Tyla is not just winning awards; she’s conquering TikTok one viral dance at a time. Fresh off her Grammy win for Best African Music Performance for her hit song “Water,” Tyla is back in the spotlight, this time for igniting a new dance trend that’s sweeping across For You Pages everywhere. Her self-titled debut album may have solidified her place as a rising star, but it’s “The Tyla Dance” that’s making everyone move.
The buzz around “the Tyla dance” started with a throwback video Tyla herself posted on Instagram, showcasing her performance to her track “Jump.” This wasn’t just any performance clip; it was a display of her signature dance style – marked by incredibly fluid hip movements and a unique rhythm that’s instantly recognizable as Tyla’s. “Was an opener last year, and i was SWINGINGGGGG,” she captioned, hinting at the effortless cool that defines her moves.
However, the real explosion happened thanks to a TikTok edit by user @gelogelada. This edit, now famously known as “That Tyla edit,” took Tyla’s moves and amplified their viral potential. Suddenly, everyone wanted to learn “the Tyla dance.”
The numbers speak for themselves. The “Tyla edit” video racked up over 75 million views and a staggering 10.5 million likes. More importantly, it sparked a chain reaction, inspiring nearly 310,000 TikTok creators to jump on the trend and create their own videos using the sound and “the Tyla dance” moves. Even TikTok royalty, Charli D’Amelio, couldn’t resist joining in, and her attempt at “the Tyla dance” garnered even more views than the original edit, hitting a whopping 102 million. This cemented “the Tyla dance” as a full-blown viral phenomenon.
Adding another layer to the trend is the humorous “before he sees blue sweats girl” inside joke. This refers to the search for the original girl in blue sweatpants who seemingly popularized the dance. While the internet debated the true OG “blue sweats girl,” creators like Brooke Monk and Laura Sophia emerged as prominent figures associated with “the Tyla dance.” Laura Sophia, in particular, gained massive recognition, amassing over 11 million likes on her video showcasing her take on the viral moves.
The hashtag #tyladance became a hub for countless creators putting their own spin on the trend. From Paige Taylor to the dancing duo The Walters Twins, and many more, TikTok became flooded with videos of people trying out and often nailing “the Tyla dance.” The dance’s addictive nature is undeniable, as expressed by user @vamp_r3mi, who aptly described it as “so freakingggg addictive.”
This isn’t Tyla’s first rodeo with viral TikTok dances. Before “the Tyla dance,” there was the “Water” challenge, born from a video of Tyla performing her Grammy-winning song and playfully pouring water on herself. That challenge also took TikTok by storm, with everyone, including celebrities like Megan Thee Stallion and Christina Aguilera, participating in the trend.
Tyla herself has expressed her excitement about the viral success of her music and the dance trends it inspires. In an interview on The Dotty Show by Apple Music, she shared how surreal it felt to see A-list artists engaging with her song and the “Water” challenge. This enthusiasm is likely fueling her continued creativity and connection with her audience through platforms like TikTok.
With “the Tyla dance” taking over FYPs globally, it’s clear that Tyla has not only mastered the music industry but also the art of creating viral dance crazes. Move over, previous TikTok dance trendsetters; there’s a new dance queen in town, and her name is Tyla.
