Afrobeats’ leading ladies united for a very rare occasion. On Monday (Dec. 23) night, Tyla, Tems and Ayra Starr were spotted together at OBI’S HOUSE in Lagos, Nigeria.
Tyla previously took the stage at Flytime Fest to perform “Jump” with Gunna earlier that day, with Tems having wrapped up her global “Born in the Wild Tour” just the month prior. In a clip shared online, the trio were spotted dancing amongst each other in the club.
Of course, social media immediately called for them to collaborate. “It’s so refreshing to see Tyla, Ayra and Tems hanging out together, collaborating and being friends despite the internet’s obsession with trying to pit them against each other,” one Twitter user wrote.
Another person penned, “Every video of Tyla, Tems and Ayra on my [timeline]” alongside a GIF of Lewis Hamilton on “Hot Ones.” Continue scrolling for more reactions.
2024 has been a great year for all three ladies — and Afrobeats as a whole. In May, Starr shared The Year I Turned 21 alongside the Giveon-assisted “Last Heartbreak Song,” “Commas” and “Rhythm & Blues.” Additional contributions came from the likes of Asake, Coco Jones and Anitta.
Tems, on the other hand, liberated her long-awaited studio debut, Born in the Wild, in June. Though it didn’t come with as many guest appearances, J. Cole lent his lyrical talent to “Free Fall,” while Asake can be heard on the 18-song project’s standout cut “Get It Right.” It also included familiar records like “Forever” and “Love Me JeJe,” a modern update to Seyi Sodimu’s 1997 classic of the same name.
October saw Tyla unveil the deluxe version of her self-titled album with the TikTok-viral “PUSH 2 START,” “BACK to YOU” and “SHAKE AH” featuring Tony Duardo, Optimist Music ZA and Ez Maestro. She performed the first-mentioned record live for the first time at the 2024 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show.
Interestingly, the original TYLA saw the Johannesburg songstress unite with Tems for the first time on “No. 1.” The two artists put their feelings on wax over the Sammy Soso-produced beat, which we unfortunately never got a visual companion for. “Of our generation, she’s like the example,” Tyla told NPR. “She’s been killing it, and she’s been opening so many doors for us.”