Tyla Is the Natural Hair Girl You Didn’t Know

The incredible rise of Tyla, the Grammy-winning South African singer, did not begin on the pages of glossy magazines or under the flash of red-carpet lights. Her signature style was born from a much more personal place: the simple, easy energy of a girl who found genuine beauty in her cultural roots and her natural self.

Long before her song “Water” became a global sensation, Tyla was known as the confident girl in school with a head of wild, natural curls. Her look was completely self-made, carrying an authentic, slightly rebellious charm. Even today, with all her fame, she remains devoted to her natural hair journey.

In a candid new interview with Glamour, the “Water” crooner shared the story of how her beauty identity quietly developed. She explained that moving to a school with a predominantly Black student body was a turning point. “I felt more comfortable and beautiful being in a school that was predominantly Black,” she shared. It was in that environment that she felt truly free to wear her hair “curly and wild and just like, natural.” This simple acceptance marked the beginning of her unique look.

This small but meaningful detail says everything about who Tyla is beneath the surface. Despite her global fame, chart-topping songs, and high-fashion outfits, her entire beauty narrative starts with a deep, grounded connection to the freedom of being natural.

Photo: Delali Ayivi

The South African superstar has earned praise for her bold visuals and polished style on the world stage. However, behind every dazzling moment is a woman who remembers exactly what made her feel beautiful in the first place: her natural, untamed hair, her authenticity, and the powerful sense of belonging she found in her community.

When Tyla discusses her look, she doesn’t sound like a celebrity carefully crafting an image for public consumption; she sounds like she’s having a sincere conversation with her younger self. She vividly remembers entering that school, surrounded by girls who looked like her, and instantly feeling seen. “I could just be me,” she said. “That’s when I stopped worrying about trying to fit in.”

It’s easy to forget that Tyla began as a creative kid in Johannesburg, happily experimenting with her appearance and pushing boundaries. Her very first bold beauty move was shaving a slit into her eyebrow. “My first big beauty decision was to slit my eyebrows,” she laughs. “I liked the way it looked and I stuck to it.”

What started as a daring teenage idea has become a defining part of her face, a trademark that fans worldwide now copy. She still maintains the look herself, joking that she’ll even use a blade from a leg shaver if necessary. “If I don’t have a slit in my eyebrow, there’s something wrong. I will find a razor,” she adds, quickly advising fans: “Don’t do this at home; I’m careful. I’m a professional.”

This striking mix of playfulness and purpose defines her entire approach to beauty. Tyla doesn’t follow trends; she sets them by trusting her gut. The eyebrow slit is more than just a style choice; it’s a symbol of the self-assurance that emerged from the exact same place where she learned to love her curls.

Photo: Delali Ayivi

Her natural hair has also become her silent signature. Whether she’s commanding a stage, sitting front row at a fashion show, or simply relaxing, Tyla’s hair is a statement of identity and freedom. Sometimes it’s big and voluminous; other times it’s neatly styled in braids. But even in her most glamorous looks, there is always a hint of her roots, a genuine acknowledgment of the girl who first understood that beauty is simple and real.

“I feel the most Tyla when I’m in a protective style, or my natural hair,” she explains. The wigs and lace fronts come out only “when I really want to play and feel like a character.” This ability to switch between deep authenticity and glamorous performance is what makes her image so magnetic. She can transition from her casual home life to a custom designer look on a high-end runway without ever losing her core self.

At home, she still laughs about being the “ratchet version” of Tyla, lounging in oversized T-shirts, makeup-free, with her hair undone. This raw, comfortable space is where her creative energy is strongest. She often customizes her own clothing, finding beauty in the imperfect and the self-made. “I’ll take a top and stretch the neck and make it into a skirt,” she says. “I just make it happen.”

This DIY spirit is a core part of her since childhood. Growing up in South Africa, the Grammy winner was constantly moving, dancing, and inventing. “Yo, ever since I could walk, I loved to dance, I loved to perform,” she recalls. Her words reflect her entire personal philosophy: she never tries to be a copy. “I don’t think I’m the best dancer. It doesn’t always look like the reference, but it will be a Tyla version of it.” Everything she does is an original interpretation.

Photo: Delali Ayivi

This unique point of view extends to her approach to makeup. In a celebrity world where every look is flawless and heavily edited, Tyla’s face remains human, familiar, and expressive. Her features are celebrated, not hidden. She favors dewy skin, glossy lips, and a glow that seems to come from confidence rather than heavy contouring. It’s a look that feels genuinely inviting and real.

“I’ve always been into looking like myself,” she says, describing her style as playful yet thoughtful. “If something feels like me, I’ll keep doing it.” That is why her slit eyebrows have remained, and why her natural curls are so present in her image. It’s how her name has become a symbol of modern beauty rooted in complete self-love.

Her dedicated fans; a global audience who see their own journeys mirrored in her, often tag her in posts celebrating their natural hair or recreating her signature makeup. Tyla truly understands the immense significance of seeing yourself represented in pop culture, particularly as a young Black woman. “When I was younger, I didn’t see a lot of girls who looked like me in the spaces I wanted to be in,” she admits. “So it means a lot when people tell me they feel seen.”

This deep awareness drives her effortless cool. Beneath the accessories, the glossy photography, and the grand performances, she carries a profound message about authenticity that goes far beyond simple aesthetics. Her natural hair is not just a style choice; it’s a powerful statement of comfort, identity, and heritage.

Tyla’s beauty is centered on connection, not radical transformation. Whether she is in a custom designer gown or sitting casually on her couch, she radiates the same energy: grounded, soft, and completely certain of who she is. This unwavering sense of self makes her a true standout in a celebrity world where many are constantly chasing the next reinvention. Tyla doesn’t need to reinvent herself; she just needs to be herself.

Photo: Delali Ayivi

That is the essence of “the natural hair girl you didn’t know.” Tyla is the star who built a worldwide image from something simple and honest. She is the artist who turned a small slit in her brow and her beautiful curls into powerful symbols of self-confidence. The superstar reminds the entire world that true beauty never starts in a glamorous studio; it starts with self-acceptance.

When Tyla speaks openly about real life; whether she’s laughing about not liking the taste of matcha because it “tastes like the earth,” recalling how she once sold old clothes for sweets as a child, or crediting her mother with teaching her independence, it’s clear that the artiste’s special magnetism is not something she learned. It is something she has always naturally possessed.

Tyla is living proof that a person can be incredibly glamorous without ever losing their grounding. She shows that you can enjoy wigs and dramatic makeup while still deeply celebrating your natural curls. The award-winning musician proves that you can rise to international superstardom and still carry the very same natural glow that started it all.

Tyla may be a pop phenomenon, a Grammy winner, and a favorite of the fashion world. But behind every major achievement, she remains that girl who felt most beautiful when her hair was simply curly and wild; the natural hair girl the entire world is now falling in love with.

Photo: Delali Ayivi