Oh honeys, gather ’round because we’re about to dive into one of the music industry’s most spicy debates! Is Tyla better than Rihanna? That is a question I’ve been coming across in different social platforms and let me tell you, people are very riled up about it. Thus, I thought that it is about time that someone – and that someone is me, a humble music aficionado – does it justice.
The New Kid on the Block vs. The Established Queen
Let’s be honest – comparing Tyla and Rihanna is like comparing a promising rookie to a hall-of-famer. Yes, they are at different levels in their profession and have not been married to each other for a long time. Rihanna has been active for almost 2 decades now and Tyla on the other hand just got popular from her song “Water.” Yet, that does not exclude us from trying to look at what is in each of them of value, for the Union.
Tyla made his/her debut on the international level with a mixture of Amapiano, R&B and pop genres of music. Her song titled “Water” was such a hit that came with a dance challenge in popular social media platform TikTok which I attempted to do but it was surprisingly horrible.
While she is now known as the Rihanna who sings ‘Pon de Replay,’ she is the same lady who went ahead and established other albums such as “Good Girl Gone Bad,” Lane,” ” Loud and many more. She has evolved from a teenage girl from Barbados to one of the world’s biggest pop icons who, at this point, probably counts Fenty money more often than she releases music, which is a tragedy to all of us.
Vocal Abilities: The Technical Breakdown
When it comes to pure vocal technique, these two artists have distinctly different approaches. Tyla possesses a sweet, controlled voice with impressive runs and a distinctive tone that stands out in the current pop landscape. Her South African inflections and ability to blend multiple genres give her a unique sonic fingerprint.
Rihanna, while not always praised as a technical vocalist, has one of the most recognizable voices in music. The Bajan accent with which she overlays the tracks makes a listener easily identify these songs as Rihanna’s. Her vocal landscape progression from “Music of the Sun” to “Anti” is quite commendable.
Do you recall when people regarded Rihanna as a singer who could barely sing? Fast forward to her delivering soul-crushing performances of “Love on the Brain.” This is what we can refer to as character building my people!
Cultural Impact: Beyond the Music
Is Tyla better than Rihanna when it comes to cultural influence? Well, that is the way things are today at learning centres, hardly a fair fight that is.
Rihanna actually revolutionalised voice, fashion, beauty, and even the way artists manage their empire. To begin with, she launched fenty beauty with forty foundation shades, which liberated the beauty world from segregation. She took over the position as the first Black woman to manage a luxury house at LVMH. She has also sung at the Super Bowl even when she was pregnant. The list goes on.
Tyla, at this juncture, is just stepping into the realm of culture and has not yet formed the impacts. With Amapiano not only has Sheebana्द developed an understanding of the genre, but also provided people around the world with the curiosity of this music rather than merely ‘ Sampling ‘ it.l; It also asserts the pride of Africans, thanks to her proper representation to enhance opportunities for other black artistes from the African continent.
Speaking of which, there is yet another phenomenon which came from the Caribbean island – Rihanna, who revolutionized the situation. Tyla’s still learning the rules.” In fact, there is no person I know with that name, though it does sound like something one’s friend would tell her one day.
The Innovation Factor
The good thing about these two artists is that they are not afraid to take risks.
What Tyla is doing hence can be regarded as being at the forefront of what some are already referring to as ‘popiano’ which is a worldwide friendly from of afro-pop/influenced-&b/ amapiano/pop. She is not imitating the Anglo-Saxon tastes but is making her own roots dominant, and it is the whole global community that needs to bow to her, not the other way round.
Rihanna has come through a process of development throughout the year, from the Caribbean music, electronic dance music, urban music, and some of pop music to the commercial free atmosphere music and even commercial less music from her latest album, “Anti.” Every period introduced something new, it has created trends that were observed later in the subsequent years for several artists.
Do you recall when ‘Work’ was released and every pop star seemed to be seeking to include that dancehall flair? Or how after “We Found Love,” it became common for radio to hear EDM-pop combinations? That’s the Rihanna effect.
Commercial Success: Numbers Don’t Lie
It leaves the conventional business excel measurements as the main variables for comparison; it’s not everything in the real-world but clearly illustrates who is the alpha male.
Rihanna has:
- 14+ worldwide #1 hits
- 250+ million records sold
- Nine Grammy Awards
- A beauty empire valued at billions
- A lingerie brand changing the industry
- A net worth making her the wealthiest female musician globally
Tyla has:
- A global hit with “Water”
- A Grammy for Best African Music Performance
- Rapidly growing streaming numbers
- Collaborations with major artists like Travis Scott
- An incredibly promising trajectory
This isn’t a fair comparison yet – it’s like comparing someone who’s run one impressive race to Usain Bolt’s entire career. Give Tyla time to build her legacy.
The Authenticity Check
The artists have been rated high in terms of authenticity, thus appealing to the fans emotionally.
This takes a lesson from the likes of Tyla who cherishes her black African heritage and in her music, dressing style, and showmanship does not afford to westernize herself just to fit into the white-dominated mainstream. It seems that there is this radical assurance which comes along with being comfortable in showing off as she is.
Rihanna has never shied from shinning in her rawest form whether online or in her individuality and delivery of music. As for the quote “I never wanted to be famous, I just wanted to make music,” she is an artist who performs independently.
So… Is Tyla Better than Rihanna?
The question “is Tyla better than Rihanna?” it can indeed sound somehow absurd given their present working status and accomplishments respectively. It is like asking whether a student entering into a medical school as a fresh candidate is better than a surgeon who has served for 20 years and performed such surgeries.
Tyla has enough potential and is already trying to create her own niche, but Rihanna has created an amazing history giving people little hope. The more interesting question thus could be: “Can Tyla aim for a similar level of success to build a career as Rihanna?” And honestly, that possibility exists.
The time Tyla has managed to achieve such outcomes is incredible. Such sensational achievement in her Grammy awards, chart presence, and representation of South African music indicate the potential of the artist. If she will further develop this momentum, probably what we are seeing now is the budding of another great performer.
But better than Rihanna? Not yet, honey. Not yet.
The Verdict: Appreciation Over Competition
Instead of asking “is Tyla better than Rihanna,” perhaps we should be celebrating that we exist in a time where both artists are actively contributing to the music landscape. Rihanna therefore opened avenues that contributes to Tyla’s present success, and Tyla is in the process of doing the same for a new generation of Africans artistes from across the world.
Using the words which, in other ordinary fiction, the so-called friend Jerome would use, he said, or rather would have said, “Why compare diamonds to diamonds? Yaa, just be glad your jewelry box is sparkling.” (Jerome is fictitious but doesn’t he sound splendid)?
Well, rather than choose one over the other, I will remain to enjoy Rihanna’s discography along with embracing Tyla’s new tunes. Perhaps, God willing, we’ll get that Rihanna album before I’m eligible for a senior citizen’s discount.
What do you think? Is the baton being handed over to the next generation or is it wrong to compare the two? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below and let’s make this a lively but constructive discussion.
