A*Pop

Following the release of her debut album Tyla in 2024, which incorporated sounds of amapiano and R&B, Tyla undertook a promotional cycle that included the Tyla Tour (2024–2025) and the We Wanna Party Tour (2025).^[1][2] She also released a deluxe edition of the album, which spawned the single "Push 2 Start" (2024).^[3] In July 2025, Tyla released the four-track extended play WWP (marketed as We Wanna Party), which she described as a "bridge to the new album" and as material she "needed to let out before the album came".^[4]

In a February 2026 interview with Rolling Stone, Tyla discussed the evolution of her mindset leading into A*Pop, stating: "Me being in it, I feel so different to how I felt during the first album... I'm just excited for my new one that's coming this year. Just to see how different it is—like, what's this Tyla now?" Attributing this shift to personal growth, she added: "I've been through stuff. I don't know, I feel like a woman. I'm 24... I feel like a woman".^[5]

Tyla began working on the album in 2025, with recording sessions taking place primarily in Los Angeles and Barcelona. In an interview with Variety in August of that year, she explained "I had more time to work on this album than I did the first, so I have a lot of songs". Comparing the writing process to her first album, she described herself as "living what I’m singing" which feels "way more personal".^[4]

Speaking to Rolling Stone the following year, she described herself as initially "not knowing what she wanted [A*Pop] to sound like [sic]", but knew that as she lived through the creation of the album it was going to "fall into place". She explained that a big part of getting the album right was to allow herself to "dive into things and try whatever", contrary to her "perfectionist instincts". Tyla described the experience of creating the album as making her feel like a "real artist", as she was able to create a "world around things" and see the project through from "beginning to end".^[5]

A*Pop incorporates elements of African pop, R&B, pop, electropop, amapiano and dance.^[6][7] Tyla intended for the album to feel carefree, with lyrical content that was not too deep, allowing listeners to feel good within themselves without having to think.^[7] The album's composition draws heavily from Tyla's African heritage, featuring what she describes as music that is "very percussive" and "just a vibe", while merging influences from a range of other genres without creative limitations.^[7] It incorporates popiano on the tracks "Feel Something" and "I Don't Care", while "Fairytale" samples the South African group Liquideep's song of the same name.^[7]

Through A*Pop, Tyla sought to challenge conventional perceptions of African pop by embracing a broad range of musical influences while remaining authentic to her South African identity.^[6] She aims to convey that Africa should not be viewed as separate from global pop culture, but rather as an integral part of it.^[6] In an interview with Ebony, Tyla stated, "Coming from where I come from, I am literally cutting down these bushes as I go. I'm creating it as I go. A*Pop is so important to me because there are just so many layers to pop. It's so broad".^[7]

On 1 February 2026, while attending the 68th Annual Grammy Awards, Tyla announced the album's title, and stated that it would be released in the summer.^[8][9] On 9 February, Tyla teased an initial track list for A*Pop on her Instagram.^[10] On 22 April, Tyla announced that A*Pop would be released on 24 July 2026, and made the album available for pre-order through her official store.^[11] The album's track list includes the previously released song "Is It" from WWP (2025).^[12] Alongside the announcement, Tyla shared a video trailer for the album which depicts the singer in various outfits and cutscenes of terms associated with the project, including "unapologetic", "confident", and "global".^[13] On 15 July, Tyla revealed the album's final track list on her social media, sharing a video set in a backlit room in which she spray-painted the title of each track onto a wall using fluorescent paint.^[14] During the album's release week, Tyla partnered with TikTok on an A*Pop-themed in-app experience, where users could watch album-related videos, share fan content, and complete challenges to unlock an "exclusive Tyla profile frame".^[15]

More information Aggregate scores, Source ...

