South African superstar Tyla is serving pure heat on the latest cover of PAPER Magazine, and the photos are already everywhere for a reason.
Shot by Sara Pardini, the editorial captures the 24-year-old in full “that girl” mode—bold, playful, and completely in control. The feature, titled “Tyla’s Aim is Not to Sweat,” arrives right as she’s riding high off her sophomore album APOP*, which dropped about two months ago. In the interview, she describes the project as a “diary entry” of everything she was feeling during its creation, a lush mix of amapiano, electronic pop, R&B and Afrobeats that she calls African Pop.
Tyla also opens up about finally hitting the road properly. The A*POP Tour just kicked off in Paris, marking her first full tour after the 2024 run was cancelled due to a back injury. “I never did a proper tour ever in my life,” she admits. “It feels like I’m working backwards.”
Since her global breakthrough with “Water” in 2023—the first song by an African artist to cross a billion Spotify streams—Tyla has stacked awards (two Grammys, multiple VMAs and BET Awards), walked three Met Galas, and become one of the most consistent faces from the continent on the world stage. She’s also a brand-new global ambassador for Kate Spade, and the PAPER shoot features pieces from the label’s fall collection.
The cover arrives at a moment when Tyla seems more locked in than ever—making music on her own terms, dancing like no one’s watching, and refusing to sweat the noise. And honestly? She’s making it look easy.
