Tyla’s sophomore album A*POP leans fully into her lover-girl persona, delivering a smooth 14-track blend of Afropop, dancehall, and contemporary pop. It arrives after the commercial success of her self-titled debut, which transformed her from a promising South African newcomer into one of Africa’s biggest global stars following the breakout success of “Water.” It also follows the We Wanna Party EP, which failed to generate the same level of momentum.
The South African breakout star is taking a path few artists from her corner of the world have successfully navigated: becoming a global pop star without abandoning the sounds that shaped her. History offers very few examples of women from the Global South making that leap, with Rihanna standing as the clearest blueprint. Like Rihanna, Tyla embraces dancehall influences and centers much of her songwriting on the highs and lows of romance, allowing her music to feel intimate while remaining radio-friendly.
On A*POP, however, the formula rarely evolves. Tyla’s vocals are noticeably stronger and more controlled than on her debut, revealing an artist growing into her voice. From the opening track, “Is It Love?,” the album establishes itself as a cohesive project, and it rarely strays from the emotional lane for 43 minutes. The features and consistency are admirable, but those choices are also the album’s biggest weakness: it plays things too safely to represent an entire continent of music and be called African Pop.
What the project lacks is the kind of sharp, risk-taking moment that defines modern global pop. Today’s biggest crossover records often borrow the edge of hip-hop and R&B, an ingredient that has become almost essential to breaking through in the American market. Despite her undeniable charisma and polished execution, A*POP never delivers that defining appeal.
Africa’s pop girl has arrived, but without the cultural edge.
A*Pop is released via Fax/Epic Records
★★★☆☆
