Tyla Signs to Epic Records: The 2021 Deal and What Came Next

Five years after this deal was announced, Tyla is still signed to Epic Records through the Johannesburg label FAX Records. She has won two Grammys for Best African Music Performance: one for “Water” in 2024, the year the category began, and one for “Push 2 Start” at the 68th Grammy Awards on 1 February 2026. Her second album, APOP, came out on 24 July 2026. In November 2026 she is on the APOP World Tour, which reaches South Africa in January 2027.

The original announcement (May 2021)

25 May 2021, Los Angeles, CA: South African singer and songwriter Tyla signed a global deal with Epic Records. Before the deal, she had built up nearly 2 million views on her own and drawn early praise from i-D, PAPER Magazine and other outlets. By then she was already one of the most talked-about new artists in Africa, and she looked ready for a major breakthrough.

Sylvia Rhone, who was Chairwoman and CEO of Epic Records at the time, said: “Tyla has all the qualities of a true career superstar. At the same time, there’s never been an artist quite like her. She’s become a star in Africa on her own terms, and now she’s going to redefine the sound of pop music worldwide. We’re so excited to welcome her to the Epic Records family.” Rhone stepped down as Epic’s chair and CEO in September 2025.

Tyla added: “This really is a dream come true! I had no plan B, so this is something I invested my everything into and I could not be more satisfied. To be welcomed into the Epic family like this, it’s such an honor, I’m so grateful for everyone who believes in me. My team at FAX and I worked so hard to get here and I’m super excited to keep growing with them and take it to the top. Sylvia and Epic share our vision, we want to make great art and bring the world’s attention back home to Africa. I cannot wait to share what we have with the world.”

“Getting Late”: the single that started it

Her debut single, “Getting Late”, went viral in early 2021. The figures below were reported at the time of the signing. They are history now, not current totals:

• The music video had about 1.7 million YouTube views, and the song had passed 1 million streams.
• It was on Spotify playlists including African Heat (733K followers at the time), Amapiano Grooves (97K) and Hot Hits South Africa (51K).
• It reached No. 27 on Spotify’s Top 50 chart for South Africa. That is a strong result for a first release.
• PAPER featured the song, i-D called it “her impossibly catchy breakout single”, and BBC Radio 1Xtra added it to its playlist.

The track sits on an amapiano beat. Tyla’s voice glides over the log-drum bounce and leads into a hook that is easy to chant along to. The same pairing of R&B vocals and amapiano production went on to define her biggest hits.

Background

Tyla grew up in Johannesburg and has Indian, Zulu, Mauritian and Irish roots. She has said that this mixed background taught her about diversity from an early age. She trained her voice at home and sang with her siblings every Sunday as a family tradition. Her father introduced her to R&B and soul and encouraged her to try different styles.

In high school she began posting covers on Instagram. That is how she caught the attention of Garth Von Glehn, who became her manager and creative director. She co-wrote “Getting Late” with Kooldrink, who also produced it. The song first came out in October 2019. When the video came out in January 2021, it spread quickly well beyond South Africa.

Tyla signed to Epic through a venture with FAX Records, a label based in Johannesburg and New York. At the time of the deal she was co-managed by We Make Music and Africa Creative Agency.

What happened next: 2021 to 2026

In the years after the deal, the big ambitions in that 2021 announcement mostly came true. “Water” made Tyla a global name in 2023. Since then she has added two Grammys, two albums and her first global headline tour.

“Water” and the Billboard breakthrough

“Water” turned Tyla’s early buzz into real chart success. When it entered the Billboard Hot 100, she became the first South African solo artist on the chart since Hugh Masekela, whose “Grazing in the Grass” reached No. 1 in 1968. The song then climbed past Miriam Makeba’s “Pata Pata”, which peaked at No. 12 in 1967. That made “Water” the highest-charting Hot 100 song by a solo African female artist.

Two Grammys in the same category

The Recording Academy created Best African Music Performance for the 2024 ceremony, and Tyla was its first winner, with “Water”. Tems won the category in 2025. Tyla won it back on 1 February 2026 with “Push 2 Start”, beating a field that included Burna Boy, Davido and Ayra Starr. She is the only artist to have won the category twice.

APOP* and the world tour

Tyla’s second album, APOP*, has 14 tracks. It includes the singles “Is It” and “Chanel”, plus “She Did It Again” featuring Zara Larsson. The album was first expected in March 2026 but came out on 24 July 2026.

The A*POP World Tour opened in Paris on 12 October 2026. It then played two nights at O2 Academy Brixton in London on 15 and 16 October. The North American leg runs from 12 November in Wheatland, California, to 19 December in Las Vegas. The tour then comes home to South Africa, with shows in Cape Town on 4 January 2027 and at the Expo Centre, Nasrec, in Johannesburg on 9 January 2027.

FAQ

When did Tyla sign with Epic Records?

The deal was announced on 25 May 2021. It came a few months after “Getting Late” went viral in South Africa. She signed through a venture between Epic and FAX Records.

Is Tyla still signed to Epic Records?

Yes. Her second album, APOP*, came out on 24 July 2026 on FAX and Epic, the same partnership as her 2021 deal. Epic’s leadership has changed since then, because Sylvia Rhone left the chair and CEO role in September 2025.

What is FAX Records?

FAX Records is a label based in Johannesburg and New York, and it is the company Tyla came up with. Her Epic deal was structured as a venture between FAX and Epic. In her 2021 statement, she credited her team at FAX for getting her there.

How many Grammys has Tyla won?

Two, both for Best African Music Performance. She won in 2024 for “Water”, the first year the category existed, and again on 1 February 2026 for “Push 2 Start”.

Who is Kooldrink on “Getting Late”?

Kooldrink is a South African amapiano artist and producer. He is credited as a co-writer and producer of “Getting Late”, which is credited to Tyla. The song was Tyla’s debut single, first released in October 2019.

When is Tyla performing in South Africa?

The A*POP World Tour plays Cape Town on 4 January 2027 and the Expo Centre, Nasrec, in Johannesburg on 9 January 2027. Before that, the North American leg runs from 12 November to 19 December 2026.

Sources

• Recording Academy (GRAMMY.com): Best African Music Performance category page
• News24: “Tyla’s Push 2 Start wins Grammy for Best African Music Performance”
• Music In Africa: coverage of Tyla’s 2026 Grammy win and APOP* album plans
• NME and Clash: APOP* album announcement and release date
• Billboard: APOP* tracklist reveal
• Official Charts Company and Pollstar: A*POP World Tour dates and venues
• OkayAfrica: “Water” and Tyla’s Billboard Hot 100 record
• Complete Music Update: Sylvia Rhone’s departure from Epic Records