Nigerian music star Skales has achieved a significant milestone by reaching 1 million monthly listeners on Spotify for the first time, largely fueled by the unexpected commercial resurgence of his 2014 hit single, Shake Body.
Released a decade ago, the track, which was once a major hit in the Afrobeats scene, has found new life, particularly through the viral trends on TikTok.
This unexpected revival showcases how older songs can capture the public’s attention again in the ever-changing music industry.
The resurgence of Shake Body has been propelled by the viral TikTok dance challenges, where users of the platform have embraced the song’s infectious rhythm.
One of the most influential figures contributing to its revival is FC Barcelona’s football star Lamine Yamal. The 16-year-old, who has a massive following of 26 million on TikTok, has been sharing videos of himself dancing to Shake Body.
One of his videos has achieved an incredible 126 million views, driving the song’s popularity to new heights and giving Skales’ hit single fresh exposure.
Skales’ viral track is seeing a wave of popularity among TikTok users, who find the upbeat, catchy Afrobeats production and the playful pidgin English lyrics irresistible.
The song’s central message encourages listeners to “shake body,” and its rhythm has become the perfect soundtrack for dance challenges.
TikTok users, particularly in the dance community, have embraced this call to move, propelling Shake Body into the spotlight once again.
Along with the viral TikTok trend, Skales’ decision to release new DJ remixes of the song has further fueled its resurgence. Notably, the Dutch DJ Onderkoffer’s remix has been officially uploaded on streaming platforms, attracting a new generation of listeners to the classic track.
This remix has revitalized the song’s presence on streaming platforms like Spotify, bringing it to the forefront of the global music scene once more.
This current resurgence of Shake Body adds to a growing trend where older songs, sometimes years or even decades old, experience a revival through TikTok.
Similar waves have been seen in the past, with songs like CKay’s Love Nwantiti rising to global prominence after taking off on TikTok.
Even more recently, Nigerian highlife legend Mike Ejeagha saw a huge surge in his catalogue, especially after the viral dance moves by skitmaker Brain Jotter revived his 41-year-old song Gwo Gwo Gwo Ngwo.
The success of Shake Body‘s re-emergence is a testament to the power of social media platforms like TikTok in revitalizing music that might otherwise have faded into obscurity.
It also highlights the growing influence of digital trends and how they shape the music industry today, especially for older tracks that may find new life and an entirely new audience in the ever-expanding digital space.
