Tyla turns heads on magazine cover and hints at a rap revolution

Another day, another slay, and this time, Tyla is front and centre on the April cover of "Nylon" magazine, continuing her reign as one of the most stylish stars on the planet.

At just 23, the South African singer is not only delivering bangers on stage but serving fashion fantasy in every editorial shoot. This latest spread is no different: bold looks, sharp silhouettes, and that effortless cool only she can pull off.

Tyla's feature comes hot off the heels of an impressive list of magazine covers. In just over a year, she’s graced the pages of "British Vogue," "Elle US," "Billboard," "Cosmopolitan," "BeatRoute," "T Magazine" from "The New York Times", and "Dazed."

Each shoot has spotlighted her meteoric rise from Johannesburg girl to global It-girl, never shying away from showcasing her roots. 

"Nylon" magazine is considered a cool-girl staple in the fashion and pop culture world not necessarily massive like "Vogue" or "Elle," but highly influential among Gen Z and millennial readers.

In her interview, Tyla opens up about the whirlwind of fame and how her family is riding the wave alongside her. She shared a funny moment when a fan DM’d her with a photo, not of her, but of her mum.

“They ask me for pictures, too, Tyla,” her mother told her. Fame, it seems, runs in the family now. But it’s not all glitz and red carpets.

Tyla is taking her artistry seriously and isn't afraid to shake things up. “One day, you’re going to get that Tyla rap song,” she teased, hinting that there’s much more to her than catchy Amapiano hooks and glossy visuals.

She’s taking her time with her next album, wanting to showcase a fuller picture of who she is beyond what people expect.

"I’m excited to show people that I’m more diverse than they think. I want to take my time with my artistry and give whatever feels right for that moment."

When asked where she’d take fans to understand her music better, she didn’t hesitate: the CBD in Johannesburg. It’s the chaos, the culture, the sound of taxis, shouting, and local music blaring from every corner that inspired her growing up, and that energy still pulses through her dance tracks.

"You can hear our music playing loud. You can hear our accents, people shouting, taxis driving crazy. I would take people there because that feels like how my dance music feels, I think," she said.

On the topic of representation, Tyla shared her dreams of seeing African music - pure and unfiltered - become just as global as pop.

"I would love to see an African artist even if the artist isn’t born and raised on the continent make African music without pop influences, just true African music. I would love to see that be as global as pop music is one day," she said.

Not watered down, not reshaped to fit a Western mould. And even if she’s not the one to push it all the way, she’s rooted in who she is.

“I’m an African girl, and I’m always going to be,” she added.