The Quick Version
- Tyla’s sophomore album A*Pop is due July 24 through FAX and Epic Records.
- Lead singles include “Chanel” and “She Did It Again” with Zara Larsson.
- The South African star broke through with her Grammy-winning single “Water.”
- Production credits point to a bigger, more global pop swing than her debut.
Two years after “Water” turned her into a global name, South African singer Tyla is back with a full statement. Her sophomore album, A*Pop, arrives July 24 through FAX and Epic Records. For anyone tracking where Afro-fusion pop is heading, this is one of the summer’s most useful releases to understand.
Where She Started
Tyla’s self-titled 2024 debut blended amapiano, the South African house style built on rolling log-drum basslines, with radio-ready R&B. That combination produced “Water,” which won her a Grammy and introduced a sound many American listeners had not heard on pop radio before.
The reason it worked is worth naming plainly: she did not water down the amapiano rhythms to fit a Western template. She built the pop hooks on top of them. A*Pop looks like the next step in that same project.
What the Singles Tell Us
Two songs have set the table. “Chanel,” released in late 2025, leaned into a sleeker, more confident pop mode. “She Did It Again,” out in spring 2026, pairs Tyla with Swedish singer Zara Larsson and pushes toward a bigger, festival-sized chorus.
The Larsson collaboration is telling. It reportedly came together after Larsson heard a snippet online and reached out, and the two ended up in the studio trading songs. That is the kind of organic, cross-continental pairing that signals Tyla is building for a global stage rather than a single regional lane.
The Names Behind the Board
The production credits are a good tell for the album’s ambitions. The list includes Believve, Ian Kirkpatrick, Mocha Bands, P2J, Ari PenSmith and Sammy Soso. Kirkpatrick has a track record with major pop hits, while P2J is known for bridging Afrobeats and R&B. Put together, it suggests a record that keeps its African rhythmic core while reaching for cleaner, wider pop songwriting.
How to Listen to It
If you are new to Tyla, a practical approach helps you hear what she is doing. Start with the drums. The log-drum bounce is the engine of amapiano, and it is what separates her records from standard pop. Then listen to how the melodies sit on top without fighting the groove.
On a sophomore album, the real question is not whether the hits land but whether the artist has a point of view across a full tracklist. That is the bar A*Pop is being measured against, and the singles suggest she is aiming higher than a collection of singles.
Why It Matters Beyond the Charts
Tyla’s rise has widened the door for African artists in the American mainstream, following the path Afrobeats acts cut open over the past few years. A strong second album would move that from a moment to a trend, and it gives younger artists at home a clearer example that they do not have to relocate their sound to compete globally.
For more on the artists shaping this year, browse our Entertainment (Arts, Music & Sports) archive. You can read more background on the album at Rolling Stone. Mark July 24, and press play with the volume up on the low end.
