TYLA – Tyla

★★★★☆

Everyone, gather round! The first knockout album of 2024 is here!

After a few weeks of slightly disappointing releases, I’ve been banking my money on Beyoncé to deliver one of this year’s first standout albums. But our saving grace has come not in the form of Queen B (just yet) but the South African princess herself, Tyla, whose debut radiates with an abundance of confidence and polish to take her straight to the top.

Though there have been many ‘Twittiques’, as I call them, about the album’s uniform sound, I really implore people to understand the difference between repetition and cohesion. What makes this album so successful, in my eyes, is how cohesive it is. Yes, the beat patterns are similar – that’s the genre. But it also creates a consistent vibe, one that allows Tyla to focus more on playing in her own sandbox than trying to dabble in a million others. So many artists view their albums as a testing ground for different genres and styles, which can allow them to access a fresh sound. But for her debut, Tyla has has rightfully doubled down on her signature sound, one that feels true to her and has brought her great success thus far.

Many of the tracks on TYLA utilise the golden formula she tapped into with her smash hit, ‘Water’, last year. It’s really very simple: First, you start with an Amapiano groove punctuated with some 808 baselines. Next, add some reverberated synths or keys to flesh out the base. Add lyrics that build to a catchy chorus, which is then lifted by tons of background vocals that make the song feel anthemic and unpretentious. It works for me every damn time! The songs feel so good to listen to because they feel as though they were fun and unassuming to make. They foster a sense of community, even just by listening to them, which is only elevated (I can imagine) hearing them in a club or party setting.

The best moments on the album come from the magic of this formula being perfectly executed with some additional flair. My favourite non-singles of the album are the Tems-assisted ‘No. 1’ – which is definitely my 2024 anthem – and the darker ‘Jump’. While some of the album’s earlier cuts could be described as light listening, ‘Jump’ is some serious dance floor business, and Gunna & Skillibeng bring some much-welcomed energy to the track with their features. ‘Truth or Dare’ and ‘Water’, both released last year, are still some of the album’s strongest tracks, but they blend into the whole in a natural way.

But there are some other moments, where Tyla deviates from this golden formula, that are perhaps even more interesting. ‘Butterflies’ has been a standout track for me since she dropped it last year and is genuinely one of the most beautiful songs I’ve heard in a hot minute. Wonderfully, it does’t feel out of place here and actually provides a lovely change of pace in the tracklist. Similarly, ‘On and On’, is a smooth, slow(er) tempo ode to the power of a good DJ who just won’t stop playing all your favourite songs (the best feeling). Slightly more paired back, it really allows Tyla’s vocals to shine and gives the listener a brief respite before picking up into the album’s classic sound.

All in all, Tyla has crafted one hell of an introduction, setting her on a path to be one of this decade’s standout artists.