A*POP may open with the bold shriek of an electric guitar, but make no mistake: The second album from Tyla is no radical reinvention. Since her breakthrough smash “Water” in 2023, the Grammy-winning South African popiano singer has shown steady signs of maturing, most notably with “PUSH 2 START,” a string-accompanied standout from the deluxe edition of 2024’s self-titled full-length debut. On the follow-up, she continues polishing an already-polished pop sound. But if the presence of Ian Kirkpatrick, the producer of Dua Lipa’s “New Rules,” is any indication, Tyla still has her eye squarely on the pop charts.
The collaborations on A*POP feel more authentic to Tyla’s artistry than the ones on her debut, which could seem like an attempt to plug a newly-anointed star into as many markets as possible. Here, she nods to legends of her chosen genres, specifically Johannesburg deep house and soul OGs Liquideep on “Fairytale,” interpolating the duo’s tender song of the same name. It’s a smart new context for Tyla’s breathy vocals, transporting them from smooth electronica to minimalistic guitar and bass. South African singer-songwriters MaWhoo and Babalwa M come on board for “Crazy of Me” and “I Don’t Care,” two sensitive moments that heavily feature Zulu-language lyrics.
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The only non-South African collaborator is Swedish pop star Zara Larsson. Though she’s been releasing music longer than Tyla, it’s only recently that international eyes have fallen on her, making their exchange on “She Did It Again” feel particularly apropos: two pop princesses strutting up and down the throne room. If only this confidence translated visually. The aesthetic world of A*POP does nothing save add new slop to a canon of baddie imagery, from the Walmart-brand “Beautiful Liar” video with Larsson to “That Girl,” where Tyla’s vague promises of tossing dollars in the air are accompanied by what seems to be an AI prompt’s attempt at recreating Cool World. Queenmaking single “Chanel” appears near the end here—still catchy as it was when it came out last October, even if nothing else on A*Pop achieves quite the same force of personality.
Situating A*POP in the culture, or thinking about it as anything deeper than another set of radio-friendly offerings, means considering what’s missing from the U.S. charts right now. Between the waist whining and high-fashion serves is a shadow that has plagued Tyla’s career: comparisons to Rihanna. The icon’s long hiatus from music has left space for a sexy, infectious, fun new voice, and Tyla seems ready to occupy this lane. Her strain of mainstream pop is informed by a generationally broad perspective. The 24-year-old singer, like most of Gen Z, grew up listening to everything, and it shows in A*POP’s liberal use of trap beats, reverb-heavy electric guitar, and bouncy electronic production hugged by frothy Afropop and amapiano log rhythms. At a moment when our most established stars want to sell moisturizer or wax existential, there’s something appealing about a pop diva who’s unreachable enough to keep us guessing and ambitious enough to keep us listening.
