Tyla Seethal Snatches Afrobeats Crown At AMAs — Mzansi In Shambles Over Genre Confusion!

South Africa’s very own Tyla Seethal just snatched the Favourite Afrobeats Artist award at the 2025 American Music Awards — and baby, the internet is loud.

The glitzy event went down on Monday, 26 May at the BleuLive Theatre in Las Vegas, and the “Push 2 Start” superstar beat out heavy hitters like Wizkid, Tems, Rema, and Asake.

That’s a whole Afrobeats lineup, but Tyla? She’s been clear: “The global impact that ‘Water’ has had on the world just proves that African music can be pop music too… It’s more than just Afrobeats.”

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Let that simmer. She knows she’s not boxed in, but America keeps handing her Afrobeats trophies like it’s on brand.

“Tyla’s Not Even Afrobeats!” — Mzansi Is Triggered

The streets of SA (aka Twitter/X) are not here for it. From music purists to genre gatekeepers, everyone’s got an opinion — and the quotes are wild.

@lepara_PTA: “They need to be corrected. Tyla is not an Afrobeats artist.”

@MrDwein: “2025? Come on guys, she doesn’t deserve to win it.”

@Reggie94_real: “She doesn’t make African music. She makes westernised RnB. America might as well acknowledge Sade for Afrobeats.”

@SpecsXL: “Congrats to her, but y’all better add Amapiano before we end up with another ‘Babimba Tribe’ disaster.”

Oof. The “Babimba Tribe” reference? Now that’s a shady callback. But the gag is — Tyla has been winning this category over and over again, including at the MTV VMAs. She even called it bittersweet, acknowledging Afrobeats’ influence while calling out the lazy lumping of all African sounds into one genre.

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The Girls That Get It… Get It

Despite the chaos, Tylanation came out in full force. The fans are eating and leaving no crumbs — and we’re here for the celebration too.

@arianaunext: “They heard Push 2 Start, and they knew she had to win!”

@SirTopiano: “Tyla’s grind really pays off. Making waves and putting Afrobeats on the map.”

@soonmource: “Tyla is winning, and she deserves it!”

@blinkot4charts: “The only win I am happy about. Congrats, Tylanation.”

@KealaLaniFans: “She ate that win. Tyla’s not just rising—she’s redefining the game.”

Whether she’s Afrobeats, Amapiano, R&B, or Tyla, one  can’t deny the girl is collecting global wins and shaking the table every time. And if you’re still debating her genre, sweetie — she’s already onto her next trophy.

So, Mzansi… is she the Afrobeats Queen we didn’t expect, or are the Americans just confused again? Let’s discuss.

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