Tyla's 'A*Pop' World Tour is missing the world it was named after

Tyla's A*Pop World Tour was announced alongside her sophomore album, and it's supposed to be a celebration of African pop, but the tour itinerary tells a different story. The list of cities reads like a laundry list of popular destinations for international artists: sixteen in North America, ten in Europe, and three in Africa. Glasgow and Norway made the cut, but Nairobi, Accra, and Abidjan didn't. It's like Tyla is trying to have it both ways - she's African pop, but only in name.

Now, I'm not saying that the three African cities Tyla chose are arbitrary. Johannesburg and Cape Town are her home, where her music career started, and where the Bacardi dance that launched Water into the global consciousness was born. Lagos is the commercial capital of Africa's biggest music market, and it's where afrobeats was built to conquer the world. But here's the thing: three cities is not enough. Not when you're talking about a continent with over 50 countries, each with its own unique culture and music scene.

Tyla has described A*Pop as "a deliberate gambit to reshape the architecture of the much-debated Western crossover framework by wholly leaning into her identity as a pop IT girl from Africa, bringing her community along with her for the ride." But if that's the case, why is the tour missing so many African cities? It's like Tyla is trying to have it both ways - she's African pop, but only in name. That community she's talking about is not just South African or Nigerian; it's East African, West African, and everything in between. And it's not just about the music; it's about the culture, the identity, and the sense of belonging that comes with being part of a global African community.

So, what's next for Tyla and her A*Pop World Tour? Will she add more African cities to the itinerary? Will she take a more nuanced approach to representing her community and her identity?As it stands, it's a missed opportunity to showcase the diversity and richness of African pop music and culture. But hey, at least Tyla is trying to have a conversation about what it means to be an African pop star in a global world. That's something, right?

It's time for Tyla to take a closer look at her tour itinerary and ask herself: what does it mean to be an African pop star in a world that's still mostly dominated by Western music and culture? Can she find a way to balance her desire to break into the global market with her commitment to representing her community and her identity? I'm rooting for her, but for now, the A*Pop World Tour is missing the world it was named after, and that's a problem.