Volvo Car USA has teamed up with award-winning singer and songwriter EJAE on a new original track titled “Time After Time,” highlighting how modern vehicles can play an instrumental role in the creation and enjoyment of music.
It may be a marketing play, but the partnership underscores a growing trend in automotive culture where premium cabins are being designed as immersive listening environments that rival recording studios and concert halls in clarity and experience.
The Car as Creative Catalyst
The idea behind the collaboration was sparked by a moment many music lovers will recognize. EJAE first captured the melody for one of her celebrated songs as a simple voice note inside a vehicle. That raw, formative connection between artist and automobile is central to the new campaign.
EJAE regularly uses cars to perform what many in the industry call the car test, evaluating a song’s mix and feel outside of the studio to ensure it resonates the way she intends with real listeners.
In her words, the car is where she connects with her music not just as a creator but as someone who listens deeply.
At the heart of this experience is the Volvo XC60, a mid-size luxury SUV that Volvo engineers have meticulously refined to deliver acoustic excellence. The XC60 cabin has long been praised for its sense of serenity and refined interior space.
Now, when equipped with the Bowers & Wilkins premium sound system, the SUV becomes something closer to a mobile performance space. The system includes 15 high-fidelity speakers that deliver rich tonal balance and precise imaging, giving both driver and passengers an enveloping audio experience.
Engineering a Mobile Concert Hall
Bowers & Wilkins is a name familiar to audiophiles globally.
The British audio specialist has built its reputation on clarity and natural sound reproduction, characteristics that translate exceptionally well inside Volvo vehicles. For the XC60, the system offers four distinct listening modes.
These modes allow passsengers to tailor the audio atmosphere to suit different source material or personal preferences, ranging from a neutral, studio-flat sound ideal for detailed listening to a Concert Hall mode calibrated to mimic the acoustic signature of the Gothenburg Concert Hall in Sweden.
This level of detail is no accident. Volvo and Bowers & Wilkins work closely from the early stages of vehicle design, ensuring speaker placement and cabin acoustics are tuned to the car’s unique interior. That collaboration results in sound that feels spacious and accurate across all seating positions.
For artists like EJAE, that precision matters because it preserves subtleties in the music that can be lost in lesser systems.
Composers and producers often reference these systems to hear every layer and emotion in a track, making the XC60 a fitting platform for showcasing music in its purest form outside of dedicated listening environments.
A Collaboration in Detail
The partnership between Volvo Car USA and EJAE extends beyond celebrating sound quality. It is also creative. The new single “Time After Time” features a subtle nod to the XC60 itself by integrating the vehicle’s iconic turn signal sound into the music.
This playful integration draws attention to how cars influence the soundtrack of our lives, turning everyday elements into inspiration.
Janique Helson, Head of Brand Marketing, Content & Creative Services at Volvo Car USA, emphasized that this collaboration reflects a shared belief in the importance of motion as a catalyst for creativity.
She notes that both Volvo and EJAE value the relentless pursuit of getting every detail right, whether in musical composition or in crafting a premium car interior that supports emotional connection and engagement with the world outside.
“Time After Time” is now available on all major streaming platforms. Fans of the artist and automotive enthusiasts are encouraged to listen while experiencing the XC60, bringing to life the very essence of what this unique partnership aims to showcase: a place where music and motion come together naturally.
Sources: Volvo Cars, Bowers & Wilkins