The Cultural Misunderstanding of Tyla
For Monday’s deep dive, I decided to breakdown the many misconceptions of Tyla and provide context to a conversation that requires it.
We have to discuss the temperature before the Tyla controversy at the VMAs if this is going to make sense.
A video resurfaced in 2023 of Tyla, apparently pre-fame, where she labels herself “a coloured girl”. Black Twitter had a field day comparing blackness and redistricting the borders of the culture to purposefully edge Tyla out. A key proponent of the conversation is absent, though. It’s important to remember that Tyla is not a Black American. She’s a South African woman. She did not initiate the classification. The word "coloured" is a direct representation of who she is and where she comes from.
The History behind "Coloured" in South Africa
The word "coloured" was formally placed, through legislation, on South Africans in the Population Act of 1950. The act required each citizen to be designated as Bantu, Coloured, White or Asian, a group identifier that came later. The legislation that contributed to policies which dictated where the nonwhite majority could live, work, the type of education they would receive. A more commonly used word for these processes is Apartheid. That’s the most outstanding issue I have with the talking heads that secure massive audiences. The lack of relevant knowledge provided when the conversations are inherently controversial. This need to purposely mislead an awaiting audience is what led to such a destructive narrative. By declaring that she was “coloured”, Tyla had presumably disavowed her blackness.
The Breakfast Club Moment
The conversation behind the classification “coloured” remained a hot topic and spilled into her Breakfast Club interview. When Charlamagne The God inquired about Tyla’s “coloured” comment, a team member quickly spoke up off-camera to decline an answer. The South African-born pop star could have educated the interviewers about the culture in South Africa. Why didn't the interviewers know that this is a question she's answered? I’ve always been taught that if you’re not a fan of the subject you’re speaking with, you become one. A Google search allows them to preface the question as a proper request for insight and not an ambush.
Let’s try to remember a key piece of this puzzle. Tyla was questioned about this misunderstanding in an interview with Cosmopolitan two months before her meeting with The Breakfast Club. In this article, she addresses the controversy with the following:
“When people are like, “You’re denying your Blackness,” it’s not that at all. I never said I am not Black. It’s just that I grew up as a South African knowing myself as Coloured. And now that I’m exposed to more things, it has made me other things too. I’m also mixed-race. I’m also Black. I know people like finding a definition for things, but it’s “and,” not “or.”
Social Media Trials
Soon after her appearance on The Breakfast Club, Tyla used Twitter to defend herself from detractors once again. Her stance was clear. There was no disregard to the malignant purpose of the word “colored” in relation to the black American experience. In contrast, many detractors refused to listen or understand the nuance and communal differences that created the controversy. Nevertheless, Tyla’s star continued to shine. The internet pounced on Tyla in quick intervals to criticize the way she styled her hair and dressed, claiming cultural appropriation. Those moments came and went. Until another seemingly innocuous incident at the VMAs this week spiraled into a renewed conversation about entitlement, colorism and potential prejudice.
A VMAs Acceptance Speech Gone Wrong
As she accepted the MTV VMA Award for Best Afrobeats, she held the award just a few seconds before saying, “You guys know me and holding awards. I’m not strong enough. Please. Please.” Lil Nas X, a fellow presenter, relieved Tyla of the weight as she thanked him and continued to gush about how grateful she was for the recognition. In her speech, Tyla admitted how bittersweet it was that African music is being celebrated, but often lumped into a single group - Afrobeats - without an admission of the diversity of the African sound. Soon after, the internet flooded with contempt for Tyla’s entitlement. Most had incorrectly assumed that she asked Halle Bailey to hold the hefty award, who stood right beside Lil Nas X during the interaction. "The Little Mermaid" star defended the instance on Twitter, and yet the outcry remains.
Confirmation bias has continued to play devil’s advocate and force whatever she does to be viewed through the scope of narratives founded previously. The idea of her “playing weak” and asking for help wielding her accolades aligns with the belief that she embraces and rejects her blackness as she sees fit. Each of these instances, once linked, perpetuates the image of an elitist. An image that was crafted from a lack of information of South African culture and the unwillingness to comprehend that the black American experience is not the sole black experience that deserves declaration.
What's the truth about Tyla?
Tyla is a pop star that was raised in South Africa as a coloured woman. Although she will, she would rather not hold her awards as she’s speaking to the audience. She absolutely refused to regurgitate an explanation for her self-categorization in the midst of The Breakfast Club interview, a platform known to seize virality and narrative spins. Tyla explained that while she acknowledges the doors that the Afrobeats sound has unlocked for African music, there is a variety of genres to appreciate and distinguish.
These are the facts. The fondness of her homeland and a feverish dedication to the exposure of the culture of African music in its entirety underscores the profound misunderstanding Tyla continues to face while her versatility and talent have kept her center stage. The interaction additionally highlights how misinterpretation can create visceral reactions from an audience who has never met the target of their ire. Tyla is not the problem. The lack of context from the people who push the narratives the hardest is.