Nigerian-born, UK-based artist Nino Mayanna returns with Aje, a bold Afrobeat–R&B–pop release built on self-belief, resilience, and lived experience beneath its vibrant pull.
Raised on the streets of Lagos, Mayanna’s life shifted sharply at 11 when her father assumed his ancestral throne — thrusting her into public life but not altering her direction. Music, not royalty, remained the constant.
A life-altering gas explosion in 2007 became a breaking point that sharpened Mayanna’s creative voice. Songwriting became a refuge, shaping her genre-blending approach and the purposeful use of the talking drum in contemporary R&B.
Now a multitalented performer and First Class Master’s graduate in Performing Arts Research, Mayanna continues to build deliberately. Collaboration, craft, and authenticity sit at the core of her work — and Aje captures that focus cleanly.
Sung in English and Nigerian Pidgin, Aje speaks directly to pressure from those who misunderstand the hustle. It’s about choosing your own path, wanting stability, and asking for support instead of doubt.
The song was born in a stripped-back studio session, shaped by scarcity as much as ambition — lyrics and energy forming in real time as circumstance dictated tone. Nino says:
Aje comes from a real moment in my life where people close to me questioned the way I hustle. I’m telling them not to be upset – I’m grinding because no one else can provide for me. The song reflects wanting a comfortable life, choosing my own path, and asking those close to me to support me instead of doubting my drive.
That honesty drives Aje forward. Afrobeat rhythms bring dancefloor lift, grounded by grit over gloss — a celebration with context for anyone moving ahead on their own terms, where the grind and the journey move as one.