Jai Paul at London’s Here Outernet — the man behind the pop myth

“Twelve years!” someone screamed repeatedly while pushing their way to the front of the crowd during the third song of Jai Paul’s concert. “Excuse me, sorry, but I’ve been waiting 12 years for this!” Rather than being annoyed, people around smiled understandingly.

Such was the jubilant mood at Outernet, because this was the first ever live appearance by the British-Indian singer, songwriter and producer in his home city, more than 12 years after his staggering debut single, “BTSTU”, became a viral hit.

The story goes that after releasing two tracks — which were admired and sampled by the likes of Beyoncé and Drake and covered by Ed Sheeran, leading to Paul working with OutKast’s Big Boi — a copy of his unfinished debut album was stolen and uploaded to the internet in 2013. Though the record, with its pioneering mix of lush electronics, boisterous pop and haunting R&B, was met with praise, Paul found the incident upsetting and he disappeared. In 2019, he re-emerged briefly with two gliding soft-rock tracks — before vanishing again. Then, a month ago, he played his first ever live show, becoming one of the most anticipated acts at California’s Coachella festival, and announcing balloted tickets for shows in New York and London.

Despite hardly being a household name, Paul’s first shows have drawn large and excitable crowds. Fans have had many years to project their own meaning on to this elusive enigma and his songs, with their beautiful, distant vocals. Paul has grown into a pop myth, and so seeing him incarnate was a jarring proposition, a strange reveal that risked not living up to all the hope and hype. Indeed, reports from his Coachella and New York sets were mixed; issues with sound, murmurings of an awkward stage presence.

In London, however, rather than attempting perfect recreations of his beloved songs, Paul stretched them out into lengthier live versions. On the distorted “Zion Wolf Theme”, quasi-reggae percussion took centre stage; on “Jasmine”, drums juddered like irregular heartbeats. The intimacy of the track became expansive, Paul’s falsetto gleaming and majestic. The four-piece backing band of keys, bass, drums and his brother AK Paul on guitar was tight throughout and, while Paul emerged at first as a man of few words with a somewhat furtive demeanour — slightly mumbly vocals, eyes hidden behind sunglasses — his confidence seemed to bloom as the set continued. A shift came with a thrilling cover of Gary Numan’s “Cars”, red and black lines cascading behind Paul like an LED escalator while he beamed and shook a tambourine, the crowd singing the lyrics for him.

Paul’s legacy as one of the first internet music stars, with a sound that pulls from multiple genres to create something his own, felt in keeping with the aesthetic of Outernet. The vast walls of the venue allowed for otherworldly projections that added to the singer’s mystique. Sometimes he was simply aglow, shrouded in white during delicate slow-jam “Do You Love Her Now”, his arms stretched out like wings; for gorgeous “All Night”, images of sea creatures billowed behind him, echoing the song’s sensual bass and synths; and during the euphoric closer “Str8 Outta Mumbai” a colourful collage featuring Bollywood royalty such as Shah Rukh Khan appeared while the audience joyously sang along to a sample of Vani Jairam’s Hindi vocals.

Flames engulfed the screen during the penultimate song, “BTSTU”. Though its refrain “I know I’ve been gone a long time, but I’m back and I want what is mine” dates from more than a decade ago, it sounded newly prescient. This was an artist ready to claim his London throne.

★★★★☆

jai-paul.com