TYLA
HYBE announced on December 16 the establishment of a new joint venture, NFO LLC, and that it will take charge of the international management of pop star TYLA.
TYLA is a Gen Z singer-songwriter born in 2002 and the winner of the “Best African Music Performance” award at the 2024 GRAMMY Awards. Hailing from South Africa, she rose to global prominence in 2023 when her single “WATER” reached No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100, the main U.S. singles chart.
In addition, TYLA’s studio album “TYLA,” released in March 2024, debuted at No. 24 on the Billboard 200 and received Gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America the same year. Her music, characterized by an innovative sound blending afrobeats, amapiano, pop, and R&B, has accumulated over 3 billion streams on Spotify alone.
HYBE will not only handle TYLA’s international management but will also provide integrated support in key areas necessary for the artist’s growth, such as touring, marketing, and promotion. Furthermore, the company will seek synergies across various business sectors, including recording, publishing, brand partnerships, and merchandising, while also establishing a system for discovering and developing new artists in Africa to help strengthen the local music ecosystem.
To this end, HYBE has formed the joint venture NFO LLC with African music industry veterans Brandon Hixon and Colin Gayle. Both professionals bring extensive experience and strong networks across the global music industry and are expected to play key roles, alongside Jen McDaniels, Head of Management at HYBE America, in realizing the vision and diverse portfolio of NFO LLC.
HYBE CEO Lee Jaesang stated:
“This partnership will mark a major turning point in HYBE’s global expansion strategy. By combining the expertise of Brandon Hixon and Colin Gayle with HYBE’s global network and resources, we will build sustainable bridges so that the artistic talent of African artists can be widely recognized by fans around the world.”
Hixon and Gayle added: “The launch of NFO LLC will serve as a powerful stepping stone to strengthen HYBE’s presence in the African music market and the afrobeats genre, which has seen rapid growth in recent years. Being able to leverage HYBE’s world-class talent and infrastructure represents a major opportunity and competitive advantage for both K-pop and African music, and we anticipate the creation of very positive synergies.”
Journalist: Shawn
Translator: Shawn
Source: SNS HYBE, TYLA
