Tyla has responded to fans comparing her to Britney Spears.
The South African singer performed at Coachella‘s second weekend on Friday (April 18), treating fans to a preview of a new, currently unnamed, track from her upcoming album.
Following her set, reports emerged that she had paid homage to Spears through the outfit she chose to wear on stage.
The South African singer wore a pair of bejewelled denim shorts with a green bra top, which some fans noted was strikingly similar to one of Spears’ most iconic costumes, worn during a jungle-themed performance of ‘Slave 4 U’ at the 2001 VMAs.
Responded to a now-deleted post on X/Twitter suggesting she had taken inspiration from the ‘Gimme More’ singer’s look. “Love her but I just thought the outfit was fly…no inspo,” Tyla wrote.
Tyla paying homage to Britney Spears during her Coachella set tonight. pic.twitter.com/OLVNVAvjNA
— Fan Account (@breatheonmiley) April 19, 2025
Love her but I just thought the outfit was fly…no inspo
— Tyla (@Tyllaaaaaaa) April 20, 2025
This new song by Tyla which she previewed at Coachella is really a BANGER 🔥 pic.twitter.com/eSMpi7mADy
— Tyrone Prins (@itsTyronePrins) April 19, 2025
Tyla’s debut self-titled album came in at Number 19 on NME’s 50 Best Albums of 2024 list, with the entry reading: “The South African pop princess’ debut album makes good on the promise of her Grammy-winning breakthrough hit ‘Water’. Featuring cameos from Tems and Travis Scott, it’s a fresh, club-ready blend of R&B, dancehall, amapiano and Afrobeats that proves Tyla can mine a vibe all of her own.”
We spoke to the star in March last year, where she discussed the importance of bringing African artists more attention. “I just feel like everything is so new and everyone is different, but we have a vibe that comes with us. Like Amapiano, it’s a whole genre we created back home in South Africa and it has dance moves: it’s a whole movement.
“We’ve been partying with it by ourselves, but now other people are enjoying it and I’m loving that. I love that people are seeing a different side of Africa. People are seeing it for what it is, and the artistry and creativity that we have.”
As for Britney, last summer, Universal Pictures announced that Spears’ best-selling 2023 memoir The Woman In Me would serve as the basis for a new biopic about the pop star, with Jon M. Chu (Wicked, In The Heights, Crazy Rich Asians) attached as director.
Chu later said that teased that he had an “initial conception” of the story the forthcoming film would tell. “I think it’s a lot about how we treat people, young people, stars that we think we own, women, mothers,” he said.
Since the news of the film broke, Millie Bobby Brown has spoken on multiple occasions about her desire to portray the star, but has also said it was not her story to tell.
