It has been quite a couple of weeks for Tyla. Within days of performing the South African national anthem in front of a global audience at the FIFA World Cup opening ceremony in Mexico City, she received a career co-sign that few artists at her stage would dare to dream about. Colombian global superstar Shakira has announced that Tyla will join her onstage as a special guest during the US leg of the Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran world tour.
Shakira shared the news with unmistakable enthusiasm. “I just couldn’t wait to share the news with you because I’m gonna be performing with Tyla at one of my shows on my US tour, and I’m so excited because I love Tyla. I love her as an artist and as a human being. I think she’s just incredible, and I think that this performance is gonna be just iconic,” she said.
A week of World Cup moments
The announcement followed a string of remarkable days for the Johannesburg-born singer. On the opening night of the World Cup at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, Tyla performed the national anthem alongside the Mzansi Youth Choir in a moment that moved the stadium and most of the country watching at home. The occasion was an emotional one, even without the result; Bafana Bafana’s 2-0 defeat to Mexico in the opener could not diminish what had just happened on that stage.
The following day, Tyla was back on the World Cup stage in Los Angeles, joining American rapper Future to perform their official World Cup hit “Game Time” ahead of the United States’ match against Paraguay. She later shared footage of herself and actor Jamie Foxx taking part in the viral “Gang Gang” trend, a video that circulated widely and delighted fans.
What Shakira sees in Tyla
The connection between the two artists has been building quietly for some time. Fans have drawn comparisons between them as crossover artists navigating a US music industry that does not always know what to do with artists whose sound and identity resist easy categorisation. One fan summed it up on X: “Shakira has shown Tyla nothing but love and respect, and I feel like she actually understands Tyla and sees herself in her.”
This marks the first confirmed project that will see them share a stage. For Tyla, who is also part of the official FIFA World Cup 2026 album and voices a character in the South African release of Toy Story 5, the Shakira announcement is one more data point in what is shaping up to be the most significant year of her career so far.
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