IT'S TYLA'S TIME

SA’s Grammy-winner chats to YOU about living it up in Los Angeles and what she misses most about home 

- PECULIA MUSHWANA

SHE was all set to kick off her world tour in Oslo, Norway, when she pulled out – an injury had been plaguing her for a while and she knew embarking on a gruelling world tour would be too much for her.

It was heartbreaking for Tyla and devastating for her growing band of fans – but there’s plenty of good stuff going on in the singing sensation’s life these days too.

Her debut album is out this month and she’s just embarked on her first major fashion campaign for American clothing and accessories retailer Gap.

“I’ve always been a fashion girl,” she tells us via video call from Los Angeles, where she’s now based as she builds her career.

Her collaboration with Gap was a perfect fit, she says. “I was the girl that would raid my mother’s closet, put on high heels, her clothes and give the family a whole runaway show,” says Tyla, who’s wearing a black T-shirt featuring a tiger- claw scratch which represents her fan base, the Tygers.

Shooting the ad for Gap was “so fun”, she tells us. She wore a cropped top and flowing cargo pants from their new linen range and joined a cast of dancers who jived to music producer Jungle’s hit Back on 74. “Everybody was so fine,” she says. “When I was shooting it didn’t really feel like I was working. I was so excited to experience that.”

The campaign is yet another notch in the 22-year-old’s belt, another sign the world is sitting up and noticing. Yet her ultimate high so far was becoming the youngest African artist to win a Grammy, taking home the gong for best African music performance for her hit song, Water, at the awards in February.

She still has to pinch herself some times to make sure it wasn’t all a dream. “It’s amazing,” she tells us.