Tyla, the South African singer who won a Grammy Award in 2024 for her hit Water and became the first solo African artist to win in the Best African Music Performance category, has signed a multi-million dollar global deal with Roc Nation, the entertainment company founded by Jay-Z, joining one of the most powerful rosters in the music industry just weeks before the release of her second studio album.
The signing was announced on July 1, 2026, through a dramatic digital takeover in New York's Times Square, where the Roc Nation triangle logo appeared alongside a welcome message for Tyla. The move follows the expiration of her deal with Epic Records, which she chose not to renew, ending an association with the Sony label that had released Water and her 2024 debut album.
The deal places Tyla alongside an elite roster of artists under Roc Nation's management and label umbrella, including Rihanna, Alicia Keys, John Legend, Tiwa Savage, Ayra Starr and J Balvin. The timing is deliberate. Tyla's sophomore album APop is scheduled for release on July 24, 2026, and Roc Nation's global network and brand-building infrastructure will underpin its international campaign.
