Picture it. Coachella 2023.
The Californian sun simmers behind the main stage, setting with an ephemeral glimmer. A warm hue paints the night sky. The air is tight. You look around. Bodies upon bodies. Sweat drips and hair sticks. Eyes dart from left to right, energised by anticipation.
The Ferris wheel, alight with splendid shades of neon, spins with a mesmeric blur. Palm trees strike an unmistakable silhouette on the horizon. Nervous whispers spread through the crowd as the appetite for artistry grows.
Snap. The lights cut. The Ferris wheel lets out a mechanical howl and squeals to a stop. A sepulchral silence creeps through the crowd. You can feel it. All roads have led to this moment. You’ve made it.
Then you hear it. Like a summer’s haze, a falsetto crafted from the finest silk coos on the airwaves. It’s tantalising. It’s magnetic. It’s what we’ve been waiting for. The gossamer delivery of “don’t f*ck with me, don’t f*ck with me” enters the mix. A mass of cheer begins to boil, and goosebumps rise on the back of your neck. A black silhouette of a figure glides to the centre of the stage. Hand claps spark from the speakers and the figure utters “I went where the water was flowing”.
That’s when it happens. The lights erupt and crazed 808s blast underneath the ethereal voice. “I know I’ve been gone a long time, but I’m back and I want what is mine” sings the figure again, adorned in jet-black combat gear and Matrix-chic shades. You think it’s happening. You must have made it to the musical promised land. It’s the one you’ve been waiting a decade for. No, a lifetime for. It’s Jai Paul.
The set continues, and the hypnotic bass of ‘Vibin’’ drives its way over the desert terrain. The pulsating synths enchant the sea of spectators. Once frantic eyes are now coated in a fantastical ocean blue lustre, gawping sedately ahead. ‘100,000’ roars from the speakers and Paul comes to the edge of the stage and raises his hands. A shower of stars erupts above him, igniting the darkening sky in glistening comets of amber and gold. “I’ll be a hundred thousand light years away” he trills.
‘Str8 Outta Mumbai’ is next. As Ravi Shankar’s sample reaches its glorious crescendo, the ground shakes and if the rumours are true, the mass of Pangea is colliding just off the coast. A global utopia. Finally. The trembling bass line of ‘Jasmine’ rumbles through your body, and as the lyrics “make my dreams come true” quiver from Paul’s microphone you feel your body become weightless. As if released from the constraints of gravity you soar…
Hold up. What’s happening here? I need to wake up.
Now I’ll admit, dreams of Jai Paul performing live have crossed my mind over the years, none more so ridiculous than that just described. However, Coachella 2023’s line-up announcement left my mind reeling, and for good reason. If you are unfamiliar with the beguiling story of Jai Paul, pay attention, because it’s a compelling one.
In short, Paul grew to prominence in 2011 following the release of his eclectic debut single ‘BTSTU (Edit)’ and the 2012 neon-funk follow-up ‘Jasmine (Demo)’. The former, an abbreviation of ‘Back To Save The Universe’, was sampled by both Beyoncé and Drake, whilst the latter validated the spiralling hype surrounding Jai’s creative output. In the words of contemporary electronic artist Caribou, Jai’s work “lives in its own world”. Flowing between the borders of pop, electronic, R&B, and funk, he seamlessly threaded genres into songs that shimmered with an inimitably timeless sound. For Paul, it seemed, he had the industry at his mercy. However, in April 2013, a collection of unfinished demos was stolen from a burned CD and leaked onto Bandcamp.
As rumours and rampant speculation surrounding the leak grew, Jai retreated. Robbed of creative autonomy, Paul embarked on a six-year hiatus. Despite this, the leaked album sent shockwaves through the industry, inspiring the likes of KAYTRANADA, Kenny Beats, NAO, Mura Masa, Flume, and Lorde, among countless others. The barrage of public appraisal towards the leak was a jarring contrast to Paul’s own pain towards them.
News of Paul was scarce for years until 2016 when Jai, alongside his collaborator and brother, A. K. Paul, announced the creation of a music label dubbed the Paul Institute. The pair sought to nurture the abilities of other unknown nascent talents. A. K. Paul, Fabiana Palladino, Ruthven, REINEN, HIRA, and Pen Pals have all released singles through the Institute, and went on to release the diverse ‘Summer 2020’ EP.
However, it was 2019 that turned out to be the turning point for Jai Paul when he returned from his hiatus with the official release of his leaked album, now dubbed Leak 04-13 (Bait Ones), the stunning double B-side singles ‘Do You Love Her Now / He’, and a Bronze AI release of ‘Jasmine’. However, aside from a 10-year celebration of ‘BTSTU’ and a fleeting cameo in Donald Glover’s Atlanta, little had been heard from Paul since his long-awaited re-emergence in 2019.
That was until January 10th this year. Alongside fellow enigmatic musical wizard Frank Ocean, Jai Paul will perform his first-ever live show on April 16th and April 23rd this coming spring.
Paul is a slave to silence. After Jai’s album initially leaked, fans were told “statement to follow later”. It took six years for the statement to emerge. During this time, theories thrived, and Jai’s narrative was defined by everyone but himself. His return in 2019 saw him harness control, yet another three-and-a-half-year absence had fans filling in the blanks yet again.
‘Real heads’ like myself have waited a decade for this moment. Dreams have been dreamt. Expectations have been warped. But ultimately, Jai doesn’t owe me, or any fans like me, anything. I love his work and likely always will. I’m not counting on him coming back to save the universe, or even reform Pangea. So, as Coachella 2023 approaches, I merely urge casual and fanatic listeners alike to crane an ear, cast a glance, and appreciate an artist performing music the way that he intends. Let’s just hope that this time, maybe, just maybe, he’s here to stay.
Oliver Clark | Copywriter 