Tyla talks ‘Toy Story 5′, the World Cup and her extraordinary global rise

When South Africa’s very own international sex symbol, Tyla, was offered a role in Pixar’s Toy Story 5, she was understandably ecstatic. “I was so excited. I couldn’t believe the offer was presented — like, this is literally Toy Story,” she says, blown away by the thought of being a part of one of the most successful film franchises ever made.

The Grammy-winner — who gyrated her way into global pop consciousness with a live performance of her hit song Water on the Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon — admits she became mildly obsessed with the project. “I asked my manager every day, ‘What’s happening with Toy Story?’” It’s an understandable reaction. There are bigger films, more lucrative projects, but there are few that arrive holding decades of collective memory. Though she may be too close to her own fame to see it, Tyla is becoming a South African legend in her own lunchtime. “The fact that my voice is going to be in something that will live on forever, that’s crazy,” she says. “It’s a film that generations have watched, and the idea that, long after me, my voice will be part of it is insane.”

But it isn’t nearly as crazy that she was offered the role in the famous animated film series as she imagines. Lately her star-spangled booty has been shaking all over the place. Just days before speaking about Pixar, she performed on one of the biggest stages in global sport.

Fifa selected Tyla to perform South Africa’s national anthem ahead of Bafana Bafana’s opening World Cup match against Mexico in Mexico City — a symbolic moment for a country returning to football’s biggest tournament for the first time since 2010. Standing alongside the Mzansi Youth Choir, she became part of a ceremony watched by millions around the world. It was more than another performance. It was one of those rare occasions when entertainment and national identity briefly intersect.

The World Cup involvement didn’t stop there. Fifa made Tyla one of the faces of its opening celebrations across the tournament’s host nations. She appeared alongside global stars including Shakira, Burna Boy, J Balvin and Belinda in Mexico City, before joining another star-studded line-up in Los Angeles that included Katy Perry, Future, Anitta, Lisa from Blackpink and Rema.

For Fifa, Tyla represented something valuable: a genuinely global artist who still feels rooted in where she comes from. That role was cemented with the release of Game Time, her collaboration with US rapper and singer-songwriter Future for Fifa’s official World Cup album. The track places Tyla at the centre of one of the largest marketing campaigns in world sport. It also pairs her with one of US hip-hop’s biggest stars and introduces her to audiences who may never have encountered her through amapiano, Afropop or South African music.

The song feels like another milestone in a career that defies categories. She’s no longer simply a South African artist finding international success. She’s becoming one of the artists used to define international moments.

But despite being at the centre of some of the most watched media moments in the world currently, it feels like Tyla is grounded and still humble about her inclusion in both the Fifa celebrations and Toy Story 5.

I hope it shows how limitless things are. To go from being a girl from South Africa to having my voice in a global film like Toy Story shows that anything is possible. I hope it inspires people from Africa to dream big.

—  Tyla

She says she grew up watching Woody, Buzz Lightyear and Jessie, and so the project carries a different weight to a chart position, an awards nomination or a red carpet appearance, where she’s known for her knockout, skin-revealing outfits. “I grew up watching Toy Story, my family loves it, so being part of something that was a part of my childhood is special.”

There’s something refreshingly unmanufactured about her enthusiasm. Far from the arrogance of celebrities that seem to have seen it all before, Tyla still appears pleasantly astonished by her life. This may explain why the world (and even Anna Wintour, who frequently seats Tyla next to her at fashion shows) has taken to her.

The journey from Joburg schoolgirl to Grammy winner happened quickly. One minute she was a promising South African artist, the next she was exporting her particular brand of twerking to every continent. Songs like Water, Chanel and Truth or Dare were carried across the world by TikTok and soon she was a household name.

Water in particular travelled beyond radio, spilling into social media, dance floors, fashion campaigns, talk shows and award ceremonies. And people all over the world, but particularly in South Africa, seem to adore her and her splash-making ways. She made history by winning the inaugural Grammy Award for Best African Music Performance for Water; her video for Water broke the internet, culminating in an iconic scene where she seductively pours water down her back — sparking a massive TikTok dance challenge; she turned heads at the 2024 Met Gala in a custom ‘Sands of Time’ Balmain gown made of actual moulded sand, which required that she be carried up the stairs; and in a patriotic nod to her home, she wore the South African flag on the underside of her nails when she took to the Fifa World Cup opening ceremony stage to sing our anthem. Her nails were done by Coca Michelle, a celebrity nail artist who often works with Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion. They were an elongated almond shape with a gleaming white polish and on the flip side, a detailed rendering of the South African flag.

This national pride is what locals love about Tyla. She embodies that unique South African underdog flavour that we recognise so well. It says, “Underestimate me and you’ll pay the price.” In Toy Story 5, she voices an inflatable flamingo.

Of course, the Toy Story films were never really about toys. They’re about change, growing up, being left behind, yet trying to remain relevant in a world that constantly discovers something newer and shinier.

This time, the toys confront technology. Bonnie, now eight years old, is becoming more interested in screens and digital devices than traditional play. The arrival of a smart tablet called Lilypad throws Woody, Buzz and Jessie into crisis as they try to understand what their place is in a changing world. Tyla says she connected with that theme. “It’s about bringing imagination back,” she says. “With how big technology is right now, it’s exciting to see a story that reminds people, especially kids, about the joy of toys and creativity. Growing up, I remember imagining my toys coming to life. I want a new generation to experience that too.”

There’s some irony here. Tyla’s rise was fuelled by the digital culture that Toy Story 5 questions. Social media helped propel her from local artist to international star. But here she is, telling a story about the importance of imagination beyond screens.

“It makes it special,” she says, “to know that people from where I’m from will see me in a global film. I hope they hear a little South African touch in there too.”

Unlike recording music, voice acting required her to trust other people. “When I record music, it’s usually private, but for this there were more people around. I leaned on the team because they’re the experts but I enjoyed letting go and being guided through the process.” The experience made an impression. “I’ve always watched behind-the-scenes videos of voice recording for animated films, so to suddenly be doing it myself with the headphones and mic was a full-circle moment.”

Alongside the World Cup and Pixar projects, Tyla is preparing the release of her second album, APOP. Expectations are high. The debut album established her as one of the most exciting young artists in the world. The challenge now is proving that Water was just a taste.

Asked what she hopes South African audiences take away from hearing her voice in a global Disney film, she answers, “I hope it shows how limitless things are. To go from being a girl from South Africa to having my voice in a global film like Toy Story shows that anything is possible. I hope it inspires people from Africa to dream big.”

The story of Tyla’s past two years can be complicated with statistics, streaming numbers, Grammy wins and social media metrics.

When I record music, it’s usually private, but for this there were more people around. I leaned on the team because they’re the experts but I enjoyed letting go and being guided through the process.

—  Tyla

But at its heart it remains a surprisingly straightforward tale: a young woman from Joburg who dreamed improbably large dreams and discovered that the world was willing to make them come true. Asked why audiences should watch Toy Story 5, she answers, “Because I’m in it!” Then there’s an afterthought, “Also because the story is incredible. I can’t wait to go watch it with my friends and family.”

This year she’s sung at the World Cup, recorded for Fifa, prepared a new album and stepped into one of cinema’s most beloved franchises. Not bad for a young girl from Jozi.