The singer, whose viral track “Water” won the first-ever Grammy for best African music performance earlier this year, will now compete in the pop category with her debut album, despite its foundations in Afrobeats and R&B.
Although Tyla secured the inaugural Grammy for best African music performance this year, her debut album will vie for a spot in the pop category at the 2025 awards.
Tyla’s self-titled album was initially submitted for best R&B album but was shifted to best pop vocal album by the Recording Academy’s R&B screening committee, composed of industry experts rather than Academy staff. If nominated in pop, she would face tough competition from albums such as Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department, Billie Eilish’s Hit Me Hard and Soft, Sabrina Carpenter’s Short N’ Sweet, Ariana Grande’s Eternal Sunshine, and Chappell Roan’s The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess.
The decision to move Tyla’s album is unexpected, considering that the 14-track project is influenced by Southern African genres like Amapiano, Afrobeats, and R&B. Many feel her album would have been a better fit for the newly created best progressive R&B album category, which recognizes R&B-based works that incorporate diverse sounds. SZA’s SOS won this category earlier this year.
Six tracks from Tyla have charted on Billboard’s Hot R&B Songs, including the number-one hit “Water,” which also reached No. 7 on the all-genre Hot 100 and spent 51 weeks at the top of the U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart.
“Water” won the first best African music performance Grammy in February. Tyla could have also been entered for best world music album, where many Afrobeats artists typically submit their works, but the progressive R&B category seems most appropriate for her sound. Her album features collaborations with Travis Scott, Tems, Gunna, Becky G, and Skillibeng.
The move to pop is surprising, especially when considering that Lizzo’s Cuz I Love You, which was primarily pop but included R&B and dance elements, won best progressive R&B album in 2020. Additionally, the Grammys did not reclassify Tommy Richman’s viral track “Million Dollar Baby” from rap despite its submission as a non-rap song this year, drawing social media criticism over his claim of not being a hip-hop artist.
First-round voting for the 2025 Grammys concluded last week, with nominations set to be revealed on Nov. 8. Final voting will take place from Dec. 12 to Jan. 3, with the live ceremony scheduled for Feb. 2 at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
