Ihave found a home in R&B. Still, a genre known for its romantic overtures, can feel very isolating for someone who has not experienced the milestones crooners riff so passionately about.

These complicated feelings have found reconciliation in 24-year-old English singer-songwriter Tyler Lewis. With a soaring voice and wicked blend of R&B sensibilities, eclectic production and pop ambition, the ingénue sings of her introversion on debut single ‘downtime’, the consequences of ceaseless compromise on ‘under the rug’ and of romantic inexperience in the stirring ballad ‘never been in love’. As she belted the lyrics “I’ve never been in love/Stay putting up a front/Yeah, I’m just making it up” for the first time I felt exposed, seen, held.

After listening to her debut EP wait ’til she gets her heart broken, I was determined to learn more about the person behind the star. From speaking with the songstress, it became clear to me that Lewis’ timeless sound comes from a lifetime of influences. Of Sri Lankan, Dutch, Portuguese, and South African heritage, she grew up with a diverse music palette: “In my childhood I was just shown everything. From jazz to pop and a whole lot of R&B.”

“Of Sri Lankan, Dutch, Portuguese, and South African heritage, she grew up with a diverse music palette”

Like her Gen-Z contemporaries, her music glides between classifications. Resisting “pigeonholing,” she has “tried to be as experimental as possible,” combining “R&B, Pop and Soul” to create the quintessential “Tyler Lewis sound”. Her first opportunity to show the world her sound came in 2020. She appeared as a contestant on the reality television music competition Little Mix The Search. This national opportunity was enough for the former receptionist and volunteer farm worker to jumpstart her voyage to superstardom. In 2023, she opened up for fellow R&B girlies Bellah, Kiana Ledé, and Mahalia. She began writing for other artists and became the first performer signed to MUZO BY UZO, renowned artist and producer MNEK’s record label.

The following year, she opened up for Little Mix alum Leigh-Anne and released her critically acclaimed debut EP. However, later that year she parted ways with her label and suddenly her dream took a new shape. “My security blanket felt like it had been ripped off,” she revealed, reflecting on the transition. In hindsight, she believes it “gave [me] the push I needed to start caring more about where I eventually want to end up”. She advises that all newly independent artists become the biggest fans and advocates of their own music: “The passion is what has kept me so motivated and driven […] Branding has also become so important to me. Your brand is so important to help you stick out from the crowd.”

“I remember getting the invitation and literally thinking, ‘Why the hell have I been invited? ’”

Although she sticks out from the crowd, she’s also integral to the creation of those sounds, writing for artists like Äyanna, Ebubé and HITGS. Her first experience writing for others was when she participated in the FLO (British R&B & Pop girl group) writing camp. At first her imposter syndrome took centre stage – “I remember getting the invitation and literally thinking, ‘Why the hell have I been invited? ’” – then her confidence finally seized the mic.

She spent the week “writing some really cool music,” building bonds that have allowed her to get in “great rooms” with even greater people. As a chronic perfectionist, she enjoys writing for other people. She finds that writing her own music requires her to ruminate on past experiences and focus a lot more on structure. Alternatively, writing for others has fuelled her own creativity and ignited her desire to experiment. “I would love to do some alternative R&B [in 2026].”

No longer discouraged by past setbacks, she spoke enthusiastically about dream collaborations and inspirations. On her list are multihyphenates like “Babyface, D’Mile, Camper, Bruno Mars, Coco Jones” and more. She’s also heavily impacted by the current wave of innovators, citing UK and international acts “Elmiene, Kwn, Sasha Keable, SZA and Muni Long” as individuals she admires.

“Hate is what comes with the territory so you can’t really avoid it”

This variety can be felt in her most recent tracks ‘Traces’ and ‘Hella jealous’, which both started organically with no references. Crediting her producer RELYT’s intuition, she knew the songs were “for me” in the first “30 minutes of writing”. Chronicling betrayal and obsession with dexterity and flair, who could have a problem with such amazing songs? Sounds like someone hasn’t experienced the wrath of “keyboard warriors” like Lewis has.

As a burgeoning independent artist, social media has become one of her vital promotional tools, but the anonymity these platforms provide users can embolden their worst impulses. “Hate is what comes with the territory so you can’t really avoid it. Keep being you and the people that support it are the ones that count and the haters are a fleeting moment, so they hold no real weight,” she relayed with a cool wisdom. Lewis remains unperturbed by such voices, expressing her gratitude to her listeners: “Thank you for being supportive and sticking around through all the ups and downs of labels and no releasing!”