Tyla Highlights Amapiano Identity After Winning Afrobeats Award at 2024 VMAs

At the 2024 VMAs, South African artist Tyla made headlines by emphasizing her Amapiano music style after winning the Best Afrobeats Award for her popular track “Water.” During her acceptance speech, Tyla expressed her thanks but also took the opportunity to address a common issue in the music industry: the tendency to lump all African music under the Afrobeats label. She made it clear that while Afrobeats has played a significant role in globalizing African music, the continent’s music scene is incredibly diverse.

Tyla, who proudly identifies with South Africa’s Amapiano genre, used her moment in the spotlight to highlight this diversity. She acknowledged the influence and success of Afrobeats but reminded everyone that African music includes a variety of styles and cultures. Tyla’s speech included shout-outs to fellow Afrobeats stars like Rema, Tems, Ayra Starr, Burna Boy, Wizkid, and Davido, recognizing their contributions and successes.

However, Tyla’s comments have not been universally well-received. Some Nigerian critics have taken issue with her remarks, particularly given that her song “Water” is fundamentally an Afrobeats track. Notably, media personality and award-winning OAP Do2tun criticized Tyla for accepting an Afrobeats award while distancing herself from the genre. On Instagram, Do2tun pointed out that if Tyla felt miscategorized, she should have refused the award or denounced the nomination.

Tyla’s speech has stirred controversy among Nigerian music fans and observers, who see it as a sign of growing disconnection from the Afrobeats genre. This reaction reflects ongoing tensions within the African music community about genre representation and recognition.