South African pop sensation Tyla is facing a royalty dispute over her global hit Water with songwriters Olmo Zucca and Jackson LoMastro, who claim they were underpaid and denied equal credit and royalties as co-producers on the track. The pair, who filed the lawsuit in California, argue they deserve 12.5% of publishing royalties, rather than the 10% allocated by lead producer Sammy SoSo Awuku, who allegedly took a larger share for himself. They claim they attempted to resolve the issue before the song’s release but were rebuffed by Awuku. The lawsuit also names Tyla and her label, Epic Records, as co-defendants. Water, released in 2023, has been a massive success, earning Tyla multiple awards and becoming the first song by an African female artist to surpass 1 billion streams on Spotify.
Source: Pulse Nigeria
