The South African star declares “I am not sorry” in a subtle on-stage rebuke after the Nigerian singer attempted to explain her use of the term “coloured.”
A cultural dispute over racial identity has ignited a transcontinental firestorm, pitting Grammy-winning South African singer Tyla against Nigerian superstar Tiwa Savage.
The conflict began when Tyla, in a recent interview, used the term “coloured” to describe her own mixed-race heritage—a common and widely accepted term in her home country. However, the word carries a deeply offensive and painful history in the United States, leading to significant backlash from American audiences, particularly within the Black community.
In an attempt to bridge the cultural gap, Tiwa Savage took it upon herself to apologize to the African-American community on Tyla’s behalf during an appearance on the popular American show The Breakfast Club, positioning herself as the young star’s “elder.”
That gesture backfired spectacularly. South Africans swiftly condemned Savage for overstepping, arguing she had no right to apologize for a South African without understanding the local context of the term. The situation reached a boiling point over the weekend when Tyla herself delivered a powerful, if subtle, response.
During her performance at the Global Citizen Festival in New York, Tyla made her stance crystal clear. Before launching into her song ‘Mr Media,’ she declared to the crowd, “Sorry, I am not sorry.”
The moment was instantly celebrated by her fellow South Africans online, with clips of the statement going viral across social media. Many praised the young star for proudly standing her ground and defending her right to self-identify, turning a moment of international criticism into a powerful affirmation of her own cultural identity.
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