In conversation with MOLIY

Very few know the power of online vitality quite like Ghanian singer-songwriter MOLIY. Flying to the top of the charts, MOLIY’s wings are built out of organic confidence, upbeat rhythms and playfully clippable lyricism. The artist behind the online dance trend and song Shake it To The Max, MOLIY’s music has the unique ability to resonate globally over radio transmission and #foryou pages all the same. Combining elements of Afrobeats, pop, dancehall, and highlife, MOLIY’s discography pays homage to her local sounds while bringing her captivating flair to every OG track and remix. Unmistakably MOLIY.

Let’s start from the beginning! You’ve described your sound as Afrofusion. And I’m curious, how does the creative process start for you? What do you look for when you first sit down to make a song?
Usually, I look for an instrumental that I vibe with. Generally, I would figure out how I’m feeling that day or what my creative sound is. Right now, I’m really into Caribbean kind of music, because I feel like the beats are really heavy-hitting and most of it is danceable. If I were to be in a session right now and ask for something, I would be like… want the sound to feel super confident, electric. When I hear it, I want to feel like I’m about to talk my shit, you know? So usually, I would just be like, listen, don’t play anything too bubbly, too cheerful. Because I want what I’m hearing to just feel super punchy, you know? So that’s the vibe right now. But it could be anything. I know when I first started, I was making a lot of… how should I say? Romantic music? I would be like,” Oh, let me hear an acoustic guitar.” It really just depends on how I’m feeling. 

This was actually going to be my next question about your sonic evolution. It feels like quite a big change, but also quite an organic one. What inspired it?
Really just musical tastes. Discovering other artists that I feel like I connect with sonically. If there’s an artist that I really admire and I see them exploring different things, then usually I would try it out if it connects with me. I think it’s also like a resurgence of what’s playing and what’s happening now, because there are certain genres that I started hearing. And then I’m just like, “Whoa. This is really cool.” Something like Brazilian funk. Typically, that particular genre is something that I discovered during last year’s summer. I think it really intrigued me to want to try something towards that sound.

I think for me it also almost feels like a parallel to your journey in a way. Because it feels as though your sound has become way more confident. I don’t know if that’s how you feel as well.
Oh yeah, definitely. I think it was a choice. I definitely felt like I wanted to do something that I haven’t already done before. I like the fact that you say that because that’s a word I definitely say. If I’m in a studio, I’ll be like, “No, I want when I hear this… I want to feel this boost of confidence.”

I imagine that’s also kind of what you want to translate to your audience.
Yeah, absolutely. 

You mentioned that you want your music to be both playful and empowering in this way. How do these aspects come together for you?
For me, I guess it needs to have a feminine touch. I feel like most of my lyrics are geared towards if a woman were to repeat these lyrics, she would be feeling that confidence or that empowerment. So a lot of it has to do with the lyricism. For example, this song I’ve been teasing on social media is called Vaki. It’s very playful. And there’s a lyric in it that says, “Say you want my number now, you’re getting on my nerves.” So it’s almost like I’m on a night out, I’m having a good time. And let’s say a guy was to come up to me to get my number. That’s going to annoy me because I’m really just here to vibe out and look good and feel good. This is just little playful things like that, just to let you know I’m the boss, don’t piss me off. 

Nice. I feel like it’s also so needed, I think both for the audience, but also maybe how you show up in the industry. Because I imagine there are quite a lot of challenges in hearing, especially women artists’ voices within the genre. I don’t know if that’s your experience. And the kind of certain challenges that you faced as a woman in the industry and in the genre.
Yeah. In every career, there is a challenge. If it were easy, I think everyone would do it. But I do think personally, being taken seriously is a challenge. Generally, if you look at the success of artists from Ghana, if you were to ask anyone who the top three artists are, they probably would name only men. And when it comes to building a really supportive cult fan base in Ghana, male artists typically have it easier. So I’m navigating it now. And it actually took a while for me to get general support. I don’t know if that’s a common experience, but I know my journey has been super unique. Even in my fan base, I think it’s generally spread out in the world. I have lots of Caribbean fans, European fans, American, British, Nigerian, and Kenyan. It’s a lot for them. From where I’m from in Ghana, I just think people know me and people support me. But I’m still yet to really create that cult fan base. I’m not intimidated by it. I do think it’s possible, but it will definitely take a while. I don’t know if that’s just a female thing. I don’t know. I’m not really sure, honestly. 

