyone to consume and then they just loved it, I guess."

WORKING WITH BIG STARS

Tyla says working with famed music producer Tricky Steward who has worked with the likes of Beyonce and Rihanna has been life-changing. "Crazy. Like, when I heard that I was going to work with him, I was like, ‘You guys are lying. You guys are lying.’ But then we met and he’s such a good person. Such a nice person. I always imagine these hectic producers to be serious, you know? But he’s so much fun and very welcoming. I just love working with him because you can see his passion for music," she says.