There's no denying that bobs have reigned supreme in 2025, with the ripped bob and pageboy bob notably taking over our feeds. But Tyla's new bob, which celebrity hairstylist Yusef Williams created for the South African singer's global Glamour Women Of The Year 2025 cover, isn't just your average haircut. It's a total persona.
“I feel the most Tyla when I'm in a protective style, or my natural hair,” Tyla told Glamour in her cover interview. Cue Yusef created a bob that features clean lines and micro braids at the crown, but also a haircut that feels irresistibly soft-focus with an airy texture – which is why we've dubbed it the ‘soft box bob’.
Talented, cool, and always dressed to kill, the South African superstar—one of Glamour’s 2025 Women of the Year—embodies the look and sound of a new generation.
Of course, Tyla is no stranger to a hair transformation, sporting a short curly crop one minute and everything from cornrows, a side-braided undercut and an XXL flat twist ponytail the next. But for the Glamour shoot, Yusef was aiming for “that perfect balance of softness and structure,” he told us.
“It’s a modern reinterpretation of the classic bob using textured hair at its full potential proving structure and texture can coexist beautifully. I wanted to create a sculpted bob that felt powerful yet feminine, something that channels the timeless elegance of an African Queen such as Cleopatra.
“I chose this particular haircut for Tyla because she’s not afraid to push boundaries and redefine beauty on her own terms," Yusef continues. "Going against the norm and playing with different shapes keeps her look fresh and unexpected.”
How to recreate Tyla's bob
Even though Tyla's bob works on all curl types, you can't underestimate the importance of a good cut. According to Yusef, “precision is everything” so ask your hairdresser for a “a full, textured bob that highlights your natural curl pattern.” Ultimately, the key to pulling it off, is “embracing and enhancing this natural texture," he notes, "because that’s what gives the bob its shape and volume.”
Working with Tyla's natural hair, Yusef adopted a less is more approach to styling the mid-lengths and ends. “I recommend first prepping the hair with Fenty Hair The Protective Type 5-in-1 Heat Protectant Styler to shield and condition while maintaining natural texture," he says. Yusef then used The Y by Yusef Cushion Paddle Brush to shape and define Tyla's hair before finishing with a light texture spray “to enhance volume and movement,” he explains.
Tyla's ‘soft box bob’ is, without a doubt, effortlessly cool. Equal parts edgy and sensual, sophisticated and youthful, it's stirring up inspiration not just for winter, but for the party season ahead. More to the point, it's a meaningful and creative celebration of Tyla's identity.
For more from Fiona Embleton, GLAMOUR's Associate Beauty Director, follow her on Instagram @fiembleton.
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