Grammy Award winner, Tyla. Picture: Instagram.
Our “pretty girl from Joburg”, Tyla, is currently under attack on social media.
The multi-award-winning popiano artist is receiving backlash from netizens, one of whom called her an “uppity African”.
It all started when the “Water” hitmaker made history as the first South African artist to win an award at the 2024 MTV VMAs.
Upon accepting the award, Tyla said: “You guys know me and holding awards, yoh, I’m not strong enough”, before she asked Lil Nas X and Halle Bailey for their assistance.
Lil Nas X stepped in to hold her award while she gave her acceptance speech. Bailey, on the other hand, didn’t.
Netizens are now dragging Tyla for acting like a “diva”.
All this stardom from a young South Africa is rubbing international citizens up the wrong way.
The twar on X is heating up with social media users saying that Tyla is giving of an “entitled” vibe.
@ArmonWiggins wrote on X, “Hey I don’t think I like TYLA’s personality I think someone needs to check her cus she doesn’t understand American Culture AT ALL..she almost gives off entitled or uppity African idk how to explain it but it’s very off putting and it’s almost like she expects people to just fall to her feet.”
Hey I don’t think I like TYLA’s personality I think someone needs to check her cus she doesn’t understand American Culture AT ALL..she almost gives off entitled or uppity African idk how to explain it but it’s very off putting and it’s almost like she expects people to just fall…
— Armon Wiggins (@ArmonWiggins) September 12, 2024
Plenty more negative comments followed but for Tyla it was water off a duck’s back.
She wrote: “Y'all make everything weird… I was not asking my girl Halle… We just girls 💅🏽 , STFU I WON A VMAAAA.”
Y'all make everything weird…
— Tyla (@Tyllaaaaaaa) September 12, 2024
I was not asking my girl Halle…
We just girls 💅🏽 , STFU I WON A VMAAAA
Tyla’s fans, who are referred to as “Tygers”, also came to her defence.
“I hope Tyla never bows to the pressure to change herself to meet American expectations. I hope her team has the agility to position her brand to leverage off the nonsense no matter what🕯🤞🏾,” said @100_kMokone.
I hope Tyla never bows to the pressure to change herself to meet American expectations. I hope her team has the agility to position her brand to leverage off the nonsense no matter what🕯🤞🏾 https://t.co/rC9YGUiuZI
— Koketso 🕊🙏🏾 🏁🚀Ⓜ️🇿🇦 (@100_kMokone) September 13, 2024
@DarlaForst wrote, “Tyla is very aware that she is a girl, she wouldn’t have had another girl hold a heavy award for her when there was a strong gentleman next to Halle. You guys took an innocent moment and yall are using it to discredit her. Tyla never meant any harm and was never trying to be rude.”
Tyla is very aware that she is a girl, she wouldn’t have had another girl hold a heavy award for her when there was a strong gentleman next to Halle. You guys took an innocent moment and yall are using it to discredit her. Tyla never meant any harm and was never trying to rude.
— Tshidi Annen🇿🇦 (@DarlaForst) September 13, 2024