Paul's 2007 demo "BTSTU" received widespread blog coverage throughout 2010, and has been played on UK national radio by DJs including Gilles Peterson, Zane Lowe, Nick Grimshaw, Reggie Yates and Fearne Cotton.
In December 2010, Paul was longlisted for the BBC Sound of 2011 poll.
"BTSTU (Edit)" was playlisted on BBC Radio 1 following its release as a digital download on April 21, 2011, via XL. The single received favourable reviews, and was made 'Hottest Record in the World' on Zane Lowe's BBC Radio 1 show.
On May 20, 2011, Canadian hip hop artist Drake leaked a track titled "Dreams Money Can Buy" via his blog. Shortly afterward, "Till The End Of Time", a song by American R&B artist Beyoncé surfaced online. Both tracks feature a sample of Paul's "BTSTU" demo. On August 30, 2011, "BTSTU (Edit)" was included on Radio Nova's "Nova Tunes 2.4" compilation in France, and on October 25 of the same year the track appeared on "Annie Mac Presents 2011" in the UK (listed as "BTSU").
On March 30, 2012, Jai Paul uploaded a new demo titled "Jasmine (Demo)" to his SoundCloud page. The demo was given an official release via XL on April 9, 2012. Pitchfork named it “Best New Track” within an hour of its appearance on Paul’s Soundcloud page, where it clocked over 500,000 plays within a month. On April 2, "Jasmine (Demo)" was played on BBC Radio One by Zane Lowe, who chose it as his Next Hype Track. On April 9, Annie Mac named it her Record of the Week. "Jasmine (Demo)" received universal critical acclaim in the media, with The New York Times praising its “Prince era sensuality” and The Guardian simply describing the production as “amazing.”
There has been media speculation about Paul's background and motivation, as he has remained out of the public eye. The British publication Clash commented on Jai’s mysteriousness, saying “Hype is a fascinating commodity. Where some quickly melt down the attention for liquid purpose, promising talent Jai Paul removed all his music from MySpace and went to get his shit together”. XL Recordings founder and owner Richard Russell acknowledged Paul's unpredictability, saying, "Jai is a wizard...the way he's going about things is, I think for many, baffling. But...he's going about things in the most Jai Paul way you could possibly go about things. And who knows where that may lead."
On April 14th, 2013, an unknown user leaked a number of his unfinished tracks on Bandcamp as a self-titled project. The leak is believed to have come a misplaced burned CD, according to Jai, himself. The music press would soon report on this release and would publicize the release as his debut album. Because of this, the album leak would end up on two year end lists by both The Guardian and Pitchfork, as the 28th and the 20th best album of 2013, respectably, as well Pitchfork's 2014 "The 100 Best Albums of the Decade So Far" list at 99. The music press would also call into account if the release was orchestrated by Jai and his record label, XL. The leak would deal a heavy blow to Jai personally, and following a City Of London police investigation into finding those reasonable for the leak and refunding the money from sales of the album from their PayPal accounts, Jai would find it hard to deal with those in the public and the media who believed his was the one behind the leak, and would be in his words, the main reason he felt a "loss of trust" and why he "withdrew from life in general" for a few years. In the meantime, Jai and his brother, A.K. Paul, would launch the Paul Institute in 2016, where he would work on the production for some of its single releases.
It wouldn't be until 2019 following "therapy of various kinds", that he felt it was time for him to return to music and officially release the unfinished music that was leaked 6 years earlier. On June 1st, 2019, Jai and XL Recordings would officially release the leaked album under the title "Leak 04-13 (Bait Ones)" alongside the 'double B-side' "Do You Love Her Now" / "He". The release of the album also came with a letter from Jai in which he addressed the leak and his hiatus from music. Following its official release, the album would included in Pitchfork's "The 200 Best Albums of the 2010s" list, as the 95th best album of the decade, and Jai provided miscellaneous production on Childish Gambino's song "Time" off his "3.15.20" album. Reissues of "BTSTU" and "Jasmine" on vinyl followed suit.
