Ghanaian musician Moliy has revealed that she created the well-known dance challenge for her song “Shake It to the Max” because she didn’t want to pay any influencer to do that.

Moliy revealed that the idea struck her while she was having fun dancing.

She stated that she did not carefully create the dance challenge; rather, she was simply moving her body to the rhythm of the music.

“I was just goofing around. I’m not much of a dancer, and I wasn’t willing to pay anyone to create a challenge for me at the time. So, I really was just moving around, and I don’t know, it just kinda worked.”
Moliy

She expressed her excitement about the challenge’s progress as it has gone viral. She added that many creatives had contributed significantly to pushing the song even further.

“Yeah. I think it’s really cool that as the song has been growing, there have been different people also creating their own challenges. There’s Claudia K, who created a challenge for Shenseea’s verse, and then Davy and Mélo, who created another one for the hook of ‘Shake It to the Max.’ Both of them have been instrumental in pushing the song further.”
Moliy

Moliy Ignites Dance Trend Without Hiring Influencers — Moliy

According to the singer, the very first video of her challenge was all the confirmation she needed.

“The first time is enough for me. That one video is enough for me to be like, ‘Yeah. I can do it again and again and again.’ I’m gonna go and keep doing it,” she added.

In the age of social media, where influencers reign supreme and sponsored content floods feeds, the authenticity of grassroots movements often gets overshadowed. This is especially true in the world of viral dance challenges, which have become a cultural phenomenon.

Dance challenges are a unique blend of creativity, participation, and community spirit. They emerge spontaneously, often from a single individual or a small group, and spread like wildfire across platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube.

The appeal lies in their accessibility—anyone can join in, regardless of skill level or follower count.

Moliy on Music Promotion, Distribution

The Ghanaian musician opened up on how she had to take matters into her own hands to promote her music after facing challenges with music distribution and payola in the industry.

The “Shake It to the Max” hitmaker revealed that she went almost the entire year in 2024 without releasing a song because she and her manager were trying to secure a distribution deal.

“I realized at some point, I was actively seeking [distribution]. I hadn’t released music for a whole year in 2024, and my manager and I were trying to get a [distribution deal] so I could put out music. The conversations were sounding positive, but nothing was actually happening. I remember thinking, well, f**k it, I still wanna move. I don’t wanna be stagnant.
“My manager was like, ‘You should tease music. At least tease music and let people know you’re working, and maybe they will hear it and be interested.’ So that’s what started this whole thing. I said, ‘Okay, I’m gonna tease music and we’ll see where it goes’.”
Moliy

She also noted that to keep things simple and cost-effective, she made sure the content she created to tease her music was something she could do by herself.

“Even the content I was creating, I made it in a way where I could do it myself anywhere. It didn’t need professional help or to be professionally shot. I didn’t need to pay anyone. I made it easy for myself because being independent or working in Ghana, or I guess anywhere else, if you want to collaborate or be seen, most of it is payola.”
Moliy