South African singer Tyla has made history by surpassing Beyoncé’s streaming record for the most streamed album by a Black female artist in 2024.

Tyla's debut album, Tyla, has now amassed an impressive 1.565 billion streams on Spotify, just edging out Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter, which has 1.564 billion streams. This milestone has also made Tyla the all-time most streamed album by a female African artist.

One of the standout tracks from the album, Water, has been a major hit, garnering nearly 1 billion streams on Spotify alone. It also earned Tyla a win in the newly introduced Best African Music Performance category at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards.

Despite this extraordinary achievement, Tyla’s album and its deluxe version were notably snubbed in the recently announced 67th Grammys nominations. Nevertheless, the year has been a highly successful one for Tyla, as she remains the most awarded African artist of the year with 20 awards across various prestigious ceremonies, including 1 Grammy, 3 MTV EMAs, 2 BET Awards, 1 MTV VMA, and many others.

Opinion: Tyla’s Triumph and Grammys Snub – Does it Reflect the Industry’s Priorities?

Tyla’s record-breaking achievement is undeniably monumental. Breaking Beyoncé’s record, a name that is synonymous with global stardom, speaks volumes about her rising influence in the music world. Her debut album’s success, particularly with Water, is a testament to the immense talent and cultural impact she has, not just within Africa but globally.

However, her 67th Grammys snub raises an important question: What does the Grammy nomination process really value? While the Grammys have long been criticized for overlooking diverse artists and emerging genres, Tyla’s achievement seems impossible to ignore. The fact that she continues to receive widespread recognition from other award bodies but has not been nominated for one of music’s biggest nights is perplexing.

What do you think? Do you believe Tyla’s Grammys snub is a sign of an ongoing bias in the music industry, or is it a result of overlooked talent in the overwhelming number of releases each year? Does the lack of Grammy recognition diminish her accomplishments, or does her continued success and growing accolades prove she doesn’t need that validation to succeed?