In 2023, the world was again shocked as Paul announced his intentions to debut his catalogue at Coachella. After his critically acclaimed set, "Leak 04-13 (Bait Ones)" was released on vinyl for the first time. Paul followed suit with a number of band-backed live performances internationally, as well as supporting Paul Institute creative Fabiana Palladino on the 2023 single "I Care".
Crush
Jai Paul Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I see ya blowin' me a kiss
It doesn't take a scientist
To understand what's going on, baby
If you see something in my eye
Let's not overanalyze
Don't go too deep with it, baby
So let it be what it'll be
Don't make a fuss and get crazy over you and me
Here's what I do, I'll play loose
And run like we have a date with destiny, yeah
It's just a little crush
Not like I faint every time we touch
And it's just some little thing
Not like everything I do depends on you
Raising my adrenaline
Banging on a heart of tin
Don't make too much of it, baby, yeah
You say the word "forevermore"
That's not what I'm looking for
All I'll commit to is "maybe"
So let it be what it'll be
Don't fuss and get crazy over you and me
Here's what I do, I'll play loose
And run like we have a date with destiny, yeah
It's just a little crush
Not like I faint every time we touch
And it's just some little thing
Not like everything I do depends on you
It's just a little crush
Not like I faint every time we touch
And it's just some little thing
Not like everything I do depends on you
It's
Oh-oh, oh-oh
The lyrics of Jai Paul’s song "Crush" explore the complexities of romantic attraction and the sense of uncertainty that can arise when two people begin to develop feelings for each other. The opening lines see the singer reflecting on the signals of attraction they're receiving from their crush: "I see you blowin' me a kiss / It doesn't take a scientist / To understand what's going on." Despite this, the singer emphasizes the importance of moderation, suggesting that they shouldn't read too much into the situation: "Don't go too deep with it, baby."
The chorus of the song emphasizes the singer’s attempts to stay detached from their crush and not let their emotions run away with them. The repetition of the phrase "It's just a little crush" reminds listeners that the singer is trying to remain grounded and not get too carried away with their emotions. Yet there's still a sense that the singer is unable to ignore the physical and emotional effects of this attraction, as they sing "Not like I faint every time we touch."
Overall, "Crush" is a complex exploration of the difficulties inherent in navigating the early stages of a romantic relationship. The singer is attempting to balance their feelings and desires with the sense of uncertainty that naturally arises in such situations. Ultimately, the song presents a picture of someone who is trying to maintain control over their emotions while at the same time acknowledging how difficult this can be in the face of strong attraction.
Line by Line Meaning
I see ya blowin' me a kiss
I notice you giving me a flirty signal
It doesn't take a scientist
It's obvious and doesn't require a lot of analysis
To understand what's going on, baby
To comprehend the situation
If you see something in my eye
If you notice something in my gaze
Let's not overanalyze
Let's not scrutinize or examine too much
Don't go too deep with it, baby
Don't read too much into it
So let it be what it'll be
Let things unfold as they will
Don't make a fuss and get crazy over you and me
Don't make a big deal and cause unnecessary drama over our relationship
Here's what I do, I'll play loose
I'll adopt a relaxed and carefree attitude towards it
And run like we have a date with destiny, yeah
And move forward as if we're destined to be together
It's just a little crush
My feelings for you are not overwhelming
Not like I faint every time we touch
I don't swoon every time we interact
And it's just some little thing
It's a small and insignificant infatuation
Not like everything I do depends on you
My entire life doesn't revolve around you
Raising my adrenaline
Stimulating and exciting me
Banging on a heart of tin
Eliciting emotion from someone who is not very emotional
Don't make too much of it, baby, yeah
Don't exaggerate or overestimate it
You say the word "forevermore"
You talk about a lifetime commitment
That's not what I'm looking for
I'm not seeking such a long-term future with you
All I'll commit to is "maybe"
I'm only willing to contemplate the possibility of a relationship with you
Oh-oh, oh-oh
Repeating background vocals
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Andy Goldmark, Bernadette Cosgrove, Kevin Bruce Clark, Mark Clifford Mueller
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind