South African singer, songwriter, and dancer Tyla has never been one to stay silent about what bothers her. In i-D magazine's first-ever "Beauty Zine," published on April 21, 2026, she spoke out about photo retouching and the pressure to be perfect—with a candor that immediately resonated.
"Social media really makes you feel like you have to be perfect."
The British fashion, music, art, and youth magazine i-D launched its first-ever zine dedicated entirely to beauty in spring 2026: a large, glossy format with a reversible cover—Tyla on one side for the women's section, and model Shaid on the other for the men's section. Tyla appears on two separate covers, and inside: an interview written by Laetitia Lotthé and a filmed Q&A session available on the magazine's YouTube channel.
It was in this interview that Tyla delivered her most powerful words. "Social media really makes you feel like you have to be perfect, which is so unrealistic. There's so much beauty in imperfection… even in teeth!" The singer is highlighting a trend she finds absurd: the obsession with perfectly white and straight teeth, which, according to her, denies all individuality.
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"I have a large scar on my arm and I love it."
"That girl you're looking at probably wants something you have. I have a big scar on my arm and I love it. I love my mole. I love imperfection in my art, in my visual creations, in my music, in my body," Tyla explains. These unfiltered words stand in stark contrast to the usual polished narrative found on beauty magazine covers—and they immediately sparked a reaction from her fans on Instagram.
A beauty identity built far from societal pressures.
Tyla also reminds us that the feeling of lack is universal and human: "Not having what you desire does not mean that you are worth less." Raised in Johannesburg (South Africa), she says she built her own relationship with beauty very early on, far from the imposed standards: she would secretly slip eyeliner into the school toilets, learn to braid her sisters' hair, and experiment relentlessly.
A message that arrives at the "right time"
This statement comes just weeks before the release of her second album, "APOP," scheduled for July 24, 2026, whose singles "Chanel" and "She Did It Again," featuring Swedish singer-songwriter Zara Larsson, have already achieved worldwide success. For an artist preparing for "a new era," embracing her "imperfections" on the cover of a beauty magazine is no coincidence—it's a statement of intent.
A scar proudly displayed, a beauty mark embraced, a crooked tooth celebrated – Tyla didn't wait to be "perfect" according to society to make her mark. And that's precisely what makes her message as powerful as her music.