Yeah, fair enough. I guess there are so many layers to it.
Yeah, there are so many reasons. It may be playing a role in it, the fact that I am a woman. 

It’s interesting to me that you mentioned that your journey was unique. I’m curious what that means to you. How do you view it that way?
I feel like it’s been… I don’t think it happened in the way that you would call the traditional way. Because of how… Technically, a lot of my success has come from doing collaborations. It usually happens super spontaneously. I think I use social media as a tool to market myself and really show where I want to be musically. I feel like I’ve been blessed in that way. To be able to use TikTok and Instagram, and social media as a tool to put myself out there. I know when I wasn’t so social media savvy, it was a lot harder to be heard. I think recently I did use that to my advantage, and it worked out.

What is your social media strategy? What is your general relationship to it? How do you find the fun in it?
I found the fun in it by telling myself not to overthink it, don’t stress it. I really wanted to feel comfortable because it’s not easy putting yourself out there. So I remember telling myself, I really just want to feel the freedom to post without the fear of being judged. I want to be wearing… Whether I’m dressed up, whether I’m dressed down, or I’m home, or I’m outside, I really just want to be able to pick my phone up and be able to do it without really overthinking it. That really helped me. Yeah, I guess it’s also a nice approach because it just makes you so much more connected to the audience as well. Yeah, it feels natural. They don’t feel like you’re posting it, you know?

Well, speaking of social media and algorithms and virality, I’m curious to know more about the experience of how One Shake It To The Max blew up. What was that like for you?
Oh my god, I remember the very first video that went viral. I was so excited, checking views every hour, like, oh my god, it’s happening. And I decided right then, there’s no way I’m stopping. I have to keep creating. The best part was all the ways I could promote the song, like POV captions, dance challenges, and singing the lyrics. The ideas just kept flowing. Like, I’d do a dance challenge with a caption like, POV: trying to distract the waiter for free burgers. Just endless ways to have fun with it. What really hit me was seeing people imitate it. You can have a viral song or a viral video, but when people all over the world are doing your dance challenge? That’s crazy. So many versions, even people dropping their own verses. That was fire. And yeah, at some point, it’s humanly impossible to see all the videos, but every time I caught a cool creator or dancer using it, I was ecstatic. Every single time, it was a vibe.

Nice. And how do you make sure now that your listeners also hear the depth and the range of your other music? Because some artists that I’ve spoken to, there’s also often a sentiment that after a moment of being viral, their sound tends to flatten out or something.
I’m not really sure because this is not my first viral moment. So if it was, maybe I would be a lot more conscious about those things. But it’s like this would be the second time. So at this point, it just feels like anything is possible. I am focused on being a good performer and in that way introducing people to more of my other music, like stuff that they haven’t heard. So that’s right now how I intend to just bring it forward and let people pay attention to the sound that is MOLIY. But yeah, I think a viral moment happens. I don’t think it’s meant to happen every single day. That’s what makes it special. I think I’m just excited to keep exploring the vibes that I am doing and just discovering myself more as an artist because I think it’s exciting. This particular journey that I’m on and where I am currently, this sound and even the voice that I use, I think, is a really cool part of my journey. So I’m just really present and enjoying it.

As you should. And are you touring soon?
I have been. I really have been. This summer I’ve been to a lot of places.

MOLIY on the road.
Right now, I’m hoping to kind of slow it down a bit because I want to create more. I am also doing a lot of features. I have four features that dropped this month. So that’s really cool because people get to hear kind of what I’m working on before my official releases. So yeah, I’m looking to drop new music soon, and that’s kind of where my focus is now. But I know towards the latter parts of the year, I probably will be on the road more again. 

