When Tyla Laura Seethal’s “Water” single earned her the top spot on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart and the first-ever Best African Music Performance Grammy in 2023, some were skeptical about her meteoric rise to success. To those unfamiliar with her work, it seemed like the Johannesburg native came out of nowhere. Her loyal fans remember her for the single that led to her Epic Records deal in 2021, “Getting Late,” but the South African native has since wowed us with her self-titled LP.
She may be just 22 years old, but already, Tyla has proven herself a force to be reckoned with. Earlier this winter, she joined Sabrina Carpenter for a festive Netflix holiday special, but she’s been busy all year round. Like her fanbase, the “Water” hitmaker’s net worth continues to grow. Here’s everything we know about the money moves she’s been making.
Tyla’s Family Supports Her Creative Pursuits
Before her meteoric rise to fame, young(er) Tyla was all about pop music and artists like Justin Bieber. By high school, she was experimenting with a blended music genre — R&B, pop and amapiano (South African house music). Songs like Kwiish SA’s “Iskhathi (Gonggong)” showed her how one song could change the energy of a room. From then on, Tyla was sold on doing the same with her creations. The South African singer always had lucrative plans, briefly humoring the idea of taking on a career in engineering. Since her heart wasn’t into it, Tyla knew pursuing music would make her happier professionally.
Thankfully, she comes from a family of fellow creatives who understood her need to express herself. Tyla’s mom had a love for making jewelry, candles and chocolate. Her aunt was a professional belly dancer, and Tyla’s grandmother occasionally competed as a vocalist. Being surrounded by this energy in her youth pushed the genre-bending performer to strive for perfection, going over the same songs tirelessly to nail every note.
Stepping Into the Acting World
Like many other young vocalists, Tyla has shown interest in diving into the world of TV. Her latest credit comes from the aforementioned A Nonsense Christmas with Sabrina Carpenter and Gap: The Making of Linen Moves. As far as late-night TV goes, fans can catch up on past interviews with the likes of Stephen Colbert, Jennifer Hudson, Kelly Clarkson and Jimmy Fallon. If she has it her way, Tyla’s first acting role may be a thriller or a Disney princess movie, two of her favorite movie genres. Although she enjoys horror films, she opted out of the idea of being involved in one, worried that she’d have nightmares for days.
And while she is clearly pretty, she’s not too pretty to get edgy. At the 2024 Billboard Music Awards, she skipped the dresses and showed up in a layered, cropped, white, button-down shirt with a peek of her black bralette underneath. With feet covered by chunky, leather boots and sheer tights, she showed off her love for animal-themed attire again with a striped miniskirt and a jeweled accessory on top.
Tyla’s Earning Power in 2024
With a powerhouse management and creative team behind her, Tyla’s success is set to continue in the new year. While there are no official reports on her current net worth, Capital Xtra notes it’s estimated to be over $1 million thanks to the success of her music and merchandise sales. Her website offers everything from vinyl records and T-shirts to a (currently sold-out) 40-ounce quencher cup that had the “Water” artist jumping for joy. The custom Stanley 1913 has her signature tiger stripes, modeled after a fur-trimmed dress she wore similar to the late Aaliyah’s 2000 MTV VMAs attire.
Still new to the scene, it’s obvious that support from her inner circle has been instrumental to Tyla’s success. She’s made her way onto Forbes “30 Under 30” list and boasts approximately 600 million Spotify streams of her music. Additionally, her self-titled debut album (released in March 2024) debuted at No. 24 on the Billboard 200, and Tyla is the first artist to rank in seven of the top 10 spots on Billboard’s Afrobeats chart.
