In a candid interview on The Dotty Show, South African Afropop sensation, Tyla, shared insights into the price of fame and what it has meant for her personal life.
While fame undoubtedly has its perks, it also comes with its own unique set of challenges. Loss of privacy, heightened security concerns, and emotional pressures are some of the costs that accompany widespread recognition in the world of music. Tyla, renowned for her global hit “Water,” shared her experiences and the impact of her rapid rise to fame on Apple Music’s The Dotty Show.
Tyla, once a regular young woman from Johannesburg, has become an overnight TikTok sensation and international pop star. However, with fame has come certain constraints on her personal freedom. She revealed during the interview, “There’s this theme park in South Africa called Gold Reef City. I can’t go, I can’t. It’s a whole thing. In general, I can’t just make decisions like this. I can’t say, let me go here, let go there. Like it has to be a whole thing, which is something I need to get used to.”
The rising star explained that any outing requires extensive planning and coordination with various parties, including her manager, drivers, and security personnel. The level of scrutiny she faces is reminiscent of a movie, making simple, spontaneous outings a rarity.
One aspect that has changed dramatically with fame is her ability to blend in with the crowd. Tyla confessed that she can no longer dress casually as she used to, fearing that even minor deviations from fashion norms can lead to public scrutiny. “I’m the type of person to just go to the shop wearing two different shoes, like two different socks, hoodie messy hair, like I’m that type of person, but I can’t do that anymore because I mean, any picture, hey, you have to be on point. But I mean, it’s what comes with it.”
Despite these challenges, Tyla’s rise to fame has been nothing short of remarkable. Her hit single “Water” topped Billboard’s U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart, a testament to her growing influence and impact in the music industry. The cost of fame may be high, but Tyla continues to make waves in the global music scene with her talent and dedication.
