There is no chance you have not listened to Move, a song that’s travelled the world and become the BSO for many important moments. Today we speak with the breakout artist and voice behind this 2024 hit, Malachiii, who is ready to claim his rightful place on the scene with his unique sound and unparalleled vision. After releasing his latest single, It's Your Life, a feel-good anthem about living life on your own terms, the artist tells us how his life has changed in the last year, what it feels like to perform in front of thousands of people on stage, and what artists he'd like to collaborate with next.
“I have another song with Adam Port and Stryv, so I’m very excited about that. But someone I’d love to collaborate with is Pharrell,” he tells us below. Creative alliances that embody his way of seeing the world, as he tells us. “We are one. I think that is one of the most important things for the world to understand right now.” From the dream he fulfilled when he saw the Move snippet being played at the pyramids of Giza in front of thousands of people to the remix with Camila Cabello, we speak with Malachiii about the high-intensity experiences he’s lived in the last few months.
Malachiii, it's a pleasure talking to you. How are you and where are you responding to us from?
It's a pleasure talking to you too. I'm doing well, and I'm responding to you from Los Angeles.
After appearing on the critically acclaimed 2024 song of the summer, Move, you were catapulted to global recognition. How has your life changed in the last few months?
This song has definitely changed my life. It has inspired a whole new sound that I've been in the studio working on. It gave me the opportunity to travel this summer and perform in front of crowds screaming the words I wrote, and it has led to some really cool upcoming collabs in the dance world.
You spent last summer popping out to perform the song with Adam Port, Stryv, and Keinemusik at venues all over the world. How do you feel when you get on stage? Is this your favourite part of being an artist?
Performing is definitely one of my favourite parts of being an artist. I've been performing since I was very young, so this aspect of the process I know is like the back of my hand. It's the best feeling to interact with the audience and share the music in the moment together.
With over 480 million streams on Spotify, there is no doubt Move has become a major hit. How did this collaboration come about? Did you think people would like it so much?
It was a song idea that I had for about a year prior to this moment, and although I loved the song, it was totally unexpected that it took off the way it did. It really shows that when you have something special, you never know when its time will come. The song was written to a different piece of music but then had the opportunity to be repurposed for this collaboration with Stryv and Adam.
And what did you enjoy most about this experience? Do you want to share any anecdotes from the creative process or everything that came afterwards?
Some of my favourite moments were seeing the snippet being played at the pyramids of Giza in front of thousands of people, then having the snippet go viral on TikTok hitting over one million streams in twenty-four hours, to performing in Brooklyn and hearing everyone screaming the words I wrote for the first time, to the remix with Camila Cabello, and even performing the song in Miami with Travis Scott joining us on stage to jam out after seeing him show so much support for the song online.
In late 2024, you officially debuted your new, global sound with your breakthrough solo release, Back 2 Me. What did this release mean to you? Were you nervous about the public's feedback on this new stage of your project?
I was excited to get new music out and share what was really just the tip of the iceberg of this new sound that we are developing. We got such great feedback, so I’m super grateful for that and excited to continue to release new music. We’ve made so much great stuff in recent months, so we’ve got a lot more where that came from.
One month ago, you unveiled It's Your Life, a fearless progression of your signature sound that immediately draws listeners in, commanding attention to its collection of luscious Afro-house beats and Latin-inspired grooves. Could you tell us more about the inspiration behind this track?
I heard CS’s remix of Father Stretch My Hands and I loved it, and immediately reached out to him on Instagram. He sent me a super inspiring track, which we then worked on together and eventually became It's Your Life. A lot of what the goal has been for the new music is just to make people dance and have a good time, but at the same time, the song is definitely a mantra for freedom and living your life the way you want to because it’s literally your life. So repeating that in the hook felt like a great chant for everyone to sing to themselves and embody that sentiment.
You've said that your inspiration and ethos is to create music that allows each individual listener to find a unique connection in just one line. How, when, and where was your first encounter with music? Did you always want to pursue it professionally?
Music has always been a part of my life. My family exposed me to all kinds of music from an early age. For example, my dad played me jazz music in the car at an early age, to the point where I was requesting Eric Reed when I got in the car when I was like five, lol. I also started piano as my first instrument when I was two years old, and then went on to learn drums and guitar, but at the time these were all just hobbies.
I didn’t start taking music seriously as a profession until around fourteen years old. That’s when I started to write songs, and even then, I didn’t start producing my own music until around seventeen years old, so it was a process of discovery for sure. But growing up, I was always in the arts, music just gradually became my highest passion.
I didn’t start taking music seriously as a profession until around fourteen years old. That’s when I started to write songs, and even then, I didn’t start producing my own music until around seventeen years old, so it was a process of discovery for sure. But growing up, I was always in the arts, music just gradually became my highest passion.
Which artists did you look up as a teenager? And which ones do you listen to most now?
I looked up to artists like Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, and Prince, and producers like Timbaland, Pharrell, and Ryan Leslie. And now I listen to all of them still, but I listen to all kinds of stuff really, and a lot of my own music of course, haha.
Everything indicates that 2025 will be your year. Are you ready for it? How do you face the change and the evolution?
I’m more than ready. I’m just so grateful and focused on staying present and creating the best music and the best experience for people. I’m excited to continue to peel back the layers of who I am and share that with the world."
And what do you think makes your musical project and your sound different from your peers?
What makes a difference is that it’s me. I’ve always been hyper-creative when it comes to making music that takes people on a roller coaster ride, but I think I’ll just allow the music to speak for itself. This new chapter has opened up another side of me musically, and I don’t think there’s anything out there like it right now, which is the kind of stuff that always excites me and inspires me.
If you had to choose just one solo project from the current international music scene, which would it be and why? What do you value most in an artist?
Off the top of my head, Mk.gee has definitely channelled something special with his music. I'm always jumping around and listening to all kinds of stuff, so it's tough to choose one. Rema's recent album is super creative too.
Who would you like to collaborate with next?
I have another song with Adam Port and Stryv, so I’m very excited about that. But someone that I’d love to collaborate with is Pharrell.
What can you tell us about your upcoming releases?
Just that we have music coming for you guys nonstop all year long, some big collabs and some great solo records as well. I’m so excited for everyone to hear.
If you could send a message to the world, what would it be?
We are one. I think that is one of the most important things for the world to understand right now. We are here to learn to accept all as equal and treat them as such. Not just the ones we like, but also the ones we think we don’t like. Love is the most powerful thing there is.
