Online Reporter
After days of speculation and headlines claiming she had signed with Roc Nation, Tyla has finally set the record straight. No, she is not Jay-Z’s latest signing and yes, she addressed it herself.
The “Is It Love” hitmaker has been back on stage reminding fans that “A*POP” is on the way and proving that she’s still just as hungry as ever.
Fresh off her performance at Afro Nation Portugal, where she had the crowd singing along to hits including “Is It”, “She Did It Again” and “Jump”, Tyla has been giving fans a behind-the-scenes look at life on the road through Instagram.
While sharing snippets from the trip, the Johannesburg-born singer took a moment to clear up the Roc Nation rumours once and for all, while also reminding fans when they can expect her sophomore album.
“I’m not signed to Roc Nation. But my album A*POP drops 24/7 (24 JULY 2026),” she wrote on her Instagram Story.
Her post comes after widespread reports claimed she had signed a global deal with Roc Nation, the entertainment company founded by Jay-Z.
The speculation gained momentum after a digital billboard featuring Tyla appeared in New York’s Times Square, with several publications reporting that she had joined the company’s roster.
However, a quick look at Roc Nation’s official website does not list Tyla among its artists.
The rumours also fuelled speculation that the Grammy-winning singer may have parted ways with Epic Records. However, Tyla still appears on Epic Records’ official artist roster, suggesting she remains signed to the label.
While she may have shut down one rumour, Tyla made sure to keep the focus on what really matters, her upcoming album.
“A*POP” is set for release on July 24, and marks the highly anticipated follow-up to her self-titled debut album.
In recent weeks, the singer has been teasing the project both online and during live performances, building excitement among fans eager to hear the next chapter of her evolving sound.
While building excitement for her sophomore, Tyla has also been opening up about the creative process behind the album, revealing that she deliberately returned home to South Africa to finish the project.
Speaking in a recent interview, the singer said she hosted a recording camp at a lodge in the Cradle of Humankind, where studios were set up in the middle of nature.
“I just really wanted to finish it at home in South Africa and I wanted it to feel like where I used to go, like as a child, where my parents used to take us,” she said.
Surrounded by monkeys, bugs and the outdoors, Tyla said she wanted everyone working on the album to experience the same environment that shaped some of her childhood memories.
“I really wanted to connect with my inner child while making it,” she explained, adding that they had to run wires through the bushes just to get the recording equipment working.
Looking back on the experience, she joked that it felt like she was in the “Lion King” making “A*POP.” “Every morning I woke up with monkeys… I felt like I was in a movie.” – IOL
