Long before she ever set foot in the country, Tyla’s music had already made its mark on the Philippines.
If you’ve experienced the Filipino nightlife scene or even just passed by a store on the shoreline, you’ve surely heard her music being proudly blasted by her Pinoy fans. Resonating strongly with the Philippine audience with her danceable hits, Tyla has become a staple for smash hits that go viral with dance challenges, video edits, and the like. Her smash hit “Water” peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Philippines Hot 100 and landed on the year-end chart of 2024, cementing her place as one of Gen Z’s defining pop voices.
The pop culture icon is set to soon bring her live music experience with her ‘We Wanna Party’ World Tour, which will also visit Thailand, Hong Kong, and Singapore in the last quarter of this year. With that in mind, Billboard Philippines caught up with the global pop star before her Manila concert, speaking on all things from her We Wanna Party EP to her excitement in meeting her Filipino fans.
Billboard Philippines: Before we get started, how are you feeling leading up to your first-ever Philippines concert?
Tyla: I’m very excited. We just did Tokyo, which was really fun. So yeah, I’m excited to see everybody and see how they party in the Philippines.
The Philippine Tygers have been building anticipation leading up to the show, excited to dance the night away with you. So, do you have any message to your Filipino fans leading up to the show?
Yeah, I want to see everyone dress up. I want to see everyone with bobs and with fun outfits, and like really to just have a good time.
You recently came out with your EP, WWP (We Wanna Party). Can you tell us more about this four-track release?
Well, at the time, I was actually making my album, and then I just really fell in love with the songs that we were making. I was excited, and I just really wanted to release some songs for the summer. Just a pack that wasn’t as serious, and yeah, I just couldn’t not release it. So, I just gathered some of the songs that I felt were a vibe and packaged them. Because at the time, also, I also really just wanted to party and have a good time. So, I wanted my fans to enjoy and have a good time as well.
More than your widely celebrated discography, you’ve been hailed as one of this generation’s biggest pop culture figures. What are some of your biggest responsibilities that have changed or been added as your career continues to skyrocket?
Yeah, there’s a lot. There’s a lot. But at the same time, I’m not really trying to take it too seriously because being a pop star is also fun. You know, I feel like I’m just not taking it too seriously.
And I feel that’s why so many people connect to your music as well, because they’re also looking to have fun.
Yeah, I think that’s so important!
Your music has also had a great impact on the Philippine landscape. “Water” peaked at No. 4 on Billboard Philippines Hot 100 and even appeared at No. 54 on the year-end chart. How does it feel to have such an impact from so far away?
It’s actually insane. It’s not something I ever predicted. You know, like the way Asia in general has embraced me and the music and everything is very exciting, because I remember growing up and loving the culture so much. So, for the support to be the way it is now is insane. I know the Philippines has literally one of my top audiences in the world. So I’m excited to see them.
You have a very signature sound — a mix of amapiano, pop, and R&B. It’s this kind of mix that resonates really strongly with Philippine listeners. On that note, what roles do you think circumstances like climate and culture have on one’s connection to music?
I mean, I think everyone wants to dance and have fun and let loose, and you know, I think music is just that thing that takes everyone to that place. So, me being from South Africa, music is a huge part of our culture, and it’s very spiritual, and it really is healing. So, I feel like everyone in the world wants to dance. So that’s probably why.
I really like what you said there about how music takes us to a special place. Can you describe what that place is like for you?
I mean, literally, I can only describe it based on where I’m from. Like music is something that we integrate into our lives, like every part of our lives. It feels like I can hear you. Music is integrated into every part of our lives back home. It’s something that is a part of our culture. Dancing and singing, and everything are really a big part of me as a person, even growing up.
On that note, since you are pioneering your own sound of pop and your own kind of style, how does it feel that the culture that you represent so strongly resonates with such a wide audience?
It’s crazy, but I also felt like even when I was just in South Africa and making music and just enjoying music, like I just knew that it was just too good for people not to eventually love it. So now that it’s a time where our music is appreciated and people are actually paying attention, I feel like it makes sense. The music, the culture have always been amazing and beautiful. So I think now that it’s been exposed to the world, it’s really exciting to see how other people appreciate it and view it and enjoy it.
On a final note, what are you looking forward to the most in your upcoming visit to the Philippines?
I’m excited to see everybody and experience the culture. I really want to do everything, like every tourist-type thing. I want to make the most of being there and learn more about the Tygers over there because they’ve always shown me so much support. So I’m excited to just learn.