At the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards, South African popstar Tyla won her first VMA award. What should have been a joyous celebration quickly turned sour on social media as many fans of Halle Bailey felt that Tyla went out of her way to disrespect the singer and actress as she came up to the stage to accept her award. Let's dive into Tyla's history, career, and controversy at the VMAs.
Tyla's Background
Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 2002, Tyla Seethal is a singer and songwriter best known for her hypnotic dance moves and popularization of the dance style Bacardi, which originated in South Africa. In 2019, she released her track "Getting Late," which became an instant smash hit in South Africa. Following that song's success, she was scouted and signed by Epic Records. In 2023, she released her track "Water"; this song became an international hit and peaked in the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100, making her the youngest South African artist to achieve this.
Her Success
Tyla released her her self-titled debut album in March 2024; the album featured collaborations with Tems, Becky G, and Travis Scott. At the 2024 Grammys, she earned her first award, winning one for Best African Performance. Since then, she's taken home two BET awards, three Basadi in Music awards, a Metro FM award, and most recently, a Moon Man for Best Afrobeats at the VMAs.
The Tyla And Halle Bailey Drama
Tyla got on the stage to thank everyone for her award, but also stated that she would love to see more diverse categories for African artists, as these award shows lump them all together under one umbrella. Before she even got on stage, fans noticed how she pushed her assistant back as she marched to the stage, finding it arrogant.
Things worsened after she accepted her award: Halle Bailey attempted to give Tyla a card, but Tyla pushed Bailey's hand back, causing Bailey to step back. Tyla then complained that the award was too heavy and needed help, looking directly at Halle, who didn't move. Lil Nas X instead did the honor and held the Moon Man for her.
Twitter Users Get Upset At Tyla
Many Americans on Stan Twitter/X already have some beef with the singer after she described herself as a Coloured person when she was asked in an interview what ethnicity she was. While Coloured is a legitimate racial group in South Africa, many African-American X users were upset at what she said because colored is an offensive term in the United States.
Fans of the singer, also known as Tygers, pushed back and claimed that American viewers were looking for any excuse to attack Tyla because she didn't describe herself using American terms for racial and ethnic identity. Meanwhile, African-American viewers felt that Tyla's statements had confirmed the "off" feeling they got from her.
Conclusion
After the VMAs, Tyla took to Twitter/X to state that fans are always making a mountain of a molehill, and Halle Bailey backed her statement. Both stars handled their fans well. By offering each other support online, they showed that fans don't need to get so defensive over their favorite artists. Their camaraderie brought the messy tale to a beautiful ending.
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