HYBE Signs Grammy Winner Tyla as It Enters the African Music Market

HYBE has finally made its move into the African music market, and it is a big one. On December 16, the South Korean entertainment giant announced the launch of a new joint venture, NFO LLC. In addition, it confirmed that the label will now handle the global management of South African pop star and Grammy winner Tyla. 

HYBE CEO Lee Jae Sang described the partnership as “a pivotal turning point” for the company. He said the goal is to build a “sustainable bridge” that helps African artists reach audiences around the world.

With this move, HYBE is not just managing one artist but also laying the foundation for a long-term presence in Africa.

Tyla, born Tyla Seethal in 2002, has quickly become one of the most influential young artists in global pop. At just 23 years old, she has already achieved milestones that many artists only dream of.

She first gained massive international attention in 2023 when her single “Water” climbed to No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100. This made her the highest-charting African female solo artist in the chart’s history.

Her success continued in 2024 when she won the inaugural Grammy Award for Best African Music Performance for “Water.” She beat major global stars such as Burna Boy and Davido, which made her win even more historic.

That same year, she released her self-titled debut album, TYLA, in March. The album combines Afrobeats, Amapiano, pop, and R&B, a sound the “Chanel” singer herself calls “popiano.” The album settled at #24 on the Billboard 200 and later earned gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America.

On the streaming side, she has also broken records. In February 2025, “Water” surpassed one billion streams on Spotify, making her the first African solo artist to reach that milestone. Her total catalog streams have now exceeded 3.4 billion.

Her growing list of awards includes Best New Artist and Best International Act at the 2024 BET Awards, along with multiple MTV Awards and Billboard Music Awards.

HYBE’s partnership with Tyla is being handled through NFO LLC, a newly formed global management joint venture. The venture was created with African music industry veterans Brandon Hixon and Colin Gayle.

Through this structure, HYBE will take full responsibility for Tyla’s global activities. This includes management, touring, marketing, and promotions. HYBE also plans to explore synergies across recording, publishing, brand partnerships, and merchandise.

However, Tyla is only part of the bigger picture. One of the core long-term goals of NFO LLC is to “discover and nurture emerging artists in Africa.” The aim is to help strengthen the local music ecosystem while opening more global doors for African talent. 

This approach fits neatly into HYBE’s broader strategy of regional expansion. In recent years, the company has launched major operations in the United States, Japan, Latin America, and India, and Africa is now the next step.

African music, especially Afrobeats and Amapiano, is experiencing explosive growth worldwide. By partnering with Tyla, a young and record-breaking artist who is already at the center of this global wave, HYBE gains a strong foothold in the region.

As Brandon Hixon and Colin Gayle pointed out, this collaboration presents a “tremendous opportunity and competitive advantage” for African music to reach new audiences around the world.