Music

Tyla Explains How Travis Scott Ended Up on "Water" Remix

The South African vocalist is a fan of Scott's take on her viral hit "Water."

Presley Ann / Getty Images for GQ

South African artist Tyla didn't think a "Water" remix was necessary until she heard that Travis Scott was interested in hopping on the track.

In a new interview with Complex as part of the "Bubbling" series, Tyla discussed the "Water (Remix)" which caught fans by surprise when Scott was announced as a collaborator instead of Rihanna or Nicki Minaj. Both were named when Tyla was asked by TIME about who she wanted on the song.

"I didn't really think of doing a remix. I was like, ‘nah, like, let's just have “Water,” it's cool, whatever.’ But then people were reaching out and I was like, ‘oh my word, oh my word,’" Tyla told Complex. "And I started getting excited and then Travis reached out and I literally couldn’t… like, I could not say no; his music is crazy. So after he reached out, we sent him that open verse and he came back and he killed it, you know, he killed it."

An electronic version of "Water" was also made by electronic producer and DJ Marshmello, but Tyla, 21, teased that more iterations could be arriving soon. "Hey! You're greedy. I don't know. Maybe! I'm not gonna say anything. Maybe," she said.

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As for future collaborators, Tyla has her sights on some modern R&B greats, including Summer Walker who recently tapped her for a "Girls Need Love" cover.

SZA. Definitely love SZA. She's amazing. PartyNextDoor would be crazy. [And] yeah, I mean, I would like a song with Summer [Walker], like our own song 'cause she's the best,” Tyla said. “All my favorite artists are reaching out to me,” she later says in disbelief.

Released in July, "Water" peaked at No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was nominated for Best African Music Performance at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards.

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