Tyla breaks records and dethrones Miriam Makeba on the US Billboard Hot 100

Tyla has become synonymous with breaking records, and her latest sees her dethroning the iconic late South African singer Miriam Makeba, whose legacy on the chart has stood for decades, with “Pata Pata” peaking at number 12.

The 23-year-old singer has officially made Billboard history.  With the debut of her latest hit single “Chanel” on the US Billboard Hot 100, the multi-award-winning star now holds the record for the most solo entries on the chart by an African female artist.

“Chanel” entered the Hot 100 at number 94, landing on the final chart of 2025 and marking Tyla’s third solo appearance. Her 2023 breakout hit “Water” remains her highest peak so far, reaching number 7, while “Push 2 Start” previously charted at number 88. 

Three solo entries on the most respected music chart might not seem like a big deal in the American context, but for African female artists, it is a rare and significant achievement.

The record matters even more when you consider how few South Africans have ever crossed into Hot 100 territory.

According to reports, since the chart launched over 60 years ago, only a small group of artists from the country, including Makeba and Hugh Masekela, have managed to do so. Tyla is now not only part of that list but has become the leader. 

Beyond the Hot 100, “Chanel” has been on a quick and serious run. The song debuted at number one on both the US and UK Afrobeats charts, making Tyla the first artist to pull off a simultaneous debut at the top of both charts.

On Spotify, the song has climbed rapidly, jumping from number 177 to a peak of number 38 on the global chart, with over 31.9 million streams and counting. It is also now her strongest-performing song in its early release window, outperforming her beloved single “Water”.

According to the Tygers, Tyla’s global fanbase, a lot of the song’s traction has come without a radio push from the US. Instead, “Chanel” has lived and succeeded online. 

The dance challenge took over TikTok with millions of videos created in under a month, while the song continues to find new audiences in markets like Asia and the Middle East. Even K-pop stars have joined in, giving the song more exposure.

The success stands out especially since the introduction of the song was surrounded by a bit of drama before its release.

Just days before “Chanel” dropped, American rapper Yung Miami accused Tyla of stealing her song idea, claiming the Grammy-winning singer had “run off” with a concept she had been teasing for months. 

The songs sounded nothing alike and only included the “Chanel” fashion references, which are hardly exclusive and have been used on numerous songs.