One of the most influential and dynamic figures in the Amapiano space, Tyler ICU, releases his eagerly awaited album
‘Lucent’, a collection of soulful and spiritually charged tracks yet still incorporating the producer’s signature thumping sound that promises to further cement his place as a global ambassador for the Amapiano movement.
Tyler ICU has had an undeniable meteoric rise in the last few years. Praised for his innovative approach, he has garnered widespread international acclaim
for his dynamic soundscapes and infectious beats. A household name on the ground-breaking Amapiano scene, Tyler ICU stands as one of its main ambassadors, while the genre and cultural movement that have revolutionized South Africa over the last decade continue
to rise globally.

As a result of his relentless hard work and prevalent talent, last year marked a new career height. His 2023 multi-platinum single “Mnike” has become the
biggest and one of the first fully global Amapiano hit records, with international megastars such as
Rihanna
touting it as her song of the year.
“Mnike” amassed nearly 100 million audio streams, 46 million views on YouTube, and 6 billion views on TikTok. It dominated the charts in South Africa, holding
the #1 position for 16 weeks on the official charts, for #14 weeks on Spotify and for 11 weeks on Apple Music. Simultaneously, the record-breaking song climbed to #31 on the Global Shazam chart, and hit the Spotify Viral Global 50 chart, while also reaching
Apple Music’s Top 100 in 40 territories. Unsurprisingly, Tyler ICU bagged a nomination as ‘Best African Act’ at the 2023 MTV Europe Music Awards, alongside Burna Boy, Asake, Libianca and Diamond Platnumz.
The internationally acclaimed producer kicked off 2024 with the release of
Distortion EP (a compilation of tracks from his own record label, Baby Blue Entertainment), which spawned the hit “Ebasini” and followed with the saxophone-laden single “Government” and the tongue-in-cheek “Manzi Nte.” With the release
‘Lucent’, – a powerful, 15 track project that blends spirituality, self-awareness and his signature sound, Tyler ICU prepares to close off the year on a high.
‘Lucent’ is named after and is a dedication to Tyler
ICU’s grandmother “The album title is my grandmother’s name; the whole album feels like I’m being raised by her again. It shows growth and how she moulded me to be the man that I am today.”
This album highlights Tyler’s evolution as an artist, showcasing a deeper and more personal side to him, pushing the boundaries of Amapiano while remaining rooted in his heritage. Setting the tone for the album with the release of ‘Ngilimele’ Tyler
ICU speaks on the song, ‘When the song was made in the studio, we were all going through hardships which created a space where everyone was in their feelings, in my space personally it was about a girl I loved.

’
He further adds ‘You can hear the keys and the melody, which provides the intense feelings of being hurt and zoned out to the tune that touches your heart.’