To punctuate another ascendant TYLA summer, she will also perform at the massive Mawazine Festival in Morocco on Sunday, following her involvement in the launch of the FIFA World Cup festivities — where she performed the national anthem for her native South Africa at the opening ceremony in CDMX, and performed the official 2026 World Cup single "Game Time" alongside rap superstar Future at the Los Angeles opening World Cup ceremony.
[LISTEN: “IS IT LOVE” HERE]
[WATCH: TYLA, “IS IT LOVE” HERE]
TYLA's records hit the dance floor and the heart at the same time. She's built a catalog that moves bodies while saying something deeply personal underneath, and 'IS IT LOVE' is the latest example. On the new single, TYLA asks with total sincerity, 'Is it love, if you don't cry?' then doubles down: 'It don't mean sh*t if I don't see tears in those eyes.' That emotional weight, carried by a club-ready rhythm, is exactly the juxtaposition that's kept TYLA's larger-than-life rise feeling intimate.
The official music video matches the song’s tangible intensity. Directed by Aerin Moreno, TYLA creates an atmosphere filled with despair and longing, completely immersing herself into the energy of the song. At the onset of the video, the young superstar is engaged in enthralling choreography, prancing around an apartment adored with blue-tinted hues. However, as the video progresses, so does TYLA’s despondency, and her surroundings begin to deteriorate. Glass is shattered and flooding begins as she continues her choreo, punctuated by the appearance of a love interest observing the scene from outside the window. They’re close together physically, but their souls are far apart.
“IS IT LOVE,” A*POP’s third official single, was first teased by TYLA last week on Instagram and TikTok, where excited fans ran up the views of a brief 15-second teaser to the tune of over a quarter-million in just the first hour. TYLA has become an expert in generating widespread excitement for her impending releases, and almost instantaneously her fan base began clamoring for the full record.
TYLA first teased the arrival of her A*POP album in the official video for the hit single, “Chanel,” with a subtle ode to the title that was interpolated into the video’s set design. Since then, she’s dropped measured hints that have sent anticipation through the proverbial roof, especially on the red carpet of this year’s GRAMMY® Awards, where TYLA took home her second “Best African Music Performance” trophy for “PUSH 2 START.” Donning a flag representing her native South Africa, TYLA was brimming with confidence in her new album. “I just knew that as I lived through the making of the album, it was going to fall into place, which it did,” TYLA dished to Rolling Stone. “I feel like I just did something really fresh and so… TYLA.” A couple months later in New York City, hype skyrocketed when TYLA brought her A*POP energy to the streets of SoHo with a pop-up event - celebrating the achievement of being i-D magazine’s first cover subject for their Beauty Zine.
Awards season has already been kind to TYLA in the lead-up to her album release. In addition to this year's GRAMMY® victory, TYLA was victorious at The American Music Awards, taking home prizes for 'Best Afrobeats Artist' and 'Social Song of the Year' for 'Chanel.' She's also up for two 2026 BET Awards — Video of the Year and Viewers' Choice, both for 'Chanel' — with the ceremony airing June 28. She was also regarded once again as an indisputable highlight from this year’s famed MET Gala, where the singer donned a custom Valentino dress that was written and raved about across the global fashion scene, drawing "suitably bold” compliments from VOGUE.
Festival season has been similarly kind. TYLA is set to perform a handful of high-profile and international stages this year following Sunday’s appearance in Morocco, including Portugal’s Afronation, Romania’s Beach Please!, Switzerland’s Montreux Jazz Festival and Hellwatt Festival in Italy. Stateside, she will celebrate the release of A*POP on its release day with what is sure to be a scintillating performance on The TODAY Show’s famed Citi® Concert Series stage.
TYLA is becoming synonymous with summer, and A*POP is about to create core memories across the world. Stream and watch “IS IT LOVE,” and pre-order A*POP here.
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