Tyla – ‘A*Pop’ review: safe, polished pop that could’ve gone further

Only five singles into her career, Tyla struck gold. ‘Water’, her 2023 single, became a global phenomenon, introducing amapiano to new audiences through its irresistible blend of R&B and South African club music. Her eponymous debut album followed the next year, and proved ‘Water’ wasn’t lightning in a bottle, cementing her place as one of pop’s brightest crossover stars.

It’s not easy to keep that light shining, though. Although the build-up to the Johannesburg singer’s second album, ‘A*Pop’, suggested a technicolour pop spectacular on the way, it instead shows her shine is starting to dim. Beyond its strongest singles, the album repeatedly trades high energy for mood, settling into a surprisingly restrained collection of slow-burning love songs that rarely match the ambition of its rollout.

Ironically, on ‘Feel Something’, Tyla repeatedly pleads that she wants someone to “make me feel something”, but the sentiment ends up applying to the song itself. Despite its twitching bassline and simmering sensuality, it never quite reaches the emotional climax it craves. It’s frustrating because Tyla proves on the evocative opener ‘Is It Love’ that she’s capable of more, singing about wanting somebody to “water my roots” giving attraction a tangible emotional weight. Too often on ‘A*Pop’, broader declarations of desire rarely go beyond the surface, leaving Tyla’s charisma to do almost all the heavy lifting.

Thankfully, there are stronger moments, including some where she turns that intoxicating blend of amapiano, R&B and glossy pop into something even bolder. Those crop up in album highlights ‘Is It’, ‘Chanel’ and the Zara Larsson-assisted ‘She Did It Again’ – all undeniable earworms, pairing hypnotic log drums with sleek pop hooks that effortlessly slot alongside the biggest moments on ‘Tyla’.

Elsewhere, ‘Kiss’ is a gorgeous slice of ama-pop, mellow enough to soundtrack the comedown from a sweat-soaked dancefloor. MaWhoo collaboration ‘Crazy Of Me’ lets both singers melt into one another over understated production that’s as warm as late-afternoon sunshine. Album closer ‘Hot Tubs’, meanwhile, injects a welcome burst of personality into the record, its rubbery synths bouncing around Tyla’s carefree performance as she shrugs off expectation in favour of simple pleasures. Even though there are still a few clunky lines (“Whether you like me or don’t / Shake that ass to my song”), it’s a reminder that she remains a magnetic performer even if the songwriting doesn’t always meet her halfway.

‘A*Pop’ is a surprisingly cautious follow-up. Where ‘Tyla’ introduced an artist confidently reshaping amapiano’s relationship with global pop, this sequel largely settles for polishing what already worked instead of pushing it somewhere new. Tyla’s second album might be called ‘A*Pop’, but as someone earmarked for greatness, it falls short of earning top marks.