For many artists, inspiration rarely arrives on cue. It slips in between moments, during transitions, while moving from one place to another. For award-winning singer songwriter EJAE, some of her most important creative breakthroughs have happened not in a studio, but behind the wheel. That lived reality now forms the foundation of a new partnership between Volvo Cars and EJAE, exploring the car as both a creative space and the ultimate listening room.
At the heart of the collaboration is Time After Time, an original pop track shaped by EJAE’s long-standing relationship with music on the road. The song did not begin as a commissioned idea or a marketing exercise. Its roots trace back to a familiar creative moment. One of EJAE’s most celebrated melodies was first captured as a simple voice note recorded in a car, a fleeting spark preserved before it could disappear. That instinct to use the car as a place to listen, reflect, and create is what made the partnership feel authentic from the start.
For artists at the top of their craft, the so-called car test remains essential. It is the moment when music leaves the controlled environment of the studio and meets the real world. Subtle imbalances, emotional shifts, or unexpected textures often reveal themselves through a car’s sound system. EJAE describes the car as the place where she reconnects with her work as a listener rather than a creator, sitting for hours with a track on repeat, absorbing every layer and emotional nuance. It is an honest test of whether a song truly works.
This philosophy aligns closely with the design intent of the Volvo XC60. Inside, the cabin is engineered to create a sense of calm, shielding occupants from outside noise and distraction. That serenity transforms the interior into a focused listening environment, one that allows music to breathe. The available Bowers & Wilkins premium sound system plays a central role in that experience. With 15 high-fidelity speakers and carefully tuned acoustics, it delivers sound that is immersive yet precise, ensuring that every detail reaches the listener exactly as the artist intended.
The system’s four listening modes offer distinct ways to experience music, from studio-flat accuracy to the rich spatial character inspired by the Gothenburg Concert Hall. Rather than colouring the sound, the aim is clarity and authenticity, qualities that resonate with musicians who care deeply about how their work is heard beyond the studio walls.
Time After Time reflects this connection between everyday experience and creative output. In a subtle nod to the XC60, its iconic turn signal sound is woven into the track, almost imperceptibly. The gesture reinforces the idea that inspiration is not confined to traditional creative spaces. It lives in routines, in familiar sounds, and in moments that might otherwise go unnoticed.
The result is a collaboration that feels grounded and human. Rather than positioning the car as a backdrop, Volvo Cars and EJAE present it as an active part of the creative process. A place where ideas are captured in real time, where music is tested honestly, and where listening becomes an experience in its own right.
