“Because Jai Paul isn’t used to performing in front of a crowd, much less to a crowd of thousands at one of the biggest festivals in the world, it was clear he had some understandable nerves,” Uproxx’s Carolyn Droke relayed from Coachella. “Unlike seasoned performers like Blackpink or Charli XCX, Jai Paul didn’t address the crowd during his set or try to hype up the audience. Instead, he walked out on stage and launched straight into the music. Even still, his dance-y beats and impressive falsetto vocals were enough to win over the crowd.”
Paul has since performed at Brooklyn Steel in Brooklyn, New York, and Outernet in his native London, so he should feel more comfortable when he embarks on headlining dates to close out 2023, as announced on Monday (August 21).
First, Paul will deliver back-to-back nights at The Mayan Theater in Los Angeles on September 26 and 27. He’ll squeeze in a performance at The Regency Ballroom in San Francisco, California on September 29 before bopping over to the Portola Music Festival at San Francisco’s Pier 80 on September 30.
Paul will then make his live debuts in Paris (November 27) and Berlin (November 28), rounding out the mini run with back-to-back nights in Melbourne, Australia on December 4 and 5.
Per press release, tickets will only be available for purchase via ballot on Paul’s official website.
“For a chance to purchase tickets, fans should sign up by 10 p.m. PST on Wednesday, August 23 for Los Angeles and San Francisco and by 9 a.m. local time on Monday, August 28 for Paris, Berlin and Australia,” it reads. “Ticket purchases will be limited to two per person. All ballot winners will be notified by email on Monday, August 28.”
Find all dates listed below.
09/26 — Los Angeles, CA @ The Mayan Theater
09/27 — Los Angeles, CA @ The Mayan Theater
09/29 — San Francisco, CA @ The Regency Ballroom
09/30 — San Francisco, CA @ Portola Music Festival
11/27 — Paris, FR @ Élysée Montmartre
11/28 — Berlin, DE @ Huxley’s
12/04 — Melbourne, Australia @ 170 Russell
12/05 — Melbourne, Australia @ 170 Russell
An hour or so before the scheduled start time, the line for merch snaked across the entire venue, and the room slowly filled to capacity. The show was set to begin at 9:00, but Jai Paul came out right on time at 9:30.
As far as the show itself, it was fantastic. The band sounded tight, Jai’s voice was perfect, and musically, it was exactly what I’d wanted. The setlist was identical to night one, but I wouldn’t change a thing. That final run of “Do You Love Her Now, “Jasmine,” “BTSTU,” and Str8 Outta Mumbai” was immaculate.
As soon as the crowd cheered and Jai walked off stage, part of me was certain that I just witnessed exactly what I’ve wanted from Jai Paul for so long. But part of me was still craving something more. These are his first shows, over a decade after he introduced us to songs that we now consider era-defining classics. Songs we grew up listening to, from an artist who has given us so little of himself. I was looking for signs that this moment means as much to him as it does to us. Does it not? Is this show any more exciting for him than a typical Wednesday night? Does he even get excited? What’s next? Where do we go from here?
During the show, I expected him to break character and—even if only for a moment—acknowledge the gravity of this situation. He didn’t do that. He ripped through that stacked setlist, and he sounded amazing.
During the show, I expected him to break character and—even if only for a moment—acknowledge the gravity of this situation. He didn’t do that. He ripped through that stacked setlist, and he sounded amazing. But outside of delivering great live versions of the songs we all love, there was nothing. No between-song banter, no pause for addressing the audience, no hints about the future. A few times he lifted prayer hands above his head and murmured a quick “thank you,” but aside from that he mostly stood still, occasionally brushing his long, dyed blonde hair off his sunglasses and timidly swaying or bopping. He did his job, said a final thank you, and exited the stage as if it was any other show from any other artist who had performed hundreds more times than Jai Paul has. No encore. Lights on, crowd herded towards the doors.
I hopped in an Uber home, shared the obligatory Instagram stories to prove my attendance, and heard from friends who we were jealous.
This morning I started the day off by listening back to those songs, some of which I first heard over a decade ago when I was still finding my footing and Pigeons & Planes was a floundering music blog start-up peddling MP3s. I looked at the five or so Jai Paul pictures from those early days, read more about the whole demo leak debacle. I was back in the same mindset that I’ve always been in as a Jai Paul fan, searching for clues.
