Tyla Says Being in the Public Eye is ‘Scary’: ‘I Didn’t Know It Would Be This Hard’

South African popiano artist Tyla has experienced some difficulty stepping into international fame just months after the release of her debut eponymous album.

Last summer, the singer made her breakout with hit single "Water," but as her notoriety has grown some have picked apart the 22-year-old artist by criticizing her public moves. Tyla previously evaded questions about her identity, choosing instead to explain the South African term — which refers to people of mixed race descent — on her own.

More recently, some MTV Video Music Awards 2024 viewers thought Tyla attempted to have actress-singer Halle Bailey hold her trophy after she was presented with the award for Best Afrobeats.

But in a new interview with Los Angeles Times, rather than brushing off the social media ridicule that she's endured, Tyla admitted to facing challenges in the public eye.

"It’s been scary, because not only did my life completely change, I’m in a different country and so many things are different culturally that I’m still trying to navigate," she told the publication.

"I’m learning in front of the world. When I make mistakes, it’s going to be a thing that everyone sees, and some people won’t ever forgive. I didn’t expect it to be this hard."

Following the VMAs in September, Tyla poked fun at being called "uppity," and explained that her moment with Bailey was misinterpreted, which The Little Mermaid star corroborated.

"Y'all make everything weird… I was not asking my girl Halle…
We just girls 💅🏽 , STFU I WON A VMAAAA," the 22-year-old wrote on X at the time.

Bailey reposted Tyla's message and replied, "exactly love u babes congrats."