Cover girl! Tyla features in Vogue, cooks pap and wors
Iwisa in Vogue! Tyla is flying Mzansi's flag high in her latest Vogue magazine collaboration.
South African singing sensation Tyla is British Vogue's latest cover girl. It's the 22-year-old's first time on the coveted cover and we couldn't be prouder.
She appears in the March edition of the publication, where she talks about all things music and her meteoric rise to fame.
“You know when you’ve always felt like you’re destined for something? That you’re going to make it one day? But then when it actually happens… It’s like something you can’t explain. It doesn’t feel real.”
Tyla gained fame in SA with her debut single, 'Getting Late', which became a massive success in 2021 when the track's music video went viral.
However, it was her 2023 smash hit, 'Water', that catapulted her to international fame and won her a Grammy in 2024.
Speaking to Vogue, Tyla says she feels she's changed a lot since releasing the song and her debut self-titled album.
"I have grown into a different version of myself. A little more spicy, a little more bold. I’m excited to just put that into the music.”
The 'Truth or Dare' singer, whose full name is Tyla Laura Seethal, says she always knew she was destined to be a singer.
"Since I was little, when anyone asked me what I wanted to become, I always said, ‘I’m going to become a singer,’” she tells Vogue.
Her music role models included Britney Spears, Beyoncé, Aaliyah, and the King of Pop, Michael Jackson.
She also admired Barbados singer Rihanna.
"Coming from somewhere outside the States, I really looked up to her. I used to think you’re only going to become famous if you’re born in America. She made me realise there is another way.”
As for what the future holds for Tyla, the singer says she is currently focused on making good music but hasn't ruled out venturing into other things.
"Maybe one day I’ll want to dabble in acting, beauty, creative directing, fashion… I really have a love for it all and I know I can do it all.”
Tyla's ethnicity and culture have also come under the spotlight. Many people questioned why she calls herself "coloured" – which is an offensive term in America – and not black.
Tyla, who is of Zulu, Indian, Mauritian, and Irish descent, says she has made peace with the debate about her heritage.
"When I went to America and people were like, ‘You can’t say that!’ I was in a position where I was like, ‘Oh, so what do I do? What am I then?’ You know that even if you give the best explanation, people will still choose not to understand.
"But, I’m at a point where I know who I am. I know I’m a Black woman and I know I’m a Coloured woman as well and you can be both. And the people that care to learn, they understand now. And that’s enough for me.”
Tyla is proud of her heritage and even showed the Vogue team how to make one of her favourite dishes – pap and boerewors.
She made the dish in a video shoot for Vogue's 'Now Serving' YouTube series. During the shoot, she literally pulled out a bag of Iwisa maize meal from her bag.
South Africans couldn't be prouder.
"IWISA ON VOGUE 🔥," local media personality Roxy Burger commented.
Former Miss South Africa Liesl Laurie wrote: "The maize meal in the bag!!! Living!!!"
Read her full interview on Vogue's website.
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Main image credit: YouTube/Vogue, Instagram (@britishvogue)