Tyla makes history with 1 billion streams for debut album
Entertainment
By
Fay Ngina
| Jun 04, 2024
South African music sensation Tyla has a monumental achievement to celebrate. Her self-titled debut album, simply titled "Tyla," has officially surpassed a staggering 1 billion streams on Spotify.
This feat marks a significant milestone not just for Tyla herself, but for African music on a global scale.
The news comes amidst the ongoing success of the album, which was released earlier this year.
"Tyla" has garnered widespread acclaim from both fans and music critics, solidifying the young artist's place as a rising star.
While breaking streaming records is no small feat for any artist, becoming the first African female artist to reach 1 billion streams on Spotify places her in a league of her own.
Tyla's album becomes the third African album of all time to hit the 1 billion stream mark, putting her work in the company of musical giants such as Rema and Burna Boy who have captivated audiences across the globe.
At just 22 years old, she's the youngest African artist ever to achieve this feat.
It's also the first South African act to achieve this milestone, not only making history for herself and African women, but also for her home country's music scene.
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The album's success is further highlighted by the performance of its individual tracks. The lead single, "Water," stands out, currently boasting over 600 million streams alone.
Other tracks like "Truth or Dare" and the recently released "Jump" featuring Gunna and Skillibeng have also garnered impressive numbers, exceeding 85 million and 80 million streams respectively.
Breaking records for female artists globally
Tyla's accomplishment is part of a larger trend of female artists breaking streaming records on platforms like Spotify.
For instance, Billie Eilish's debut album "When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?" surpassed 1 billion streams within a year of its release, making her one of the most-streamed female artists on the platform.
Similarly, Ariana Grande's "Thank U, Next" reached 1 billion streams in just a few months. Another notable example is Dua Lipa's self-titled debut album, which also surpassed 1 billion streams, making her one of the fastest-rising stars in pop music.
Tyla's accomplishment isn't limited to streaming dominance.
Earlier this year, she took home the very first Grammy Award for Best African Music Performance for her hit song "Water."
This, along with her nominations for a BRIT Award, a Soul Train Music Award, a MOBO Award, and two South African Music Awards, paints a clear picture of a young artist on a meteoric rise.