Tyla stole the show on the Met Gala red carpet in a skin-tight dress made from sand

• South African musician Tyla made her Met Gala debut on Monday.
• She wore a daring dress designed by Balmain, which was covered from top to bottom in sand.

Tyla's Grammy-winning hit might be called "Water," but it was sand she embraced at the 2024 Met Gala.

The South African musician made her Costume Institute debut on Monday night, arriving at the event in a skin-tight gown designed by Balmain.

Its strapless, form-fitting design was extremely daring — it showed the outline of her body from front to back — and it was also pretty fragile.

As Tyla told the E correspondent Ross Mathews on the red carpet, the dress was covered entirely in sand.

"We wanted to go with the Sands of Time for the theme," she said, referencing the night's "Garden of Time" dress code.

Tyla also had sand spread across one shoulder and forearm. She completed her look with an hourglass held in place of a purse.

When Mathews asked if she'd be able to sit for dinner inside the event, Tyla's answer was simple.

"Who knows? We'll figure it out. Who cares? I'm cute!" she said.

Though Tyla is still figuring out the logistics of her Met Gala evening, one thing is clear: she'll need major help getting up any stairs throughout the night.

As People reported from the red carpet, she needed the help of four men to carry her up the Metropolitan Museum steps. One physically lifted her while the others held her skirt train.