MALIKA ON 'GO', UK FUNKY & HER UNEXPECTED COMEBACK
WORDS GRACEY MAE
Seventeen years after creating what would become one of UK Funky’s most beloved anthems, Malika found herself back in the middle of it all, only this time, Go was travelling further than she could have ever imagined. From TikTok to packed dancefloors, radio sets to Notting Hill Carnival, a song released in the late 2000s has found a whole new generation of listeners. And, in true Malika fashion, she’s spent much of it asking the same question: “I don’t know what’s going on.”
The answer, of course, is that Go has never really gone anywhere.
Its latest chapter sees the iconic track reimagined by The Compozers and House Gospel Choir, bringing together live instrumentation, soaring harmonies and Afrobeats-infused energy to create something that feels both wonderfully familiar and entirely new. But behind the viral resurgence is a story that runs much deeper than a hit song finding its way back onto our feeds.
Malika’s journey has been one of persistence, reinvention and learning the music business the hard way. After stepping away from music in 2022, she returned with a renewed sense of purpose - not only as an artist, but as a businesswoman, consultant and advocate for the next generation. Her publishing battle, which she speaks candidly about here, has shaped her determination to share the knowledge she wishes someone had given her years ago.
From performing at the very Carnival stages she grew up watching, to reflecting on the teenage girl who once entered an MTV Base competition with Go, this is a conversation about legacy, timing and the strange magic of finding your way back to something you thought you'd left behind.
Gracey: Hi Malika, welcome to F Word. It’s been an incredible year filled with performances, releases, and so much more. What has been the highlight?
Malika: The highlight of the year is yet to come so stay tuned, but, last year it had to be when I went to Rampage on 1Xtra and performed ‘Go’. I literally saw a clip of it yesterday and I was trying to remember who that person was. She had no idea of what this year would bring!
"To have the opportunity to perform on these stages is a genuine dream come true."Gracey: Talking about performances, tell us about the Volcano Sound Stage at Notting Hill Carnival.
Malika: It was very Volcano Sounds. It was busy. The crowd was amazing. I love carnival. I’m originally from NW10 so I’ve grown up playing mass & dancing in the carnival, and in my teenage years watching the guest performers on the stages like Volcano Sounds, Mastermind & Rampage. So, to have the opportunity to perform on these stages is a genuine dream come true. It’s not easy, but I cannot express how privileged I feel that ‘Go’ has got me to do some of the things I get to do.
Gracey: Congrats. Did you think this is where you would be in Autumn 2026?
Malika: Absolutely not. No way. Like even if you'd asked me on the 14 February 2026, I would have said “no”.
Gracey: What emotions come up when you think about this recognition?
Malika: I feel validated - I say this often. For a very long time, I felt like a failure because I didn't have the career I had envisaged for myself. Getting to experience this second wind, with the knowledge and understanding of how the business works, as well as age, maturity, and growth, is extremely validating. It's also very tough, and there have been a lot of challenges but seeing the joy that this song brings to people is very rewarding.
"It's important to empower other people coming up behind me and give them a real understanding of what this is." Gracey: A challenge you’ve been pretty public about was the 14-year publishing battle.
Malika: It was really 17 years but that's a story for another day. For context, I've always had publishing on ‘Go’. There had been a battle, but we have sorted it out. I think it's important to be transparent about my journey. Nothing is a secret. It's important to empower other people coming up behind me and give them a real understanding of what this is. There are so many things I've had to learn on the fly, and I feel a responsibility. I wish somebody had sat me down and said, "These are some of the pitfalls”, whether I'd listened or believed them or not, is up for debate.
"Sounds Write was born out of wanting to share information about how the business works and help other aspiring music professionals."Gracey: You’re passionate about the next generation and sharing your journey. We see that with your consultancy, Sounds Write. Why is this important to you?
Malika: I'll be so honest - music was tough. I gave up singing in 2022 because it was too tough. I've always felt this responsibility, probably to my inner teen and inner child, to share information about how the business works. People would call me and ask, "How do you do this?" One of my friends said, "You should just start a consultancy," and through that I managed to work with a charity called Grounded Sounds. It's no longer operating; just as I became a trustee, they said, "Oh by the way, we're closing”! Sounds Write was born out of wanting to share information about how the business works and help other aspiring music professionals.
Gracey: In a previous interview, you said that “legacy is a currency you can always trade on” and you’re living proof of that. Hearing you say that you gave up on music in 2002 makes this the ultimate comeback story. What was that catalyst?
Malika: ‘Go’. I was not doing this. People would ask me to perform all the time, and I would just be like, “No.”
Gracey: Let's talk about ‘Go’: the generational hit. Funky House was the soundtrack of my college days so seeing Gen Z and Gen Alpha is truly a full-circle moment for you I’m sure. How has the resurgence felt?
