Otito J-E on “Golden Girl” and Daring to Dream

Who or what is the "Golden Girl" in the song, and what moment or feeling first pushed you to write about her?

Otito J-E: Golden Girl is about a friend of mine who I'm still very good friends with today. Back in my university days, I had what I'd call a crush on her. We were getting to know each other during those first couple of weeks, hanging out, chatting and sending messages. It was that whole rush of getting to know someone and feeling something exciting beginning to develop.

I think I wanted to find a way to express those feelings, but I also wanted to build on the idea of what a “Golden Girl” represented to me at the time. I thought it would be interesting to write a song that might impress her, but also capture what it feels like to have those emotions for someone. It was my way of putting those feelings into music.

Walk us through how "Golden Girl" came together, from the first idea to the finished track: who was in the room, and what changed along the way?

Otito J-E: I'm a bit of a hermit, to be honest. I'm an introvert by nature. I can hold a room and entertain people, but when it comes to writing, I really enjoy being on my own. I like to sit with an idea, dig into it and explore the complexity of the writing without necessarily having someone else in the room.

I remember Adele had released an album around that time, and I was really taken by the way she approached songwriting. She didn't always follow the standard verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge structure. Sometimes, she would let a verse sit for a while before introducing the chorus. I became really interested in that feeling of tension and release: allowing the story to build before releasing the main emotion through the chorus.

I wanted to experiment with that approach in my own writing. With “Golden Girl”, I felt I'd come up with something I was genuinely excited about because the song doesn't necessarily flow like a typical pop song. It sits with the story for a while before releasing the main feeling at the heart of it. I was really happy with that because it felt like the structure was serving the story, rather than the other way around.

Another important part of the process was that I was learning to play guitar at the time. “Golden Girl” was one of the first songs I worked on while learning, so I needed to find chords that were simple enough for me to play and sing at the same time. But I didn't want the music to sound basic. The chords themselves were simple, yet the way I played them and moved between them made things more intricate. I loved discovering that I could create something interesting without having to make everything musically complicated.

There's a particular lyric that still makes me smile:

“My mind says I am just a fool

And my heart says, what’s a fool who’s got nothing to lose?”

I remember playing that part on the guitar and feeling so excited about how it all came together. It wasn't just the lyric itself; it was the poetry, the symmetry of the words and the way the guitar worked underneath them. Those moments when the writing and the music click together are incredibly satisfying.

Looking back, I think my playing and my approach to songwriting have become more refined over the years. But “Golden Girl” represents an important moment for me: learning an instrument, experimenting with song structure and discovering how much you can do with relatively simple ingredients.

When I was writing the song, there wasn't anyone else in the room. It was me, the guitar and the idea I was trying to bring to life. I needed that space to work through it, make mistakes and discover something that felt like my own.

What did you want the promo video for "Golden Girl" to show that the audio alone couldn't, and how did you shape its look and story?

Otito J-E: I haven't made a dedicated promo video for “Golden Girl” at this stage, so I've been exploring different ways to present the song through short videos, acoustic performances, lyric clips and personal storytelling.

For me, it's about all three things: helping people connect with the meaning behind the song, giving them a glimpse of who I am as an artist, and creating a feeling around the music that goes beyond simply listening to the track.

It's also an interesting way for me to experiment and see whether I can reach different new fans and communities through different types of content. Some people might connect with the lyrics, others might prefer hearing the song performed acoustically, while someone else might be drawn in by the personal story behind it.

I'm still learning and finding my feet with all of this, so I'm enjoying the process of trying different approaches and discovering what works. Ultimately, I want people to have different ways into the music and, hopefully, find something that resonates with them.

Where are you from, and how has that place, its sounds, people and music, found its way into what you make as Otito J-E?

Otito J-E: I'm British Nigerian. I was born in the beautiful city of Lagos, Nigeria, but I've lived in the UK since I was three years old. I probably feel more British in many ways, but I absolutely love my roots. There's something magical about that part of my identity, and I think it finds its way into my writing.

I'm based in Salisbury, and the surrounding countryside has become a really special place for me, particularly since COVID. I've spent time coming here to work on music with a friend, as well as doing practical, hands-on jobs together. It's helped me reconnect with how beautiful England and the UK can be.

