Album Review: "A*Pop" - Tyla

Jazz Williams
8 hours ago
2 min read

Tyla A*Pop Cover Art — Credit: Apple Music

After releasing last year's acclaimed EP, WWP, Tyla is releasing yet another project for the fourth consecutive year.

IS IT LOVE
THAT GIRL
KISS
IS IT
FAIRY TALE
DOUBLE BLIND
FEEL SOMETHING
RIGHT NOW
MR. NONCHALANT
SHE DID IT AGAIN
CHANEL
CRAZY OF ME
I DON'T CARE
HOT TUBS

Tyla is a singer and songwriter from Edenvale, South Africa. Already dubbed as the "Queen of Popiano", she is known for blending pop and amapiano, a genre popularized in South Africa in the 2020s that combines several different local and worldwide genres into one. Despite debuting in 2019, she achieved major success and recognition in 2023 with her massive worldwide hit, Water. Influenced by many legendary artists including Michael Jackson, Rihanna, and Britney Spears, Tyla is carving out her own path to pop superstardom by representing amapiano and South African culture on the global stage. Now I'm curious to find out what ampiano sounds like...

The album starts off strong with the R&B IS IT LOVE and continues that momentum with THAT GIRL, KISS, and IS IT, 2025’s brazilian funk hit. After the fourth song, the music gets slower, moodier, and sexier. These next set of songs, DOUBLE BLIND and FEEL SOMETHING, allow her vocals to shine their brightest. Followed up by MR. NONCHALANT, a very Britney Spears inspired track, we make our way into the final part of this album. This is where the tempo picks up again with instant classics like SHE DID IT AGAIN and CHANEL. The next two songs featuring African artists MaWhoo and Babalwa M add an extra layer of South African culture by speaking in Zulu and Xhosa, indigenous Southern Bantu languages. Finally, the album concludes with the sensual HOT TUBS.

A*Pop is an African pop and R&B album with amapiano, electropop, and dance influences. The carefree nature and sensual vibe made the album an easy listening experience. The production and blend of genres are the top highlights for me because they make every song an undeniable earworm. This album really draws me in because it sounds like the perfectly curated pop albums that I’m accustomed to in America with a unique exotic flare. My favorites are THAT GIRL, KISS, and HOT TUBS. I heard Water once or twice before, but I had never actually checked her music out. Though, I’m happy I reviewed this album because she’s really talented and now I’m contemplating going to her upcoming world tour.

Written By Jazz