Controversy Trails Tyla’s Upcoming Lagos Concert

By Ferdinand Ekechukwu

After days of heated reactions, boycott calls, and a growing social media campaign, South African pop sensation, Tyla’s scheduled Lagos concert has been removed from the public itinerary for her APOP World Tour. However, neither the singer nor her management has explained the change.

The Grammy winning artiste announced the tour on Monday via her Instagram page, where she shared the official schedule inspired by her July 23 release of her sophomore album, A*POP.

According to the tour teaser she posted, the itinerary maps out extensive dates spanning multiple continents, including North America, and Europe. Being her first world tour, the schedule explicitly highlights key homecoming stops on the continent, featuring Joburg, Cape Town, and a much talked about Lagos concert later this year.

The announcement quickly triggered reactions on X, with some users arguing that the December 22 show should not go ahead while Nigerians were facing Xenophobic attacks and discrimination in South Africa.

While many supporters of the boycott insist the campaign is about standing in solidarity with Nigerians affected by the attacks rather than targeting Tyla personally. Others strongly disagreed, arguing that the ‘Push-2-Start’ crooner should not be blamed for the actions of criminals or broader political issues in her home country.

As the conversations continued to dominate social media, the debate expanded beyond music, reigniting discussions about xenophobia, national solidarity and whether entertainers should bear the consequences of conflicts they did not create.

Tyla’s momentum has built over the past two years, having won the inaugural Grammy for Best African Music Performance for “Water” at the 2024 edition and a repeat this year for “Push 2 Start”.