For “Shake It To The Max (FLY)” singer MOLIY, being a “baddie” is not about an outfit or a rigorously curated picture.
“Being a baddie is a state of mind,” she advised NCS. “It is a confidence thing. It is an aura thing. It’s not a body type. It’s not a piece of clothing.”
That mindset is at the coronary heart of her forthcoming mixtape, “BADDIES
The mixtape contains a numerous lineup together with South Africa’s Tyla, Dominican artist Yailin la Más Viral, Jamaica’s Skillibeng and Shenseea, Nigeria’s Mavo, Ghanaian rap star Sarkodie, UK-Ghanaian rapper Br3nya, Jamaican producer-DJ Silent Addy, London and Berlin collective bees & honey and MOLIY’s sister Mellissa.
The lead single from the mixtape, “Jetski (FRIKI),” sees Ghanaian-American star MOLIY group up with Dominican hitmaker Yailin La Más Viral and French-Congolese singer Theodora, mixing Afropop, dancehall and dembow drum types from the Dominican Republic right into a cross-continental anthem that highlights the rising connections between African, Caribbean and European music cultures.
The undertaking arrives as MOLIY is using the momentum of “Shake It To The Max (FLY),” the TikTok-fueled breakout hit that changed into certainly one of the greatest worldwide dancehall moments of her profession. The remix with Silent Addy, Shenseea and Skillibeng has surpassed 1 billion streams globally throughout all platforms, together with over 405 million on Spotify.
For MOLIY, the success of “Shake It To The Max” felt like affirmation that her world breakthrough was not a one-time occasion.
“It was a moment of relief for me,” she mentioned. “One time maybe a fluke, but two times baby, you’re onto something.”
MOLIY first reached worldwide audiences in a 2020 collaboration on Amaarae’s hit “Sad Girlz Luv Money,” particularly after the remix of the track with Kali Uchis went viral. But “Shake It To The Max” positioned her title and voice entrance and middle. The track gained traction on TikTookay by way of dance challenges and remixes, serving to introduce MOLIY to a wider world viewers and resulting in a publishing cope with Warner Chappell Music.
With the new mixtape, she mentioned, “I feel like I’m creating a whole universe here of young, confident divas that are just bold and claiming their baddie energy.”
That confidence didn’t come in a single day.
MOLIY, whose actual title is Molly Ama Montgomery, grew up in Ghana, studied enterprise and English in Orlando, Florida, for a semester earlier than dropping out of school to pursue music. She liked storytelling, a basis for her songwriting.
Music remained in the background till life introduced it to the forefront.
“I’ve always been in love with music,” MOLIY mentioned. “Until life actually kicked my ass to the point where I had nothing and then all I had was music, and then now I’m here.”
MOLIY developed her affirming vitality throughout a difficult Covid-19 lockdown, navigating her future in music whereas experiencing a painful breakup.
“I was trying to figure out the music for real; it just felt like the hardest thing, but I knew I really wanted to do it,” she mentioned. “I think I really grew spiritually at that point.”
During that interval, MOLIY centered on solitude, deepening her religion, self-development and self-love. The expertise, she mentioned, helped construct the confidence that now runs by way of her lyrics, performances and social media presence.
“It’s a part of my identity to say affirmations to myself and make myself feel self-assured, especially in my lyrics,” she mentioned. “It’s almost like a therapeutic thing for me.”
That method shapes how MOLIY connects on-line. Before creating the “baddie” sphere, she aimed for constant TikTookay posts by showcasing day by day Ghanaian life, comparable to inexpensive avenue meals, utilizing the hashtag #baddieonabudget.
The phrase caught. Then one lyric — “You dealin’ with a baddie, of course” — helped carry the idea into her music.
Her world method is intentional. MOLIY mentioned working with Tyla on the mixtape felt particularly significant due to what it represents for younger African girls watching their rise.
“To me, two baddies from Africa working together, I just feel like it’s hugely dominating,” she mentioned, including that she hopes younger women see them “killing it” and perceive that success in the artistic trade is doable for them too.
The undertaking additionally deepens MOLIY’s connection to dancehall music, the Jamaican-born style identified for its bass-heavy rhythms and DJ-style vocals. MOLIY mentioned the sound has been a part of her life since childhood.
“Ghana loves dancehall. Ghana loves reggae music,” she mentioned, describing a go to to Jamaica as a second that felt like “cousins reconnecting” due to the similarities she noticed in the individuals, meals, tradition and panorama.
Throughout the mixtape, MOLIY additionally leans into Afrobeats, the West African sound identified for layered percussion and pop melodies, and amapiano — South Africa’s log-drum-heavy home sound that has develop into a worldwide membership pressure. Together, the types mirror her goal to make music that strikes throughout borders with out shedding its roots.
Now, with a billion-streaming world hit behind her, a new mixtape constructed for golf equipment and festivals, and an upcoming tour with Skillibeng, MOLIY says the aim is clear: to show she is not restricted to 1 track, one sound, or one lane.
The momentum is additionally taking MOLIY to new phases, together with her first European tour this October.
“Baddies are going to be outside,” the musician mentioned.
“I make music that makes you feel good,” she added. “You should be listening to me at parties. You should be listening to me at concerts, at festivals, at these huge, amazing places.”