Nora Fatehi Likes to Colour Outside the Lines

We've known her as the performer that she is. Now, with an EP and a global tour on the way, Nora is ready to show her fans a new side—one that’s irrefutably her own.

- Ananya Rai

It wouldn't be quite right to say that Nora Fatehi is finally coming into her own, for she has been a sought-after star in Bollywood for almost a decade. However, the current era of hers finally feels... more her. She concurs. “My debut EP [yet to be released] is very close to my heart because it's the first time I'm putting out a body of work that really represents who I am as an artist. It's going to be a blend of sounds and all the influences that have shaped me, but in a way that feels fresh and global,” she tells Cosmo.

When Fatehi signed a recording contract with Warner Music Group in 2024, she knew she was onto something. Since then, the 33-year-old has dropped one banger after another. The one that made the most noise still remains Snake, in collaboration with American singer-songwriter Jason Derulo. Talking about how it came together, Fatehi mentions that it was American producer Tommy Brown who felt it would be the best fit for Derulo and her to work on it together. “We [Derulo and Fatehi] both wanted to create something that felt global but still had that unique factor. We pushed each other to bring our best, and I think that's why Snake feels so powerful as a track—and visually as well. It was definitely one of those collaborations that reminded me why I love doing what I do,” she says.

Her latest single, Oh Mama! Tetema, in collaboration with Tanzanian musician and songwriter Rayvanny, is the kind of earworm you can't shake off. For Fatehi, the track was about celebrating rhythm and culture unapologetically, while making sure the choreography stood out on its own. And this wasn't the first time the duo teamed up. Back in 2019, they joined forces for