Tyla dropped from royalties lawsuit over Grammy-winning hit 'Water'

TROUBLED waters are brewing in the music industry. 

But darem nie for our meisie Tyla, who, for now, doesn’t have to sweat after she was dropped from a current lawsuit over royalty payments for her mega hit Water. 

Tyla was previously named in a case brought by songwriters Olmo Zucca and Jackson LoMastro, who claimed they were excluded from master recording royalties.

The complaint also claimed that the hit song had generated more than $10 million (almost R160m) in revenue since its release, with potential earnings estimated to exceed $50m (close to R800m).

Released in July 2023, “Water” became a global breakout moment for Tyla, going viral across platforms and later earning her a Grammy for Best African Music Performance among other local and international awards.

On February 5, 2026, the two voluntarily withdrew their claims against 24-year-old South African singer, removing her from the lawsuit.

According to Billboard Legal News, Tyla was dropped without paying any settlement. Sony Music Entertainment had already been removed from the case in November 2025, leaving “Water” producer Sammy SoSo as the only remaining defendant.

As reported by Billboard, the lawsuit dates back to early 2025 and centres on studio sessions held in Los Angeles in March 2023, where Zucca and LoMastro worked alongside Awuku and producer Rayan El-Hussein Goufar, known as Rayo. 

The duo claims several audio recordings from those sessions were later used in the final version of “Water”.

They claimed they were each offered 10 percent in publishing royalties, while Awuku retained 15 percent, despite their contributions to the track.