Seven Years of ‘Getting Late’: How Tyla’s Debut Single Sparked A Pop-Amapiano Revolution

Seven years ago, on October 25, 2019, an 17-year-old artist from Johannesburg quietly dropped a track titled “Getting Late” featuring producer Kooldrink. At the time, Amapiano was rapidly taking over Southern Africa’s club circuit, dominated primarily by high-energy log drums and deep house arrangements. Tyla Seethal saw an opening for something distinct: bridging the rich, rhythmic pulse of South African house with the polished, melismatic songwriting of Y2K R&B and global pop. Seven years later, that experiment stands as the foundational launchpad for one of Africa’s biggest contemporary pop stars. Recorded and initially released in 2019, “Getting Late” introduced what Tyla would later coin as her signature “Pop-iano” sound. Over Kooldrink’s bouncy, bass-heavy production, Tyla laid down sultry, effortless R&B vocal lines. Beyond the audio, the track’s visual identity proved just as vital. When the self-produced music video premiered in early 2021, it brought glossy 2000s MTV aesthetic energy direct from Johannesburg. Choreographed around vibrant South African dance movements, the visual racked up thousands of views within hours and sparked a massive viral dance challenge on TikTok. The momentum behind “Getting Late” would later get international attention, proving that local African subculture sounds could seamlessly operate on the global pop stage without losing their authenticity. Looking back seven years later, “Getting Late” wasn’t just a lucky break—it was a proof of concept. It laid the groundwork for Tyla’s meteoric rise, demonstrating how modern African artists can build global pop identities rooted firmly in local sounds. As Amapiano and African pop continue to dominate global charts, “Getting Late” remains the blueprint that started it all. This video is relevant because it shows the original self-produced music video for “Getting Late,” which was instrumental in going viral and securing Tyla’s major-label deal. Today, the world Tyla navigates is vastly different from the Johannesburg bedroom studio where “Getting Late” was born. In the years since, her trajectory has been nothing short of meteoric: from making history as the inaugural winner of the Best African Music Performance category at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards, to turning heads on the Met Gala red carpet in custom sand-sculpted couture. Having graced the stages of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon , major international festivals, and sold-out headline tours, Tyla has evolved from a local viral sensation into a global pop icon—all while carrying South Africa’s musical heritage straight to the center of global culture.