For Ghanaian-American singer MOLIY, the word “baddie” has nothing to do with designer clothes or a perfect Instagram feed Being a baddie is a state of mind,” she told . “It is a confidence thing. It is an aura thing. It’s not a body type. It’s not a piece of clothing.”
That idea sits at the center of her new mixtape, BADDIES <3 MOLIY, out later this summer. The project is built for dance floors, but its message is about self-assurance. And the sound matches the ambition: a mix of pop, Afrobeats, dancehall, amapiano, bouyon and R&B, with collaborators from Africa, the Caribbean, Latin America and Europe
Featured artists include South Africa’s Tyla, Dominican star Yailin la Más Viral, Jamaican performers Skillibeng and Shenseea, Nigeria’s Mavo, Ghanaian rap icon Sarkodie, UK-Ghanaian rapper Br3nya, Jamaican producer-DJ Silent Addy, London and Berlin collective bees & honey, and MOLIY’s sister Mellissa.
The lead single, “Jetski (FRIKI)”, brings three continents together in one track. MOLIY teams with Yailin La Más Viral and French-Congolese singer Theodora. The song blends Afropop vocals, dancehall energy, and dembow drums from the Dominican Republic — a sound that mirrors how closely African, Caribbean, and Latin music are now connected.
The song first took off on TikTok through dance challenges and remixes. The version with Silent Addy, Shenseea and Skillibeng has now passed 1 billion global streams across all platforms, including more than 405 million on Spotify alone.
She first reached international listeners in 2020 on Amaarae’s “Sad Girlz Luv Money”, especially after the remix with Kali Uchis went viral. But “Shake It To The Max” put her name and voice at the front. The momentum led to a publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music and set the stage for the new project.
MOLIY, born Molly Ama Montgomery, grew up in Ghana. She spent a semester studying business and English in Orlando, Florida, before leaving college to focus on music. Storytelling was always the draw.
“I’ve always been in love with music,” she said. “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.”
A turning point came during the Covid-19 lockdown. Navigating an uncertain music career and a painful breakup, MOLIY turned inward. She spent time in solitude, focused on faith, self-development and self-love.
“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 said. “I think I really grew spiritually at that point.”It’s a part of my identity to say affirmations to myself and make myself feel self-assured, especially in my lyrics,” she said. “It’s almost like a therapeutic thing for me.”
Before the mixtape, MOLIY built a community online by being consistent and real. On TikTok she posted about daily life in Ghana — including affordable street food — under the hashtag #baddieonabudget.
Now she’s taking that energy worldwide. A collaboration with Tyla was especially meaningful, she said, because of what it represents for young African women.
“To me, two baddies from Africa working together, I just feel like it’s hugely dominating,” MOLIY said. “I hope young girls see us killing it and understand that success in the creative industry is possible for them too.”
“Ghana loves dancehall. Ghana loves reggae music,” she said. After visiting Jamaica, she described it as “cousins reconnecting” because of the similarities in people, food, culture and landscape.
Alongside dancehall, she leans into Afrobeats with its layered percussion and pop melodies, and amapiano, South Africa’s log-drum house sound that has become a club staple worldwide. The mix is intentional — music that can travel without losing where it came from.
With a billion-stream hit behind her, BADDIES <3 MOLIY is positioned as both a celebration and a statement. It’s for parties and festivals, but it’s also proof that MOLIY isn’t boxed into one song or one sound.
“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.”
From posting street food videos in Ghana to headlining international stages, MOLIY’s rise has been built on confidence, community, and crossing borders — musical and cultural
