Tyla brings “Tyla Dance” and Amapiano energy to Global Citizen Festival 2025 [VIDEO]

A Star from Johannesburg to New York

Yesterday (September 27), the Great Lawn of New York City’s Central Park turned into a global stage for Tyla, the 23-year-old South African superstar redefining pop through her amapiano-infused sound. Performing before an estimated 60,000 people at the Global Citizen Festival, Tyla delivered a 15-minute set that blended sultry vocals, daring choreography, and her signature “Tyla Dance” — a viral move that has become synonymous with her brand.

The annual festival, centered on combating extreme poverty and climate change, has long served as a platform for music and activism. Sharing the bill with global heavyweights like Shakira and Cardi B, Tyla stood out not just as an entertainer, but as an emerging cultural ambassador for African music.

Her setlist balanced global hits like Water with collaborations such as Dynamite (featuring Wizkid) and deep cuts from her EP WWP (We Wanna Party). But it wasn’t just the music that made the night memorable: Tyla’s stage presence — bold, empathetic, and occasionally provocative — reaffirmed her growing status as one of the world’s most important young artists.

The Performance: From “Is It” to “Mr. Media”

Setting the Stage

Opening with Is It, Tyla wasted no time establishing her playful yet commanding vibe. Her striped fringe mini-dress with green accents shimmered under the stage lights, accentuating every move as she worked through amapiano foot shuffles, hair flips, and synchronized group choreography. By the time she transitioned into Truth or Dare, the energy had shifted from flirtatious to intimate, with Tyla circling her dancers while teasing the mic stand like a partner.

The “Dynamite” Moment

One of the most powerful moments came with Dynamite, her Wizkid collaboration, when Tyla waved a South African flag to a thunderous ovation. “This one’s for my African family,” she declared, before launching into the “Tyla Dance” sequence that has become a staple of her sets. The move — slow hip circles escalating into sharp booty pops — electrified the crowd and rippled across social media within minutes.

Water: A Pause for Humanity

The emotional centerpiece was her Grammy-winning Water. Just as the audience was entranced by the track’s flowing choreography and vocal purity, Tyla suddenly stopped mid-verse, noticing distress in the crowd. “Hold up, is everyone okay down there? Security, check on them!” she said, refusing to continue until she saw the fan being assisted. The crowd cheered as she reassured them: “We’re good now — let’s flow.” That decision — to prioritize safety over spectacle — was widely praised online as a mark of maturity far beyond her years.

Closing with Defiance

The set closed with Mr. Media, a biting track about scrutiny and identity. In a pointed moment, Tyla ad-libbed “I’m not sorry” — widely interpreted as a direct response to Nigerian star Tiwa Savage’s recent comments questioning Tyla’s identity as a Coloured South African artist. The line landed like a mic drop, capping the set with both sass and substance.

The “Tyla Dance:” More Than Just a Move

The viral clip that ignited social media after the festival captured Tyla mid-Shake Ah routine, spinning into her “Tyla Dance.” It’s deceptively simple: a planted stance, rhythmic hip rotations, sudden pops, and shoulder rolls. But the power lies in her performance — the fringe dress fanning out, the confidence in her smirk, the way she locks eyes with the crowd.

Rooted in bacardi dance traditions from South Africa, the move carries deeper resonance. It’s a celebration of Black femininity, unapologetic sensuality, and cultural authenticity. In Tyla’s hands, it has become both a TikTok challenge and a live spectacle — a bridge between digital virality and real-world artistry.

Fashion, Technique, and Production

Tyla’s outfit wasn’t just stylish; it was functional. The striped mini-dress allowed maximum flexibility for the choreography, while the matching shorts kept the performance athletic rather than purely aesthetic. The fringe shimmered with every spin, enhancing the illusion of motion.

Vocally, she delivered more than 90% of her lines live, with crisp highs and smoky lows cutting through the open-air acoustics. Backing dancers executed precise amapiano isolations and footwork, while the production team leaned heavily on fog effects and a pink-hued backdrop that evoked the fluidity of water — Tyla’s most famous motif.

Even the introductions added to the narrative: actor Hugh Jackman, serving as host, hyped her as “the queen from Joburg,” cementing her crossover appeal in a festival designed for global solidarity.

Cultural Significance: Africa on the World Stage

Tyla’s Global Citizen appearance wasn’t just about music — it was about representation. The festival’s mission to fight poverty and climate change gave her performance added weight, framing her as a young African star leading not just a sound but a movement.

By waving the South African flag during Dynamite and referencing her heritage throughout the set, Tyla asserted herself as part of a broader African wave — one that includes Afrobeats, amapiano, and other diasporic genres dominating global charts. Her presence alongside Cardi B and Shakira symbolized a shift in the cultural hierarchy: African artists are no longer guests at the table — they’re headliners.

X Reactions: Praise, Critique, and Meme Gold

Within 24 hours, Tyla had racked up more than 50,000 mentions under the hashtag #TYLAxGlobalCitizen. Sentiment skewed overwhelmingly positive (around 85%), though debates and memes added spice to the discourse.

• Pure Hype: “NO MORE TYLA SLANDER… FROM THE LIVE VOCALS TO THE DANCING TO SAVING PEOPLE” (@SunnyBanks_, 31 likes).
• Cultural Pride: “Tyla is something else! What a superstar ” (@Tokologo_maps).
• Fashion Debates: Critics zeroed in on her outfit, with one post saying, “Who set up my girl with this outfit…” (@aentille, 1K likes).
• Identity Conversations: Her Mr. Media shade sparked threads about race, identity, and representation within African music, with some praising her defiance and others warning of escalating tensions.

Perhaps the most repeated sentiment? That Tyla has firmly crossed into “next Rihanna” territory, with her live charisma reminding fans of early global pop ascents.

The Bigger Picture

Tyla’s Global Citizen set proved she’s not just a one-hit wonder riding the wave of Water. She’s a performer with the technical skill, charisma, and cultural grounding to command the world stage.

Her dance moves made headlines, her vocals impressed skeptics, and her decision to stop for a fan underscored her empathy. Add in the subtle clapback at critics, and the night became more than a concert — it was a declaration of intent.

For the millions who streamed the performance and the 60,000 who witnessed it live, Tyla showed that she’s not just participating in the global music conversation — she’s leading it.

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