South African pop sensation Tyla and her producer, Sammy SoSo Awuku, are facing a lawsuit over royalty disagreements tied to their global hit single, Water. Filed in California, the lawsuit was brought by songwriters Olmo Zucca and Jackson LoMastro, who claim they were underpaid for their contributions to the song.
Zucca and LoMastro allege they co-wrote and co-produced Water and are therefore entitled to 12.5% of the publishing royalties each. However, according to the complaint, they only received 10%—a decision they say was unilaterally made by Awuku, who allegedly took a larger 15% share for himself.
Also named in the lawsuit is Epic Records, the label responsible for distributing the track. The plaintiffs assert that their attempts to resolve the dispute with Awuku in July 2023, prior to the song’s release, were unsuccessful due to his refusal to negotiate.