Tyla’s brand soars ahead of debut album as Grammys 2024 ratings surge

The 66th Grammy Awards on Sunday saw a huge ratings surge in the main show broadcast, with peak ratings of nearly 17-million viewers on average, according to Nielsen data. Ratings were up 34% over last year across CBS, Paramount+ and digital platforms.

The excellent ratings were due in part to South African host Trevor Noah, who presented the Grammys for the fourth year in a row, and received excellent feedback for his presentation.

Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus, Billie Eilish, Jay-Z, Celine Dion, and a historic first-time performance of Fast Car by Tracy Chapman and Luke Combs were among the many appearances and performances which kept viewers engaged.

South Africa singer-songwriter Tyla made history on many levels. Not only was she the first South African to win the inaugural category of Best African Music Performance for her song Water, she also beat Nigerian heavyweight nominees Burna Boy, Davido, Asake and Ayra Starr.

The 22-year-old stunned in her bespoke Versace asymmetrical cutout one-shoulder pale green chiffon dress with sheer mesh panels of Swarovski crystals. Shoes were wraparound white crystal sandals by Rene Caovilla, along with a belly ring by Maria Tash and diamond earrings by Yessayan.

In the Grammys press room after her win, Tyla expressed excitement about her highly anticipated album.

“I'm so excited, oh my word. My debut album drops in March,” she said.

“I've never released a project [like this] before, I’ve been working on it for more than two years , so I'm super proud of it. I’ve been perfecting my sound, being African, Afrobeats, amapiano but with pop and RnB.

“My album is literally an introduction of myself and my sound, and there's a lot of ‘bangers’ on there, like Water and even better ones. I'm looking forward to this year.”

When asked about her style of dance, the Johannesburg-born star replied: “Bacardi dancing, that's a dance style in South Africa, and a lot of people were getting it confused with twerking, but it's not the same. I wanted to do that dance style for Water because I was trying to promote my song.

“I was trying everything. I ended up learning how to do it and pouring water on my back one day on stage, and that video went viral. Ever since that day, everyone in the world is dancing to Water and my whole life literally changed.

“Everything that’s been happening and the incredible response has shocked me. I’ve always dreamt of this, I’ve had a feeling. I feel like God called me to do this, so that peace is in me. But that all of this is happening — Grammy nomination, Billboard Hot 100 — it keeps piling on. I’m so excited.”

When asked about her signature sound on the upcoming album, Tyla said: “Afrobeats has started booming all over the world, which I’m so happy about. It’s about time, and I feel like this is going to open so many more doors for us back home and introduce our music and our culture to so many more people, which we’ve been wanting. I thank the Recording Academy for giving me that platform.”

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