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ON THE RISE
Nigerian-American artist E'Major is back with his latest single, "Bolo", an infectious fusion of Amapiano and Afrobeat that showcases his unique musical style. Based in Minneapolis but deeply connected to his Nigerian roots, E'Major has been promoting the track in West Africa since its release last month.
"Bolo" is a lively, danceable track produced by Masterkraft, a leading Nigerian producer known for his signature Afrobeat sound. The song features E'Major's smooth vocals layered over a beat that instantly pulls listeners in.
A single snare hit kicks off the song, giving way to a syncopated conga beat over a fast-moving shaker in the background. While the percussion intro evokes the log-drum characteristic of South African amapiano, “Bolo” wastes no time getting right into its distinctive groove. A descending piano melody leads to a keyboard chord progression that persists throughout the entire 3 minutes and 11 seconds. Background vocals and more snare hits make way for E’Major’s silky vocals.
The way you do me, I no know
Dey make me dancey awilo
I know I used to be a player
But I retire like papilo
…
Omo you don scatter my bolo bolo
Scatter my bolo you do scatter my bolo bolo
The single’s upbeat energy and relatable lyrics are sure to resonate with fans worldwide. For the uninitiated, the term "bolo," E'Major explains, is Nigerian slang for "head" or “mind.” When he sings "scatter my bolo," he’s talking about being driven wild in love. Did you ever know somebody who drove you crazy, in the best kind of way? If so, this song is for you.
Emeka Jeremiah Nnaji, born in Nigeria and raised in the United States, is the brainchild behind E'Major. He explains that the stage name is a play on words, combining his name—Emeka—with his preferred musical key, E major. He explains that as a guitarist, E major is the key that he gravitates toward most.
The music video for Bolo, directed by Ara Brownie, brings vibrant West African visuals to the song. Filmed on an island near Lagos, it features horseback riding on the beach, fresh tropical fruits, drinking from coconuts, beautiful dancing women, and a culminating scene of fire dancing at night on the beach. The flirtatious tropical vibes are abundant. "Ara really brought my vision to life," E'Major says.
Drawing inspiration from Afrobeat giants like Burna Boy, Wizkid, and Davido, E'Major sees the genre’s global rise as an opportunity to bring fresh sounds to the forefront. "Afrobeat is in demand right now," he said. "It’s a sound that can blend with other genres, like Amapiano from South Africa."
While “Bolo” is a standalone single, E'Major has plans for a full-length album with his label, Motion Major Records. For now, though, he’s focused on releasing singles to build momentum.
“Bolo” is the latest example of E'Major's ability to blend his African heritage with his American influences, creating music that transcends borders. As E'Major puts it, "This is a song that can connect with everyone from different walks of life."
With his roots in both Nigeria and the U.S., E'Major is on a mission to spread his sound across the globe. Check out “Bolo” today on all streaming platforms and prepare to "scatter your Bolo."
ON THE RISE
As they prepare to unveil their fourth album, ‘Joy In Short Moments’, The Snuts have spoken with NME about how stepping away from touring gave them the chance to reflect on some of life’s biggest challenges and bring greater attention to mental health.
Their first album since 2024’s upbeat ‘Millenials’ follows a rare break from the road over the past year. During that time, frontman Jack Cochrane also experienced a major change in his personal life as he welcomed his first child.
Along with getting used to fatherhood, the singer began thinking about deeper questions that the demanding touring lifestyle had previously left little room to consider. His reflections on growing up, dealing with loss and understanding what success really means gradually found their way into his writing, eventually shaping the direction of the band's more personal new album.
Fans were first introduced to the album earlier this year through ‘Summer Rain’, an emotional track exploring postnatal depression and the “fear of the future”. They later returned during the summer with the more hopeful ‘Defibrillator’, encouraging listeners to move beyond negative thoughts about themselves and find comfort in connecting with other people.
Speaking to NME about the creative shift behind their fourth record, Cochrane explained: “By taking a conscious break from life on the road and making records, my world opened up to let so much more of the real world in,” he said. “For the first time I was living then writing, not writing while trying to live.”
He also described how the change helped the band approach recording differently, adding: “It unlocked a new process that the band had been crying out for,” he continued. “The studio sessions were set up to allow us to be friends and not colleagues. Distraction and external pressures were completely eradicated from the recording environment, allowing us to trust our gut and have the conversations we needed to as humans.”
In the remainder of the interview, Cochrane also discusses his new role as an ambassador for mental health charity CALM and talks about starting a podcast designed to encourage more artists to speak honestly about their personal struggles.
NME: Hi Jack, congratulations on the new album. You’ve said that this record was about addressing the topics that you previously tried to hide from. What kinds of questions did you find yourself confronting?
Jack Cochrane: “I would say mainly, ‘What do I need to be happy?’… Eeek! It’s a big one I know, but having set out with the title ‘Joy In Short Moments’, I was able to spend my time searching for them and allow joy to do what joy does: compound and relieve the stresses of the modern world.”
That’s not the easiest question to find yourself confronting. Did you manage to find any answers along the way?
“Ultimately yes. With the completion of this record I was able to find a much happier healthier version of myself I had been so long yearning for.”
The album sees you deal with new themes, but musically we also see you return to the guitar-led sound from your early days. Did revisiting those roots make you notice how much has changed since you were starting out?
“For sure. We were able to remove any snobbery from the process. We’re no longer new kids on the block and with that came a new found ability to be really honest about the kind of noises we wanted to make and the type of artists that had originally inspired us.”
This album goes hand in hand with you becoming an ambassador for CALM and launching your own podcast dedicated to checking in with fellow artists. Why was it important for you to get involved in the conversation about mental health?
“I think conversations and role models are absolutely essential for young people. I wanted to have more and do my best to be one. Every song on this record was born out of unfiltered, open and honest conversation.”
From talking to people on your podcast, including Louis Tomlinson, and using your platform to open up this dialogue, is there anything interesting that you’ve noticed?
“I think that more often than not, young men are finding it difficult to combat the struggles they are facing in this modern world. To me it feels like there are less and less spaces and opportunities to have meaningful, healing conversations…”
Having had those conversations yourself and explored them on the album, it must be somewhat daunting to now put it out into the world. Is there something that you hope people take from it?
“I’d like people to feel less alone after hearing the record and the themes intertwined with it. I think music is more than just heartbreak and I hoped in the writing of this record I would be able to highlight some more universally relevant topics.”
You have your headline tour coming up next month. What can we expect from the shows?
“Big smiles and big sound all round! It will be the most self assured Snuts tour to date.”
‘Life In Short Moments’ is out now Happy Artist Records in partnership with Virgin Music Group. Their UK and Ireland tour kicks off next month with an opening night in Dundee. Visit here for tickets and check out a list of tour dates below.
NOVEMBER 2026
19 – Dundee, Livehouse
20 – Aberdeen, Beach Ballroom
21 – Edinburgh, Corn Exchange
23 – Dunfermline, Alhambra Theatre
24 – Newcastle, O2 City Hall
26 – Sheffield, Octagon Centre
27 – Nottingham, Rock City
29 – Norwich, UEA
30 – Hull, City Hall
DECEMBER 2026
1 – Bristol, Prospect Hall
3 – Leeds, O2 Academy
4 – Manchester, O2 Victoria Warehouse
8 – Birmingham, O2 Academy
9 – Portsmouth, Guildhall
10 – London, O2 Academy Brixton
JANUARY 2027
26 – Belfast, Limelight
27 – Galway, Róisín Dubh
28 – Dublin, Academy