There's something about the landscape here: the farmland, the cows, the open spaces and the people simply getting on with their lives and trying to be good people. It's given me room to think, create and appreciate the simple things.

I think that environment influenced my decision to approach “Golden Girl” acoustically. I wanted to strip everything back and keep the song natural to its core. I've been making music for a long time, and for my first solo release, I wanted to return to the basics and let the song breathe. In a way, the simplicity of the music reflects something of what I've found in this place.

You sign off with "Dream and Be." What does that phrase mean to you, and how does it guide the way you live and make music?

Otito J-E: “Dream and Be” comes from a philosophy I've carried with me for a long time. I used to be involved in a gospel and faith-based background, and I also did some youth work, looking after and supporting young people. During that time, I wanted to find something simple that I could believe in and use to inspire others.

The phrase I came up with was, “If you can dream, you can be.”

For me, it starts with the idea that if you can imagine something, you've already taken the first step towards it. You have to be able to picture something before you can begin to make it a reality. When I look at people who have achieved incredible things, I think about the fact that they must have had a dream at some point, too.

It's also something I return to when I'm feeling tired, lost or discouraged. I remind myself to dream and be. And that's exactly what I'm doing now with this music. I've spent a long time making music, and now I'm finally putting this project out into the world. Something that existed as an idea in my mind is becoming real because I've decided to pursue it.

It's almost become a mantra for me. I hope it can encourage other people to have confidence in themselves and believe in what they're capable of, just as it's helped me.

Tell us about the music that first made you want to become an artist, and how your sound has grown away from it or toward it since.

Otito J-E: Oh, this question brings back some memories!

One of the first musical memories I have is of my mum playing me Ray Charles' “I've Got a Woman”. I must have been about six or seven. I can still picture the cassette tape. She put it on, and we were dancing together. I was just a little boy having the time of my life!

Later, while I was still involved in gospel music, I remember being blown away by an amazing group called Tye Tribute and the G.A. They had a huge ensemble, combining a choir, percussion, a lead singer and a band. Musically and vocally, they were incredible. Imagine the musical scale and energy of Hamilton, but without the theatrical production. That's the sort of impact they had on me.

Since then, I've been fortunate enough to discover music across so many genres. I grew up listening to bands and artists like Paramore, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Bloc Party, Manic Street Preachers, Blur, Oasis and Evanescence. Then there are artists like Bill Withers and Michael Jackson, who have had a huge influence on how I listen to music and think about songwriting.

Bill Withers is probably still my favourite songwriter of all time. I love how he can draw you into a story, an idea or a situation with just a few words. There's something so powerful about that ability to communicate a feeling without needing to overexplain it.

I think I've moved away from the more obvious gospel influence in my sound, although some of it is still there in the way I sing. What's grown is my appreciation for music in all its forms. I don't really want to limit myself to one genre because I believe every genre has something beautiful to offer.

For me, it's about staying open, listening, learning and allowing all those different influences to find their way into what I create.

What are you working on next, and what do you hope listeners who discovered you through "Golden Girl" will find when they follow you there?

Otito J-E: I'm currently working with an amazing artist called Index Dex, who's from South Africa. He describes himself as a conversational rapper, and we're working together on an EP. It's been a lot of fun getting back into the writing process and exploring ideas together.

I'm also working with another friend on something quite different. All I'll say for now is that dub is involved!

As for what I hope people take away from “Golden Girl”, I hope it reminds them of that innocence of having a crush on someone, being completely smitten and having to decide what to do with those feelings. There's a particular excitement in that moment when you realise you feel something for someone and have to decide whether you're brave enough to act on it.

For me, the song is also a form of beautiful nostalgia. It reminds me of a time when something that might seem small to someone else felt incredibly important to me. Looking back, you can smile at those feelings and recognise how much you've grown, but that doesn't make them any less real.

And here's the thing: I did act on my feelings. I got rejected! But at least I wasn't afraid to try.

I think that's part of what I want people to take from the song. It's okay to be sincere about your feelings and emotions. It's okay to put yourself out there, even when you don't know how things will turn out. Sometimes you get the outcome you hoped for, and sometimes you don't, but there's value in being brave enough to try.

I hope people enjoy “Golden Girl”, find a little bit of themselves in it, and remember that growing up doesn't mean losing that part of yourself that dreams, feels and takes a chance.