Tyla is ready for round two. The South African-American artist just announced that her sophomore album, APop*, drops on July 24, and based on what she’s saying about it, this record represents something fundamentally different from her debut.
In a sit-down with Rolling Stone, Tyla was refreshingly honest about her first album: “I feel like the first album, it was very hectic, it was a rush. It was like, all of a sudden, overnight craziness.” That’s a generous way to describe what basically amounted to being thrust into global stardom and having to make music on someone else’s timeline. The pressures of a surprise breakthrough hit can swallow you whole if you’re not careful.
What makes APop* feel significant isn’t just timing, though. Tyla has spent the months since her debut actually settling into who she is as an artist. “So now that I’m settled in, I feel like I know more about my direction and what I want to do, what I want to say,” she told Rolling Stone. That distinction matters. There’s a world of difference between making music when you’re still figuring out what the industry wants from you and making it when you actually know what you want to say.
The Album’s DNA
The promo materials for APop* describe the record as “African,” “Unapologetic,” “Confident,” and “Global.” It’s a useful framework, though it raises an interesting tension: how do you make something that feels specifically rooted in African identity while also speaking to a worldwide audience? Tyla seems committed to not compromising on either front, which is exactly the kind of identity work that separates artists who matter from those who simply occupy space.
We’ve already heard hints of where her head’s at. The single “Chanel” landed earlier, and she followed it up with “She Did It Again,” a collaboration with Zara Larsson that rode a Y2K wave of nostalgia. Both tracks suggest an artist playing with different sonic landscapes rather than retreating into a formula.
The Grammy Moment and What Comes Next
Let’s not gloss over what Tyla’s already accomplished. In 2024, she won her first Grammy for Best African Music Performance with “Water,” her breakthrough track. Then she took home another Grammy in 2025 for the same award with “Push 2 Start,” a hit from the deluxe edition of her debut. Two Grammys before most artists get their first one.
Now she’s looking at four nominations at the American Music Awards in May, including Best Female R&B Artist and Best Afrobeats Artist. “Chanel” is up for Social Song of the Year and Best Music Video.
The accolades are nice, but they’re also a trap if you let them be. The real question is whether APop* will feel like a statement or just another victory lap. Based on what Tyla’s been saying about the creative process this time around, she sounds like someone who’s thinking deeper about the work itself rather than just the reception waiting on the other side.
