LEGACY REVIEW #1: JAI PAUL’S LEAK 04-13 (BAIT ONES): WHAT’S IT LIKE TO HEAR NEW COLORS
It has been just over a decade since Jai Paul’s album was leaked, and it still stands to be one of the most vibrant albums of the 2010s.
If you know Jai Paul, you know his story.
If you don’t, here is a quick summary:
Elusive Myspace user uploads a single, BTSTU, which takes the internet by storm, gets sampled by Drake and Beyonce the same year, signs to XL Recordings, then goes dark, leaving fans impatient and waiting for what’s to come next. Tragedy then strikes- someone else puts up his album on Bandcamp, and it spreads like wildfire before he could get it taken down.
It was something new- a blend of R&B, electro pop, electronic music, hip-hop… you just can’t put your finger on one thing it is. Even in its unfinished state, it sounded refreshing, with colorful washes of synths, echoey guitar riffs, funk-infused bass lines, demanding drums, and that instantly recognizable falsetto. People loved it.
Even with it achieving major accolades and garnering hefty praise from the likes of pop music’s biggest stars such as Ed Sheeran, a distraught Jai Paul swore off making music, as he didn’t trust the industry he found himself in. Fans wondered what would have been of the pop innovator had his story not unfolded the way it did.
In the last 5 years though, Jai has slowly been making a return to the spotlight: he started his own record label with his brother, released finished songs, put the album up on official streaming services. He followed this performance up with performances in both London and NYC in May, giving people a taste of what Jai Paul sounds like live.
“What’s 30 more minutes after 10 years?” was his opening line to the first NYC show after arriving late to the stage. It’s safe to say Jai is making a comeback.
I’m not here to talk about his return though. I’m here to talk about the album that never was, Leak 04-13 (Bait Ones).
The project opens with a 10-second vocal snippet describing Jai as “one of the bredrins.” It gives the listener a sense of sincerity and makes Paul feel more familiar to you than you would think. We get kicked right in the gut just seconds later though, as Str8 Outta Mumbai’s rattling Southeast Asian drums shake you up. The patter of toms set the rhythm as echoey guitar flanges around in your ears. It sounds so distant yet so close, so familiar yet so new. It cuts through the mix with a sharp demanding tone- it wants you to know it is leading this song. The track then lays down a digital bass line and a bigger-than-life kick to contrast the analog sounds which Jai had been using for the opening 30 seconds. It is a collage of warm sounds which leave you astonished. How did he do that? Before you can answer your question, glimmering arpeggios shimmer across your eardrums without taking away any of the initial wow factor you’re captivated by. A saxophone even makes an appearance, somewhat feeding into the cheesy but sweet love-at-first-sight theme Jai is going for. Speaking of Jai- his airy vocals stand above the mix, similarly echoey as the guitar. He sings about the nervousness which comes with the idea of love at first sight, aligning seamlessly with the bubbly soundscape he’s created. Before you know it the track is over, and as Jai croons in the chorus, you “don’t know what to do, and you don’t know what to say.” What an opener.
Crashing waves of vibrant sound wash through the caves of your ears, pulling and pushing with the tide, and serving as the introduction and basis of the next track, Zion Wolf Theme. the slow dominance of these waves of brightly colored synths is backed by the crunching fizzle of the foamy claps and drowned kicks. Its slow pace contrasts the hyperactive energy of the previous track but keeps steady with the emotions being conveyed: romance. Jai begs the question to his lover of if he can make her fall in love with him, and if she were by his side could he "make it through the night?" Jai's delivery is smooth and is on point for what he is trying to convey, working brilliantly with loosely layered but still intimate instrumental.
Garden Of Paradise follows after somewhat changing the climate of the album that we have heard so far; with a short runtime of only a minute and sixteen seconds, this track serves more as an interlude rather than a finished piece (hence the word unfinished in its title, such as many of the other tracks on this record), and features a blaring arpeggio and the same washed synth heard on Zion Wolf Theme. Paul uses the same drum machine as the previous tracks as well, bringing a tightly knit sound to the album.
Genevieve returns the disarray initially introduced with Str8 Outta Mumbai, the quick-paced tapping of anxious high hats followed with the return of the bouncing bass kick and the now tightly strung synth giving us a taste of the ecstatic and upbeat mannerisms this record has flowing through it. We are also introduced to new sounds: a cowbell, a new layer of synths, and a grimy synthetic bassline that feels like grinding your teeth, switching in and out with a bass guitar bringing in some warmth to the digitized track. It is gritty, and exactly the high-octane emotion that Jai evidently wanted to bring to the table when talking about chasing after Genevieve as he begs for her to come back to him, arguing that although it isn't easy to love him it doesn't mean it isn't meant to be.
the following track, Raw Beat, is another brief instrumental cut from the project that is undeniably left unfinished, using a vocal sample talking about the enjoyment the narrator feels when eating raw meat, before breaking down into a spiraling instrumental of whirring synths and backing vocals from Jai. I wish he had the chance to have finished this one, as it sounds very promising, and would have been interesting to hear fully finished.
