South African star Tyla stopped by Genius to discuss her hit “Water,"which has been streamed over 208 million times on Spotify to date! The single was recently remixed with Travis Scott and off the emerging singer’s upcoming self-titled debut album, Tyla. On today’s episode of Verified, find out what R&B great the star drew inspiration from.
“Growing up I really liked the song "Rock The Boat” and I did not know what that song meant. Growing up then I found out what I was rocking too! I just loved that it was a song about something mature but if you didn’t know you didn’t need to know. No matter the age or no matter where you from…you can vibe to it!"
“Growing up I really liked the song "Rock The Boat” and I did not know what that song meant. Growing up then I found out what I was rocking too! I just loved that it was a song about something mature but if you didn’t know you didn’t need to know. No matter the age or no matter where you from…you can vibe to it!"
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MusicTranscript
00:00 I had a feeling it was gonna do well, but what it did was like, what the heck?
00:04 It went crazy, like I have a whole Grammy nomination.
00:08 Celebrities are dancing to it, listening to it, reaching out.
00:11 So it really surpassed my expectations, but I always knew that it was a smash.
00:16 It is a smash, you know?
00:17 Song of the year, song of the summer.
00:19 Growing up, I really liked the song "Rock the Boat."
00:28 And I did not know what that song meant.
00:30 So like, hey!
00:31 Growing up, then I found out what I was rocking to.
00:33 I just loved that it was a song about something mature, but if you didn't know, you didn't
00:37 need to know.
00:38 And no matter the age, no matter where you're from, you can vibe to it.
00:41 With "Water," I feel like it's the perfect way I incorporated it.
00:45 I just remember recording it, and as soon as I finished, I fell in love.
00:49 I couldn't stop playing it.
00:50 I played it for my whole family, all my friends, and they were obsessed.
00:53 And I just had such a good feeling about it.
00:55 So I'm happy that it's doing what it's doing, you know?
00:57 I'm a wild one.
00:58 This is just me saying, like, "Hey!
01:15 Usually I'm cool, but now I've been waiting.
01:18 I've been patient."
01:19 He's teasing a little bit, but he's not doing the action, you know?
01:23 You need to now step up.
01:24 "Telling me that you're really about it, why try to hide it?
01:31 Ooh, talk is cheap, so show me that you understand how I like it."
01:40 Guys, talk is cheap!
01:42 Guys know how to talk.
01:43 They'll promise you the world, they'll tell you this, that, that, that, but when it's
01:47 time to show, then, doh-loh-loh, there's nothing.
01:50 I hate that.
01:51 Like, guys that just talk?
01:52 Nah.
01:52 Nah.
01:54 "Can you blow my mind?
01:59 Set off my whole body.
02:02 If I give you my time, can you snatch my soul from me?
02:11 I don't wanna wait.
02:14 Come take it.
02:15 Take me where I ain't been before.
02:20 Can you blow my mind?
02:25 Set off my whole body.
02:28 Whole body."
02:30 I don't like doing first moves.
02:32 I'm not that type.
02:33 I'm not gonna reach out first, so I have to maneuver and find a way for you to do it.
02:38 Me saying, "I don't wanna wait.
02:40 Come take it."
02:41 It's me telling you, "Hey, man up and come for it if you really want it."
02:46 "Make me sweat.
02:49 Make me hotter.
02:51 Make me lose my breath.
02:54 Make me water.
02:56 Make me sweat.
02:58 Make me hotter.
03:00 Make me lose my breath.
03:02 Make me water."
03:04 The Water Challenge is Bacardi.
03:06 It's a dance style from South Africa.
03:08 I ended up working with my choreographer.
03:10 He came up with the, you know, the challenge.
03:14 So we rehearsing, we doing the dance, but I was like, "Nah.
03:18 I wanna pour water down my back."
03:20 And I ended up doing it in Rwanda and, woo, everybody loved it.
03:24 Now it's my thing, you know?
03:26 Hopefully you can last all night.
03:29 Don't get too excited.
03:32 Oh, privacy.
03:36 You ain't gotta go nowhere.
03:37 You can stay inside it.
03:39 Chillax.
03:40 Like, relax.
03:41 I know you excited, but don't get too excited now because, you know, when guys get too excited,
03:47 the conversation doesn't last as long as you would like it.
03:51 So yeah, don't get too excited.
03:56 I finished performing in Rwanda.
03:58 Someone posted a video of me dancing.
04:00 I loved it so much, I DM'd and I was like, "Please send it to me."
04:03 I got it and I posted it just before I was about to fly.
04:06 And by the time I landed, I saw like five million views or something and I was like,
04:11 "What the heck is happening?"
04:13 The video just started moving.
04:14 People started doing the dance.
04:16 People from everywhere in the world, you know?
04:18 So that was a huge moment for me.