Skales Rides TikTok Wave with New Tribute Song ‘Dance Like Lamine Yamal’
Nigerian artist Skales is currently enjoying a remarkable career resurgence, thanks to the unexpected virality of his decade-old hit single Shake Body. The track, originally released in 2014, has found new life on TikTok, where it has become a dance trend, propelling Skales back into the spotlight and helping him cross 1 million monthly Spotify listeners for the first time in his career.
Now, capitalizing on this renewed attention, Skales has teased a brand-new single titled Dance Like Lamine Yamal—a high-energy tribute to the teenage football prodigy making waves at FC Barcelona.
The inspiration behind the track is as current as it is unexpected. Barcelona’s 16-year-old sensation, Lamine Yamal, inadvertently helped reignite Shake Body‘s popularity after a dance video he posted on TikTok went viral, racking up over 126 million views. With over 26 million followers on the platform, Yamal’s influence helped launch the song back into mainstream consciousness, introducing it to a new generation of listeners and dancers worldwide.
Recognizing Yamal’s unintentional but pivotal role in the track’s comeback, Skales is honoring the young star in the most fitting way he knows—through music. Dance Like Lamine Yamal is set to be a TikTok-ready anthem aimed squarely at keeping the momentum going. From its title to its beat, the song is crafted to encourage fans to hit the dance floor—or more likely, their phones.
The move reflects a growing trend in the music industry where artists are leveraging social media virality, particularly on TikTok, to breathe new life into older songs or launch new ones. Skales now joins a growing list of Nigerian acts who have benefited from this phenomenon. In 2024, veteran highlife musician Mike Ejeagha saw his 41-year-old track Gwo Gwo Gwo Ngwo gain massive traction after a dance video by skitmaker Brain Jotter took off online. Similarly, CKay’s Love Nwantiti found global success years after its release, becoming one of Afrobeats’ biggest sleeper hits.
Skales’ upcoming single represents more than just a clever marketing move—it’s a nod to the evolving ways artists and audiences connect. By acknowledging Lamine Yamal’s role in his viral moment, the artist is showing gratitude while also strategically aligning himself with the powerful reach of sports and digital culture.
As Dance Like Lamine Yamal prepares to drop, fans are eagerly awaiting whether the song will become another viral hit. If the success of Shake Body‘s revival is anything to go by, Skales may be dancing his way into a whole new chapter of global fame.
