Tyra's “Water” was the first single from her self-titled debut album, and like many Gen Z stars, the South African singer gained a global audience on TikTok.
She became the highest-charting African female solo artist after “Water” reached the highest chart. signboard Hot 100 Top 10. And in February, Tyra won the Grammy Award for Best African Music Performance.
Tyra Laura Cesar is a born performer and grew up dancing and singing for her family. However, her parents encouraged her to prioritize her education and preferred to continue with her music as her hobby. As such, she studied mining engineering, but shortly after she started, she dropped out of school to pursue music full-time.
“Water” combines Tyra’s essential elements: her African roots, amapiano pop, dance, and electrifying R&B vocals. The song became her defining song, turning her long-held dream of becoming a pop star from South Africa into a global reality.
““Water” is “full of energy”“
Tyra said rolling stone “Water” is a “cheerful” song. She said: “I'm telling men, 'Show me what you have to offer.'” The story is over. ” Men just keep talking and talking. ”
Inspired by Aaliyah's “Rock the Boat,” Tyra used innuendos rather than direct statements. She uses the metaphor of water to describe sex, and delivers it to an upbeat groove rooted in her home country.
Could you blow my mind?
move your whole body
If I give you time
Will you take my soul from me?
I don't want to wait.Please come and get it
Take me to a place I've never been before
Could you blow my mind?
Move your whole body, move your whole body
She recorded “Water” in Cape Town, South Africa, and went into the studio wanting to create a “summer banger.” She said, “The moment I heard 'Water,' I said, 'I'm done.'” We have that song. ”
After hearing the song, Tyra was convinced of its commercial potential.She further added, “I would describe 'Water' as the song of the year…it's the sound of Africa. It's not just for Africa, it's for the world — it's literally me.” [bringing] Bringing Africa to the world. ”
Make me sweat, make me hotter
Let me take a breather, give me a drink of water
african house music
Tyra wrote “Water” with a team of writers including Tricky Stewart, who collaborated with Beyoncé on the No. 1 hit “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It).”
British producer and DJ Sammy Soso produced the song, which combines Amapiano and pop music. Amapiano roughly translates to “piano” and is a combination of South African house music and jazz. Its roots are disputed, but can be traced back to a Johannesburg subgenre called kwaito, which blended house beats and hip-hop in the 1990s.
“Water” is a pop version of Amapiano, which Tyra calls “Popiano”.
SoSo built a slower house beat under jazz-like textures, synths, and a percussive bassline for Tyla. She sings through audible autotune, creating a cosmic sound that makes you feel like you're underwater. Meanwhile, Travis Scott has remixed “Water” with a new verse and released an alternative music video featuring the two artists standing on opposite sides of frosted glass.
bacardi dance challenge
During the pandemic, Tyra performed dance routines on TikTok and quickly gained over 700,000 followers.
She said the “water” dance came naturally to her and, like many of her peers, she grew up familiar with social media. Tyra and her choreographer Riche Janecke created a version of her Bacardi dance for her own TikTok video. Last year, South African dance became an internet sensation, with the Bacardi dance challenge racking up millions of views.
Bacardi involves belly dancing, twerking, and intricate footwork set to amapiano music. Tyra was inspired after Janecke used the dance in another song.
“Hot and Hot” music video
The music video for “Water” shows Tyra heading out to a beach party with her friends. The racy clip also features Tyra and her romantic partner, as well as her famous girlfriend TikTok dance with a water bottle.
she said essence“I wanted to make a video that felt really organic. I wanted something that felt hot and steamy.”
her story
Streaming music and social media have made the world smaller. Global pop music, which typically has a worldly sound, was recorded by Western artists who mined other cultures for inspiration. Artists like David Byrne, Sting, Madonna and Paul Simon searched the world for new sounds and sounds that were new to them. Vampire Weekend famously turned to West Africa for their version of indie rock. Now, international music is flowing in and artists from these places are emerging.
Tyra explained the importance of home: Complex, “I followed the story. I'm from a very small place, a small city in South Africa, at the bottom, tip of Africa. And literally, I was just a girl with a dream. ”
Still, she wasn't sure if her dream would come true. She didn't think becoming a pop star was a realistic goal, but Tyra made it a reality. she said: “We need an African pop star and hopefully I can be that person.”
However, Tyra is not satisfied with being an African pop star. Just like her heroes Rihanna, Michael Jackson, and Drake, Tyra also wants to be global. Like “water”, she is everywhere.
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Photo by Leon Bennett/Getty Images for the Recording Academy