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
AnyDecentMusic?	6.9/10[38]
Metacritic	78/100[39]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[40]
The Arts Desk	[41]
Beats Per Minute	7.3/10[42]
Clash	8/10[43]
The Guardian	[44]
NME	[45]
Pitchfork	7.2/10[46]

Close

According to the review aggregator Metacritic, A*Pop received "generally favorable reviews" based on a weighted average score of 78 out of 100 from seven critic scores.^[39] The review aggregator site AnyDecentMusic? compiled seven reviews and gave the album a weighted average score of 6.9 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus.^[38]

Writing for The Guardian, Michael Cragg described Tyla's intentions with the album as being to "transport us back to more carefree times", describing her voice as "characterful" and "suiting every mood" which allows her to "nimbly traverse genres". He highlighted her ability to balance the album's blend of genres while maintaining herself as its central focus, and concluded that the album is a "bold statement of intent".^[44] Temiloluwa Adeyemo of Clash wrote that A*Pop's defining quality is "intention", where "South African influences sit naturally alongside global pop ambitions". Adeyemo described Tyla's collaboration with Liquideep on the track "Fairytale" as "feeling like a meaningful conversation between generations", and the collaborations with artists MaWhoo and Babalwa M as strengthening the album's South African influences. She concluded that A*Pop avoids chasing trends, and instead focuses on Tyla's melodic instincts, her ability to make simplicity "feel powerful", and the album's personable nature where the singer is "stepping fully into her own world and inviting everyone else inside".^[43]

In a review for AllMusic, Paul Simpson wrote that A*Pop "reflects Tyla's growth as a person" and has a "tougher, grittier, and at times more challenging sound" than her debut album. Simpson highlighted "Kiss" as a standout track, describing it as "immediately danceable", while defining "Feel Something" as having some of the album's "most experimental production" with Tyla's "passionate vocals" making the track fall into place. Simpson noted that the album's final third is closer to Tyla's signature amapiano sound, concluding overall that A*Pop is a "much riskier and more personal effort" than her debut, which after a "few listens" reveals itself to be equally worthwhile.^[40] Writing for NME, Kyann-Sian Williams noted a contrast between the album's ambitious rollout and its content, which she described as a "surprisingly restrained collection of slow-burning love songs". Williams wrote that the album's stronger moments go beyond the "intoxicating blend of amapiano, R&B and glossy pop", specifying the tracks "Is It", "Chanel", and "She Did It Again" which she described as "undeniable earworms". She concluded that A*Pop "largely settles for polishing what already worked" on Tyla's debut album instead of breaking new ground.^[45] Similarly, Mary Chiney of Beats Per Minute noted a contrast between the album's "enormous" rollout and its actual content, which she described as "careful" and a "refinement of the sound she already had". Chiney wrote that the album's African influences stem more from its featured artists than from its lyrical content, and singled out "Is It" as showcasing the album's strongest songwriting.^[42]

In a review for The Arts Desk, Joe Muggs suggested that although A*Pop is "excellently constructed", the current "incredible" creative output from other African artists "eclipses it". Muggs wrote that other recent amapiano hits are "bigger, lusher, more imaginative" and concluded that "while it’s great to hear a pop album that sounds like this, the real revolution is still happening elsewhere".^[41] Writing for Pitchfork, E.R. Pulgar described the album as "no radical reinvention" but praised the incorporation of different genres and Tyla's ambition, stating "there's something appealing about a pop diva who's unreachable enough to keep us guessing and ambitious enough to keep us listening".^[46]

In the United Kingdom, A*Pop debuted at number 43 on the UK Albums Chart, with 3,270 album-equivalent units earned in its first week.^[47][48] It also placed at number three on the UK R&B Albums chart.^[49] In Scotland, the album reached number 36 on the Scottish Albums Chart. In Oceania, the album reached number 28 in Australia,^[50] and number 21 in New Zealand.^[51] In Europe, the album reached number 37 in Germany,^[52] and number 64 in the Netherlands.^[53] A*Pop also appeared on component charts in Japan, reaching number 79 on the Download Albums chart,^[54] and number 20 on the Western Albums chart.^[55] According to Hits, the album sold 16,966 copies in its first week in the United States, consisting of 6,247 physical copies, 138 track-equivalent units, and 10,582 streaming-equivalent units.^[56]

The credits are adapted from Tidal.^[59]