Quotes

[Apple Music interview, 2026] I really feel like now that I'm on my second album, I'm really excited to show how just diverse I am and how I grew up around so many different influences and I really want to show that and share that. And with A*POP, it's really just that, like, I bring the A to pop.

[on her second album] APOP, African Pop. APOP is literally me trying to extend the idea of what an African pop star looks like, what an African pop star sounds like, you know? I think sometimes when you're from somewhere you're expected to look a way or sound a way. I've seen things where they're like, 'Oh, Tyla's not African enough,' and I'm like, what is African enough? You know? Like, I think it's a very frozen... like, it just feels like we're frozen in time with that type of ideology.

[on receiving backlash over her racial identity] I mean initially it was very difficult because prior to the Breakfast Club I did answer that question and already I started getting backlash and I was like 'Whoa, I don't know what else to say about it, you know?' because I never had to explain myself. You know, I was just always myself and living, you know, 24 years of my life. All I knew was that I'm colored and that's what I was told, it's what like I had to tick on boxes back home.

[on racial labels] When I was able to travel the world and learn more about the world, I then learned just how big the world is. And how different each country is, how different context is. So when I learned about what it means here, I was like 'Whoa, like this is gonna be a difficult conversation to have.' Because in South Africa we also have a derogatory term, so I would feel like if someone were to come to our country and say they were that, I get why it would be, you know, very triggering.

[on people's negative perceptions of her] I don't know if I'm mean. I like to think that I'm kind. I really am opinionated and blunt. Where I'm from, like the way we are, we just talk. Like, things aren't that serious. We don't know how to now watch your words, like, 'This is not the time, this is not the place.' We're not that dramatic. We're human, guys, relax. We can all talk. I try to be honest about how I feel about things, but it's hard, you know? As a pop star you got to be good girl.