I imagine it’s also really enjoyable and really fun for you to perform live and to be able to translate that confidence.
Yeah. That’s been really cool. I recently did the Barclays Centre with Majel Montana. It was like a Trinidadian show, so a lot of Trinidadian artists were there. It was just really awesome. 

I’m curious to know more about the music scene in Ghana at the moment. How do you relate to it? Because it’s often portrayed through the lens of Afrobeats or high life. Do you see yourself forging new lanes within that?
Oh, yeah. There are a lot of artists that I really, really like back home that I think at some point I would really love to collaborate with. Mm-hmm. I think dancehall is also a thing back home. We have two major artists, Stoneboy and Shanta Wiley, and they’re awesome, and I would love to work with them. I’ve already worked with Stoneboy, so it’s just a matter of having the right song and connecting with the dancehall vibe back home as well. 

Because you’ve grown up there until…
…Born and raised.

And now you’re based in New York?
No, but I am here a lot, so I might as well. Yeah. But I live in Ghana. That’s where I am based.

And how would you describe the music scene there at the moment?
I feel it’s very interesting because TikTok is such a massive thing in the industry. I get to discover new and upcoming artists using it. There’s this artist called Jubed, another called Annabelle Rose, and Lali and Lola. Honestly, when I see artists really use social media, I just become a fan, because I know the journey it takes to be comfortable, to feel shameless, to not really care. Especially when something’s been out for a while and people don’t expect you to keep promoting it, but you still do. I really respect that kind of character in an artist. These are some of the ones using it to their benefit, and it makes me want to support and stay excited about the industry. Because I know it could just be one song, one moment, and then boom—the world is paying attention. So I’m excited about Ghana music because I know what’s possible in the future.

Yeah, nice. That sounds very positive and very optimistic. I’m kind of moving on to my final questions. I’m curious, do you have any current non-musical inspirations?
Currently, I really love Doja Cat. I think she’s an incredible performer. I love how diverse she is and how playful she is and how confident she is, you know. I would love to meet her and work with her. But, like, I think, sonically, I’m just excited about what I’m making. Yeah, I’m kind of, like, wrapping up my EP. And I just think I’m at a place where I think girls and bodies are going to relate so much because it’s just playful, it’s confident, it’s bubbly, it’s, like I said, really these punchy, confident type bops with bass and drums. And I just know it’s going to make, like, bodies feel good and want to wind their waists. And I think that’s what, like, I’m super passionate about right now. 

Nice. And do you have any inspirations outside of music right now, or any obsessions or something fun that’s been on your mind?
Um, I’m not sure. I will say travelling right now has been pretty awesome. Yeah, because I’m doing a lot of it and visiting a lot of, like, island countries that I’ve never been to. I’ve been getting a beautiful tan. So, yeah, I think travelling and just meeting different people and visiting different places, experiencing different cultures has been amazing. Some of my favourite cities, I would say, would be Kingston, Paris, and Antigua. That was amazing.

That sounds like such a good range of places. Thank you. And my final question is, looking ahead, what kind of legacy would you like Molly to leave, not only in the musical world, but broadly?
Mm-hmm. I will say I receive feedback from people loving the way I embody myself, how I dress, and how I look and feel comfortable. And when I see myself, I see someone who really had to heal a lot of shyness, fear, and doubt to be able to be me. Before I was me, there was a lot holding me back. And when I became comfortable enough to be myself, a lot changed. So I would love to leave behind that confidence, that person who is fearless, bold, super expressive, and creative. Because I think young women seeing someone like me do that makes them feel comfortable enough to be themselves, to think, “Ooh, if she can do it, I can do it too.”.  The more I embody who I am, create freely, and continue to make history, break barriers, and win, the more they’re going to feel like they can do it too. So I’m just going to keep doing that.

Amazing. That’s a beautiful note to end on.