The algorithm might reign supreme, but Tyler Lewis has arrived like a gust of fresh air, armed with a debut EP that’s as refreshing as it is addictive. ‘wait ’til she gets her heart broken’ is a six-track tour de force that manages to sound both intimately personal and universally relatable – no mean feat for an artist barely out of her musical nappies.
Lewis has roots sprawling across Sri Lanka, South Africa, the Netherlands, and Portugal, and has been quietly honing her craft since the tender age of 9. Now, with MNEK at the helm as executive producer (a pairing that feels both predestined and perfect), she’s delivered a collection that ping-pongs between R&B, pop, and soul with the ease of a seasoned pro ping-ponger. Ping-pongist? Ping-pongler?! She’s dead good.
From the moment ‘downtime’ hits, it’s clear we aren’t dealing with your garden-variety popster. Lewis has a knack for marrying earworm melodies with lyrics that cut deeper than a sympathetic knife. ‘fly on the wall’ further cements her as one to watch, its sassy alter-ego providing a delicious contrast to the more introspective moments peppered throughout the EP.
In this Artist’s Guide, Tyler peels back the curtain on ‘wait ’til she gets her heart broken’, offering a track-by-track dissection. From the people-watching escapades that inspired the opener to the hard-won wisdom of the closer ‘eventually’, it’s a journey that feels less like a curated Instagram story and more like a late-night heart-to-heart with your most interesting bff.
Buckle up, Dear Reader. Tyler Lewis is here to prove that in the right hands, pop is still be a vehicle for genuine emotion, clever observation, and yes, absolute solid gold bangers.
people watching
‘people watching’ perfectly encompasses my train of thought on the way home from a session. I have always been very nosy and curious and spend the whole journey looking around at people, guessing where they are going, where they have come from and what they’re thinking. When MNEK played the bass line, I was immediately sold on the song. The lyrics and everything just came together so quickly, so when making this project, it was an easy decision to choose it as the first track.
downtime
‘downtime’ is such a special song. It, for me, is the perfect balance of R&B and pop and is extra special because it was the first song I ever wrote, and I thought, “Wow, this feels like me.” I think that ‘downtime’ was the perfect first single as it really does set the scene for the project.
fly on the wall
This song is sassy and was definitely the first time I discovered my alter ego. I remember writing this song with Kierran and Blithe, and by the time we figured out the concept, we were screaming with excitement! When the session was over, I listened to it over and over on the train, and I couldn’t stop smiling. I remember texting MNEK, “I have written a banger!”
under the rug
I can put my hand on my heart and say with my full chest that this song is probably my favourite song I’ve ever made since the day it was written, and we only really had the bones of it. I have seen RELYT (co-producer) put his everything into the song, and that’s why it’s the song it is today. I love the lyrics so much because they’re all so relatable. I used to be a huge people pleaser and writing this song really felt like I was just venting. This song pretty much wrote itself and I can’t wait to see what people think of this one. Don’t want to toot my own horn, but it definitely is a banger! Let’s hope everyone else thinks so too!!
never been in love
I hate being vulnerable, so this song will always be a very special one to me. I love love songs so much and romance films. I also was 21 and had never been in a relationship. I went into the session so frustrated because I wanted to write a love song so badly but also didn’t want to lie for the sake of it. That’s how the concept came about. Once RELYT finished and mixed the song, I listened to it in the car and couldn’t stop smiling. It is just the perfect R&B song to me, and I couldn’t be prouder that it’s mine.
eventually
I wrote ‘eventually’ with Chase Mac, RELYT, Cole (on guitar) and Talay Riley. The room itself had the most amazing energy, and I knew straight away from the first verse that this song was going to be epic. I love how this song makes me feel because I feel like everyone can relate to the feeling of knowing everything is going to be okay but waiting for that to really kick in. This song being the final track on the EP feels perfect because it’s also the most mature and the most recent one that was written.
Tyler Lewis’ debut EP ‘wait ‘til she gets her heart broken’ is out now.
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