The South African pop star and Toy Story fanatic will play an inflatable flamingo in the series’ fifth iteration
Call it fate: it’s been three years since Tyla tweeted “Disney, hmu when you free” and it looks like her wish was granted. The queen of A-Pop will make her voice acting debut in the sub-Saharan edition of Toy Story 5 which hits theaters June 19. “Come and watch with your whole family because your girl Tyla is in the movie as the inflatable flamingo!” she told fans in a video posted to Disney Africa’s Instagram accounts.
Tyla said she was ecstatic when she got the call to join the Pixar family. “I just couldn’t believe the offer was presented to me,” she noted in a YouTube video, later referring to the opportunity as a “full-circle moment,” as she reminisced on seeing the films in theaters.
“I just grew up watching Toy Story, it’s such a big movie in my family,” she said. “My parents love it, my whole family loves it. We all love going to the cinema and watching every new one,” she said, later noting how the series has transcended generations and tackles the emergence of technological toys. The clip also shows her in the recording booth, working with the team on her lines.
Toy Story 5 hits theaters on Friday, June 19. Tyla isn’t the only pop star making waves in Woody and Buzz’s universe; Taylor Swift released “I Knew It, I Knew You,” a country song made for the film’s soundtrack last week (she later performed the song with Randy Newman at the movie’s U.S. premiere). The American voice cast will also feature global sensation Bad Bunny as the character Pizza with Sunglasses.
Tyla will release her sophomore album A*Pop on July 24 via FAX/Epic. It will include recent single “She Did It Again” featuring Zara Larsson and 2025 single “Chanel.” On June 11 and 12, Tyla will perform at the opening ceremonies for the 2026 World Cup, in Inglewood and Mexico City, respectively.