I don’t know if an artist like Jai Paul can ever exist again, at least not in the same way, or not any time soon. Can you hold the attention of the internet with a few demos in the era of deep fakes and 15-second snippets? Can you rely on the media and a couple of choice co-signs to boost an artist to such a level of notoriety, even without a social presence or any character development? Can you go years without releasing music or showing face and not lose relevance? At least we know they’ll never be able to make an AI Jai Paul. Not enough references, not enough hope. Nobody will believe it.
As fans, we still have more questions than answers. But it was a great show, and maybe that’s how it’s supposed to be with an artist like Jai Paul.
Jai Paul is an enigma, a hero, and we don’t get a lot of those in the modern music industry, so you’ve got to respect his unwillingness to bend. At this stage, it all adds to his legacy and the lore even more, and we are entitled to nothing. Who knows how he’s feeling about these shows. Who knows what he’s planning next, or if he’s enjoying himself up there, if he’s intentionally perpetuating the mystery or if he’s just simply shy. As fans, we still have more questions than answers. But it was a great show, and maybe that’s how it’s supposed to be with an artist like Jai Paul. Maybe that’s why we adore him, and maybe we should just appreciate what he decides to give us. Maybe searching for answers and expecting nothing is part of the fun.
I know I’m thankful, begrudgingly appreciative of the way Jai Paul has moved, leaving even the most skeptical of music fans unable to doubt this legend for a second. He’s too good, too real, and he’s clearly not doing it for anyone except himself.
One thing is clear: I’m still a fan. Even if I’m not the “good” kind, I’m still listening, still wanting more. And at the end of the day, that’s what matters.
“Did you notice the wind stop?” Blackpink’s Rosé asked a crowd of thousands of screaming fans during their main stage headlining set. “I think it was all the Blinks,” she said. It was an example of how everyone, including the weather, seemed to stop in anticipation of Blackpink’s historic set during day two of Coachella 2023. With artists like the K-pop megagroup, Rosalía, Labrinth, and Jai Paul‘s first-ever concert, day two was certainly one to remember. Let’s recap what we saw.
Friday night, Bad Bunny became the first-ever Latin solo artist to headline the main Coachella stage. This time, Blackpink were the ones making history. The girl group became the first-ever Korean act to headline the festival, and they certainly delivered on expectation. The four pop stars opened with their hit number “Pink Venom” and it didn’t take long for fireworks to light up the stage, mirroring the group’s explosive energy. Everything from their engaging choreography to their black-and-pink outfits were expertly planned. A long stage bisecting the crowd allowed them ample space to move around and highlight their collective force, while the big-screen cameras were more focused on giving each of the individual performers their spotlight moment. After launching into tracks like “Kill This Love” and “How You Like That,” Blackpink gave each member the opportunity to shine with their solo efforts. Jennie was first, singing her solo number “You & Me” complete with a dance break. Jisoo, the last Blackpink member to release a solo track, delivered her song “Flower,” which dropped only a few weeks ago. Rosé was next with a version of “On The Ground” and “Gone” and Lisa came last in the solo act lineup with her track “Money,” which had the crowd screaming along.
Blackpink’s set wasn’t the only historic Coachella performance of the night. All eyes were on Jai Paul, who had his first-ever performance. That’s right — not just his first-ever Coachella performance, but his first time performing live ever. The UK artist gained popularity over a decade ago but took an extended hiatus after his music was leaked online. In 2019, the artist returned to drop his music in an official capacity. Because Jai Paul isn’t used to performing in front of a crowd, much less to a crowd of thousands at one of the biggest festivals in the world, it was clear he had some understandable nerves. Unlike seasoned performers like Blackpink or Charli XCX, Jai Paul didn’t address the crowd during his set or try to hype up the audience. Instead, he walked out on stage and launched straight into the music. Even still, his dance-y beats and impressive falsetto vocals were enough to win over the crowd as he played fan-favorite tracks like “Jasmine,” “BTSTU,” and “Str8 Outta Mumbai.”
Philip Cosores
Speaking of stage presence, Charli XCX was in full pop star mode. Backed by an electric stage design and small group of immensely talented back-up dancers, Charli showed off her full potential with fun choreography and hyped-up crowd engagement. She continually addressed the crowd during her set, keeping the energy high and eliciting consistent screams of approval from fans. She even shouted out the other artists who would take the main stage after her, saying: “This song is for all my bad girls out there. All the bad girls who came to see me, Rosalía and BLACKPINK in your f*cking area.” It seemed like the entire festival was collectively jumping to songs like “I Love It” and “Vroom Vroom.” She also brought out a surprise guest; fellow singer Troye Sivan joined her for an engaging rendition of “1999” that had the crowd partying like it was 1999.