Crush follows the dismissive nature of Jai talking about a person which he is romantically interested in, while still describing all the intense moments between him and his "crush" that he is trying to see as "just some little thing." This track is yet another that is so undeniably smooth. We see Jai blend the now easily recognizable synth used across the project with slick guitar licks, booming kicks that also make up for the bass, and loose tom patterns that jump from ear to ear. It is gorgeous, and a true testament to Jai's diverse and lush sound.
Another short track hits us after Crush, with Good Time coming in at just twenty-seven seconds. It sounds similar to Genevieve, almost as if it was initially meant to be the back-end of the song, as Jai's synthpop influence rages on this track as he says he "Just wanna have a good time." Another song I wish Jai had the chance to finish before it was leaked, but alas, we can't have everything now, can we?
The pulsating rhythm of Jasmine almost feels alienating at first, making you question what world you stumbled into, only to be soon put at ease by the silky backing guitar, Jai's soothing falsetto, and a couple of layered, very funky guitar riffs that add to the alien aesthetics of this song, adding to the pulsating sensation that an alien ship or new planet could be found in a graphic novel or film; this song is otherworldly. Jai also feels a sense of alienation from his new lover, who he is questioning and begging to see once more to make things right. This track is very unique and riddled with new textures and patterns for you to find with every listen, and is a great culmination not only of Jai himself but all his influences, bringing all of them together into one song perfectly.
100,000 is a track that cadences I hear everywhere in modern pop today. Jai's high falsetto has clearly inspired that of pop megastars such as Harry Styles, with it having such a stride, especially when paired with his blocky cadence. The track is another one that showcases his love for heavy synth arpeggios and big-hitting drums, greatly countering his airy vocal performance. While this track is great, it isn't inherently one of my favorites off of this album due to its very outplayed theatrics and somewhat repetitive sound that dominates its practically three-minute runtime.
The beachy sounds presented on earlier tracks off this record return with the near-dub guitar style presented on Vibin', a sparsely layered, funk-filled track stepping away from the electronic sounds of the rest of the record, while still keeping its eclectic, bass-driven sound. Jai's vocals spin around you, bouncing around the walls of your mind, cutting in and out of your thoughts as he begs his lover to wait for him once more. It is one of the spaciest tracks on the record, filling the atmosphere and taking an almost psychedelic approach to Jai's pop sound.
Baby Beat is somewhat self-explanatory- another short song with vocals dominating the groove of the track, this time as Jai samples himself saying baby and putting it on a loop. It's fun but isn't inherently worth returning to as it is just so short and more repetitive than the other short snippets riddled across the album's tracklist.
The energetic grooves are picked back up on Desert River, with a growling bassline and face-slap claps moving you across the room. It makes you want to bounce and dance and move and has some of my favorite sound selections on the entire album. There is a moodiness that hangs across this song, but one that makes it so fun to listen to. The darker, harsher-toned synths are not used out of malice, but out of joy, making moody sounds fun and danceable when paired with Jai's magic. Vocally, this track has some of my favorite performances from Jai as well as he fluidly flows between cadences like that of a river. This track feels successful and boastful, especially as Jai describes himself as "the heart of the burning sun."Does that not scream success to you?
The final short track to come across in the tracklist is Chix, taking a more R&B approach as Jai smooth talks his lover into giving him their "time and your company." It has a fun bounce to it and features a lush section of strings sampled for the entire track, and shimmering synths (if you could not tell already, these are a common feature across this record.) This is yet another track I wish was longer.
We come to a close with the track All Night; reminiscent of warm summer breezes in the evening as the sunsets and the world calms down, preparing for the day coming after. This track is full of warmth, with pacifying melodies playing from a variety of instruments, both new and old to the album, creating this thick air around the song. Jai uses his vocals as an instrument as well, layering them in with the synths, guitar, and drums, adding to the psychedelic-naturalistic sound that this track embodies. Jai's relaxed vocals match the oozing instrumental, and feel like a perfect way to end this chaotic romance record, as he finally finds the love that he has been searching for, ending his incessant chase for romance.
BTSTU is slapped on to the end of this album almost as a bonus as well due to its large levels of success but doesn't necessarily feel right being placed at the very end of the tracklist, throwing off the relaxed nature of its closing songs with its chaotic vaporizing melodies. This by all means does not make it a bad track, yet an awkward placement. BTSTU is a testament to what Jai Paul is: generational synth pop. Its infectious, gritty, and oversaturated melody paired with the natural sound of Jai's voice make for something truly unique within pop music and electronic music, leaving everyone who hears it in awe no matter how many times you hear it. Even in its unfinished, lo-fi state, it is larger than life and stunning.
Jai Paul had the clarity of being able to finish and release his project on his terms stripped away from him prematurely, leaving him disheveled and deeply mistrusting of the industry he loved. With that said though, this record is groundbreaking and leagues ahead of its time, even in its unfinished state. It makes one question what Jai Paul could have been had he been able to finish this record, and what it would have sounded like had he been able to. What is also impressive is that even with a limited set of sounds, Jai was able to make each and every track unique and personal, breathing life into everyone separately. It does not sound repetitive nor boring, but rather the opposite, making for an exhilarating and playful listen. This record is incredible, and I, just like many others, hope Jai will be able to deliver it's follow-up very soon.
Thanks for prompting me to revisit this album :)