Malika: Honestly, I don't know what's going on. I feel like that's all I've said since March. As I said, I gave up music, so I wasn't pushing this. I was just in my house minding my business. I didn't actually know that the song had charted. Crazy Cousins' manager, Lloyd, messaged me on Instagram and said, "Yeah, it's in the charts," and I was like, "I don't know what's going on. I don't know what this means”. It's been a steady rise for me, with specific moments along the way. I did AG online in November 2024 after his manager, Zeon, messaged me and said, "We're doing a Funky House set. Do you want to come down?" Donea’o was on it, I performed after him, and then it went viral. I got asked to do Krept's birthday party. Then I did Red Bull in February 2025, and Red Bull Culture Clash with some other queens of UK music: Princess Nyah, Kelly Llorenna, Egypt, Kyla, and Stush, who I love with all of my heart. Then Rampage asked, "Do you want to come to the radio station and perform? We're doing a thing." I said, "Sure, why not?" My assistant filmed it and I had it on my phone because I'm not very good at posting. I posted it one random evening at about three or four o'clock, and by six it had about 13,000 views. I knew people liked the song, so I thought, okay, cool, fine, whatever. Then I woke up the next morning and it had 60,000 views, and within an hour it had 80,000. I only had about eight posts on TikTok, so it's not like I was the TikTok girl. Since that moment, I really have no idea what's going on.
Gracey: You're living your dream.
Malika: I'm living. I honestly have no idea what's going on. I think I even said it yesterday, or maybe the day before, but at least once every 48 hours something great happens and I'm like, "I don't know what's going on." I'll be in my house randomly saying it.
Gracey: Something great has happened today. Tell our readers.
Malika: Today we have the House Gospel Choir and Compozers’ long-form live mix of ‘Go’. We have a remake of the R&B version and a remake of the Funky House version, and if I do say so myself, it is incredible. I am really proud of them.
Gracey: The Compozers really brought a cinematic energy to it, and I’m a fan of the House Gospel Choir. Why were they the right ingredients for this remix?
Malika: I mean, I love HGC, and I love The Compozers as well. They're so incredibly talented, and it was all really quite organic. Years ago, when I first did ‘Go’, I made a mashup of the original R&B version and the Funky House version; I would do PAs to it. Nobody would care. Then, when Nat from House Gospel Choir asked me to come down to their event, I asked her, “Can we do this mashup?” I worked with them on it, and when we did it and filmed it live, the mood in the room was so electric that we had to make it come to life. We were like, “Who can we get to play the music?” We threw around all sorts of names, and The Compozers were the best choice and the right choice because, you're right, it does feel cinematic. Working with them on it was incredible. Their openness to try different things, redo things, and revisit ideas was really, really great.
Gracey: Talking about ‘Go’, is it inspired by a real-life heartbreak?
Malika: I can't even lie. I actually created the song with my university friend Ian Henry, who also manages Samm Henshaw; Hypertone, who is an incredible vocal engineer; and Mr. Stars Up. We met one day, and Mr. Stars Up had written most of the song. Ian and I, for about 15 years, would argue over which parts we wrote. In the end, I did the bridge melody and that's how I get my publishing but you're going to have to ask Mr. Stars Up who broke his heart, because he really did something great on this record.
Gracey: Do you believe in love languages? And if you do, what's yours?
Malika: I do. I would say words of affirmation, physical touch, gifts, quality time, then acts of service. Maybe you can swap gifts and quality time, but your girl likes the gift.
Gracey: Words of affirmation being number one makes sense knowing that your family have been super supportive. Dad is a music producer. Mum is a teacher. You come from family of lovers' rock royalty and pirate radio pioneers. How affirming were they in your music journey?
Malika: I probably wouldn't be doing music. I'd probably be a lawyer or the CEO of a Fortune 500 company if my dad wasn't in music. I've grown up singing and being around music. I won my first singing contest at five, singing “Weak” by SWV. If we had phones back then, I don't know what would have happened, but apparently it was good. If it wasn't, my family would have been like, “Yeah, you tried to sing, and it was really, really bad.” I don't really know anything different. My family is the reason I do music.
Gracey: From that competition to MTV‘s Hugo Urban Rules competition, why was that so pivotal for you?
Malika: I was 19, we did “Go”, and then I did this contest, and that's how I won. Estelle and Sabrina Washington picked me as the winner. Honestly, that experience was so interesting because I met so many people on that journey. Kane Kwasi was in Hugo Urban Rules. Boy Wonder, the online skit comedian, was also on my season. It's interesting to see how people's careers have evolved over 20 years and how successful many people from our season have been. I think our season is the most successful one. It was a competition on MTV Base where the winner got to open for someone, get built up, and release a single. We had already created ‘Go’ in 2007 with Ian and the others, and this was around 2008. We went to Manchester for two days, and my uncle, Rick Clarke, who's a UK soul singer, gave me the money because I was a struggling student and couldn't afford the travel or accommodation. We went up there, did the competition, and I got food poisoning on the first night. I'm not going into details, but it was a really tough night and morning. I'd got through to the second round, and I remember getting up, looking in the mirror, and saying to myself, “Okay, if I go, I have to win this. If I get out of bed and don't win, I'm going to be really irritated”. I managed to go, and I happened to win. This was around the time Estelle did ‘American Boy’. Before that, Ian had reached out to Crazy Cousins' then-manager about doing a remix of our R&B version, so we bundled it all into the winner's prize. There was a bit of budget and that was that.
"Trust your journey. Be patient, and what's for you is for you."Gracey: That's incredible. Thinking back to your younger self at 19, or even the young girl that went to Sylvia Young Theatre School, what advice would you give?
Malika: Trust your journey. Be patient, and what's for you is for you.
Gracey: What a great way to wrap up our time together.
Gracey: Finally, what's your favourite F-word?
Malika: I'm gonna say I've got three: Friday, food, and family!