Rosalía was another seasoned performer who took the Coachella stage. As those watching the livestream at home saw, Rosalía really put her all into her emotional set. At one point, the singer dimmed the lights and poured her heart out to “Diablo.” The singer’s choreography and camera work were un-matched but as a viewer at the festival, it felt like Rosalía was much more focused on giving a performance to the livestream camera rather than to the crowd. Still, she had some touching fan interactions, like when she grabbed one of the cameras and walked out to the crowd barrier to let some fans scream her lyrics into the microphone. Later on in her set, Rosalía brought out a special guest: her recent fiancé, Rauw Alejandro. Together, the two delivered a few tracks off their collaborative EP and shared some adorable moments on stage.
Philip Cosores
Rosalía and Charli XCX weren’t the only artists to bring out big stars during their set. Labrinth closed out the Mojave tent on Saturday night, inviting none other than Billie Eilish to perform their joint track “Never Felt So Alone” to the delight of the screaming crowd. He displayed his powerful vocals while delivering a number of intimate tracks like “Mount Everest” and “Still Don’t Know My Name.” Similarly, Boygenius’ set had many intimate moments, though the crowd was much more sparsely attended since fans had already started packing in to see Blackpink at the next stage over. The group consisting of Phoebe Bridgers, Julien Baker, and Lucy Dacus kicked off their set with the a cappella number “With You Without Them” and a hard-rocking rendition of “$20” before moving into quieter numbers like “Emily I’m Sorry.”
Tonight (April 15), Jai Paul delivered his first live performance — ever. Paul made his live concert debut on the Mojave Stage at Coachella.
Granted, while fans weren’t sure what to expect from a Jai Paul performance, given the fact that there’s nothing to really go off of, his set was one of the biggest draws at this year’s festival. During his set, Paul performed some fan favorites, including “Genevieve” and “100,000.” It’s worth noting that while fans on-site were able to capture parts of the performance, the live stream wasn’t shared on YouTube, thus adding to Paul’s elusivity.
Over the course of more than years in the industry, Paul has laid relatively low. Since signing to XL Recordings in 2011, he has only released three official singles, however, his early material has greatly influenced the music landscape as a hole. “BTSTU” has been sampled by artists like Drake and Beyoncé, and “Jasmine” received much critical acclaim upon its release.
Shortly before his Coachella performance, Paul released a compilation called Leak 04-13 (Bait Ones) on vinyl. This is a collection of demos that leaked online 10 years ago, but never materialized into an actual album. Only 3,000 copies of the vinyls were made available for a brief period of 24 hours.
You can check out clips of Jai Paul’s first-ever live performance at Coachella above.
Back in 2013, several demo tracks from British recording artist Jai Paul leaked onto the internet. Over the years, these demos have been held in high regard from fans, who have insisted that Paul release mixed and mastered versions of these tracks. Though he has yet to release polished versions of the songs, he did release the demos in the form of a compilation titled Leak 04-13 (Bait Ones) on digital platforms back in 2019.
Tomorrow (April 13), Leak 04-13 (Bait Ones) will be available for purchase on vinyl for the first time. The vinyl drop date coincides with the 10th anniversary of when the demos first surfaced onto the internet. But there’s a catch — only 3,000 copies of the vinyl have been pressed, and they will only be available for purchase for 24 hours.
What’s more, Jai Paul is performing his first live show ever. The 34-year-old songwriter and producer is known for his enigmatic nature. Fellow Coachella performer Kaytranda expressed enthusiasm on Twitter: “forget about me performing, i’m going to see Jai Paul.”
forget about me performing, i’m going to see Jai Paul
Paul returned in 2019 with his first material since his debut album leak in 2013. “I wanted to use this opportunity to share a little information about what happened regarding my music in April 2013,” he wrote at the time. “As you may know, some of my unfinished demos were put up for sale illegally via Bandcamp. The leak consisted of a fairly random collection of tracks I had made over quite a long period of time (from roughly 2007 to 2013), in various stages of completion. Some are short skits and beats from my MySpace page back in the day before I signed a record deal. A large proportion of this music was to be completed and released officially in some format.”
He’ll be performing Sunday, April 16 and 23, the same days as Ocean.
(@TeamBandL) 
