MUSIC

MOLIY Teams Up with Grammy-Winning Tyla For a Club-Ready Banger “Body Go”

In an exclusive interview with OkayAfrica, the “Shake It To The Max” singer discusses her previous record and kickstarting a new era of global stardom with a new single featuring Tyla.

Moliy and Tyla posing on the set of  the music video for “Body Go.”
“Body Go” is a club-ready banger swimming in high-energy drumbeats, catchy refrains, and Moliy’s signature enchanting voice.

It’s amazing how much a life can change in a year. Back in early 2024, MOLIY, the Ghanaian artist behind the massive hit “Shake It To The Max (FLY),” was still coming into her own. After a feature on Amaarae’s “SAD GIRLZ LUV MONEY,” followed by a minor but very public tiff over credits and recognition, MOLIY retreated for a while before returning to Ghana to find herself anew. In a recently released video reflecting on her journey, MOLIY explains that this was an unbothered phase of her life.

While in Ghana, she started a “baddie on a budget” TikTok series, allowing herself to be free from the industry demands of constant production and release, and also began teasing “Shake It To The Max.”

It’s a song that has given MOLIY so much in such a short time. From viral dances to multiple high-profile remixes, numerous recognitions — including a VMA nomination — various chart positions, new distribution deals, and a career shimmering with promise, the song has significantly shaped MOLIY's career, perhaps more importantly, her voice and agency as an artist. With the incredible year she has had, MOLIY is ready to step into a new phase of her career.

She’s taking a heavy swing with the release of “Body Go,” an amapiano-flavored bounce featuring Grammy-winning South African star singer Tyla.

“‘Shake It To The Max’ was this crazy, global breakout moment that has been such a blessing over the past year,” MOLIY tells OkayAfrica in an exclusive interview. “It’s been amazing to see how much the track resonated globally, so I’m excited to release another track and show more of myself to the world.”

“Body Go” is a club-ready banger swimming in high-energy drum beats, catchy refrains, and Moliy’s signature enchanting voice. The song leans into and continues MOLIY’s penchant for songs dipped in a strong desire to groove, to dance, to love, to disappear under the dim lights of a sweaty club, to indulge in fantasies, and to be desired. 

At the start of her career, MOLIY veered towards soulful, easygoing jams. And like “Shake It To The Max,” MOLIY’s taking the soulful sensibility her voice brings to her songs to a new wave she is riding, one that is high-tempo with even higher energy.

“Lately I’ve really loved creating music that radiates positive energy — whether it’s empowering someone to feel confident or making people want to move their body,” she explains. “Body Go” is a dance anthem for a girls’ night out. Having Tyla on the track was a no-brainer, and she brings such a fun and confident spirit to what she does.”

Different stars, similar trajectory 

MOLIY and Tyla share a lot of similarities in the trajectory their careers have taken. Both entered the industry with immense promise and quickly exploded into the global scene with songs that found outsize vitality. They both found that vitality on TikTok (as is common these days) and both leaned into a long-term marketing strategy that gives their music a longer shelf-life than what has become the industry standard of quick release and brief promotion. They are both also not immune to varying levels of hate and skepticism. Tyla famously for her identity and perceived superiority, and MOLIY for her dedication to promoting one song for over a year and understanding the importance of a slow and intentional climb.

Their collaboration on “Body Go” seems like a perfect meeting point between two artists who have shaped their careers with their own hands, artists who are clearly as involved in their work as they are in the way their work is experienced and delivered. As MOLIY explained, she met up with Tyla in New York for the collaboration. “Tyla is such an inspiring artist, and it’s so cool to have another African artist on the record,” MOLIY tells OkayAfrica. “She knew exactly what was needed for her verse, and we have this shared vision of how we want people to feel when they listen to ‘Body Go.’”

That fun, hair-down energy is instantly palpable and undeniably contagious. While it would have been expected if MOLIY had followed up with another dancehall heavy track, the shift to amapiano and Afropop sees MOLIY betting on her range and ability to truly capture where she is currently at while refusing to be boxed into any expectations. The only consistent thing to expect from MOLIY in this new era, she seems to be saying, is that she’s here to have a great time and she wants the same for the listeners.

As she herself puts it, “‘Body Go’ is for the baddies. It’s about getting hyped up for a night out where you can be fully in the moment with your friends.”