Tyla Faces Royalties Lawsuit Over Grammy-Winning Hit “Water”

South African pop sensation Tyla is facing legal troubles as her breakout hit “Water” becomes the center of a lawsuit involving royalty disputes and alleged deception behind the scenes. The Grammy-winning track, which catapulted the 23-year-old singer to global stardom, is now drawing attention for more than just its chart-topping success.

According to Billboard, two California-based songwriters, Olmo Zucca and Jackson LoMastro, have filed a lawsuit claiming they were unfairly excluded from proper royalty payments for their work on “Water.” The pair allege they were victims of a “nefarious” scheme by British producer Sammy SoSo, whose real name is Samuel Awuku. The legal filing, submitted on Friday, July 25, also names Tyla and Sony Music Entertainment, the parent company of her label Epic Records, as defendants.

The lawsuit centers around a March 2023 recording session in Los Angeles, where Zucca and LoMastro worked alongside Awuku and fellow producer Rayan El-Hussein Goufar, known professionally as Rayo. During the session, the team collaborated on a number of audio recordings, elements of which were ultimately used in the final version of “Water.” However, the plaintiffs claim Awuku later signed an exclusive deal with Tyla, cutting them out of formal producer credits and significantly undercutting their publishing share.

According to the complaint, Awuku offered Zucca and LoMastro just 10% each in publishing royalties while retaining 15% for himself. They allege he concealed their contributions from the label, misleading both the plaintiffs and Epic Records. The truth allegedly surfaced during a May 2024 meeting with Epic Records President Ezekiel Lewis, where the duo learned that Awuku had never disclosed the co-producers’ involvement to the label.

The plaintiffs are now demanding official producer credits on “Water,” an increase in their royalty share to 12.5% each, and payment of a producer fee. They argue that being denied proper credit has caused both financial harm and reputational damage, limiting their professional opportunities in the music industry.

The lawsuit also claims that “Water” has generated over $10 million in revenue since its release, with future earnings projected to surpass $50 million. Zucca and LoMastro previously filed a similar lawsuit in March 2023, but voluntarily withdrew it on July 24, 2025, before refiling the next day with new legal representation.

Tyla, who is named in the lawsuit, has not been accused of any direct misconduct. At the time of writing, she has not made any public statements regarding the legal dispute.

Despite the controversy, there is no denying the global impact of “Water.” Released in July 2023, the track spent 29 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 7. It earned Tyla the Grammy Award for Best African Music Performance and solidified her status as a global trailblazer. At just 22 years old at the time, she became one of Africa’s most promising musical exports, collecting accolades on both local and international stages.

With over 1 billion streams on Spotify and more than 200 million views on YouTube, “Water” has become a defining anthem of the new wave of African pop. But as the hit continues to make waves, it also raises pressing questions about fair credit, transparency, and the challenges behind the scenes of chart-topping success.