WWP delivers exactly what fans have come to expect of Tyla. It doesn’t stretch or subvert the template, but it wears its identity with confidence. It is catchy, colourful, rhythmically infectious, and it plays to Tyla’s strengths as a modern Pop star.
By Yinoluwa Olowofoyeku
Tyla Laura Seethal, known simply as Tyla, has emerged as one of South Africa’s most dynamic exports. Born in Edenvale and raised in Johannesburg, she began posting covers and original songs online before self-releasing her debut single “Getting Late” with Kooldrink in 2019, which earned local success and a South African Music Award nomination.
She followed it up with releases like “Overdue” and “To Last”, ultimately signing with Fax Records in partnership with Epic Records in 2021 after honing her signature “popiano” sound: a fusion of Amapiano, Pop, R&B, and Afrobeats. Her global breakthrough came in 2023 with “Water”, a sultry Amapiano-centric hit that became the first song by a South African solo artiste to reach the US Billboard Hot 100 in 55 years, and which won the inaugural Grammy for Best African Music Performance.
That success was followed by her self-titled debut album in March 2024, boasting features from Tems, Becky G, Gunna, and others, earning widespread critical acclaim and multiple awards.
Now in July 2025, she returns with WWP (We Wanna Party), a four-track EP intended to whet appetites ahead of her upcoming project. WWP arrives at a pivotal moment in her trajectory. positioned between her star-making first album and heralding a much-awaited follow-up, which has the potential to further reaffirm her status as a boundary-pushing global artiste.
WWP opens with “Dynamite”, a banging Afrobeats duet that pairs Tyla with Wizkid for a sultry, percussive cocktail disguised as a summer Afrobeats banger. The lyrics are flirtatious and teasing, simmering with sensuality even as the beat insists on movement. “I just wanna back it up on beat/ Sing your name in key/ I know what I want from you/ You know what you want from me”.
Beneath this, a thumping 808 bass grounds the groove, while syncopated Afrobeats drums bring life to every measure. The melodic palette is filled out by sparkly pads, vocal samples, strummed guitars, and accents from sharp, spicy Spanish guitar licks. Wizkid moves through his verse with a laid-back swagger, colouring the space with his signature melodic phrasing, occasionally flitting into a breathy falsetto. Tyla keeps it simple and catchy, delivering short, clean lines and tight melodies that channel her Pop sensibility to strong effect. A buzzing electric guitar solo headlines the outro, rounding out a very vibey offering.
“Mr. Media” finds Tyla turning her gaze to the persistent critique and spectacle that surrounds her rise. She sings with sarcastic detachment, flipping the media’s obsession into a bold chant. “Misdemeanor, why, why, why?/ Why you gotta tell ‘em, lie, lie, lie?/ Honestly I’m not surpri-i-ised/ Always talkin’ ‘bout my whine, whine/ Mister Media, why, why, why?/ I just said I was fly-i-i/ No matter how hard I try-i-i/ I can never get it ri-i-ight”.
The track kicks off with her co-opting the opening tag of fellow Amapiano artiste, LeeMcKrazy—”Ba re ke LeeMcke”—which she further adopts as a recurring motif, setting the tone for the song’s proudly South African attitude. The beat is elastic and hyper-rhythmic, driven by syncopated claps, rattling snares, and thudding 808s, with only minimal melodic accompaniment from mallet chords and fleeting harmonies. Tyla’s voice does the bulk of the heavy lifting melodically, and she shifts skillfully between rapped cadences, high-pitched runs and rhythmic vocal acrobatics. The result is bouncy and bold, filled with charisma and local flavour.
“Is It”, previously released as a single, draws WWP into the sensual haze of the dancefloor. It captures the highs of sudden chemistry and the lingering tension of desire with seductive lyricism. “Is it the cup when it leaves my lips?/ That got me thinking things like this/ Like what it’s like when you take me home/ And what it’s like when you take it off/ Is it the idea that I like?/ Or do I really wanna make you mine?/ Or do we leave it all on the floor?/ Either way, I need a little more”.
Instrumentally, it’s sparse and moody, centred on heavy thudding kicks, layered 808 bass, and skittering shakers, with a gritty snare cutting through the low end. Sparkles and soft mallet hits colour the chorus, and the instrumental restraint leaves space for Tyla’s smooth, drawn-out melodies, her breathy staccato Pop-leaning cadences, and sporadic layered group vocals. She lets the atmosphere breathe, painting the emotional push-pull with sultry phrasing and just enough vulnerability.
“Bliss” is the emotional high-point of WWP. The song opens with a silky electronic arpeggio before unfurling into warm Afro-fusion percussion: rattling shakers, clacking hits, thumping kicks and lightly rolling bongos. Tyla’s performance is vocally expansive here, as she’s singing most of the way through, gliding between soft confessions and full-throated declarations. “I don’t wanna be in the world without you/ Baby, I don’t wanna let you out my sight/ I don’t wanna, I don’t wanna ever break away from you/ Or the light might go away, I need you in my life…You take me to bliss/ Never felt a love like this/ Never found it, never found it”.
The chorus swells with rich bass, subtle strummed guitars, synth stabs, and the return of the opening arpeggio. Her voice rides the groove effortlessly, floating in joy and yearning. It concludes WWP as its brightest emotional moment, offering release after the tension of the earlier tracks.
Tyla’s meteoric rise has left her in an enviably secure commercial position, and her deep understanding of Pop structure and sensibility only strengthens that foundation. Right now, her brand is a well-oiled machine, engineered for wide appeal and global chart success, and WWP fits snugly into that lane.
It is polished, viable, and sonically assured, yet undeniably safe. With WWP, Tyla doubles down on a formula she has already proven works. While this project leans more towards Afrobeats than the Amapiano‑rooted foundation of her debut, the blueprint remains familiar.
Tyla is a sharp, versatile vocalist, and while her typical delivery favours short, sweet melodic lines, there are moments across WWP where she breaks out into belted notes, demonstrates range and control in the higher register, and even slips into rhythm-driven flows that flirt with rap.
The production is tailored to showcase her voice, profiling as drum-heavy, bass-forward instrumentals that leave deliberate space in the upper frequencies for her to shine. The mix is clean and engineered with clarity, a crucial part of WWP’s smoothness. When harmonies and backing vocals do appear, especially in the choruses, they are used with precision, arranged to bloom at just the right moments and then retreat.
WWP delivers exactly what fans have come to expect of Tyla. It doesn’t stretch or subvert the template, but it wears its identity with confidence. It is catchy, colourful, rhythmically infectious, and it plays to Tyla’s strengths as a modern Pop star whose music is built for movement and an upbeat mood.
While it plays things a bit safe, it is intentional. WWP is a teaser, an interlude, a moment of anticipation ahead of something bigger. As Tyla grows as a global sensation, we wonder how and how much the artistry will also evolve as she goes along.
Lyricism – 1.4
Tracklisting – 1.4
Sound Engineering – 1.6
Vocalisation – 1.5
Listening Experience – 1.4
Rating – 7.3/10
Yinoluwa “Yinoluu” Olowofoyeku is a multi-disciplinary artist and creative who finds expression in various media. His music can be found across all platforms and he welcomes interaction on his social media @Yinoluu.