At Jai Paul’s kickoff show, an elusive pop phenomenon proves his stardom in a live arena

By MARIA SHERMAN
AP Music Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) — On Tuesday night, the elusive pop producer Jai Paul opened his tour leg at the Los Angeles’ Mayan Theater. He’d only performed a handful of times before, and never before this year. Paul’s been celebrated for being the rare mysterious musician, a trait that rarely translates to an energetic performance. Yet, he showed no restraint across tracks like “Higher Res,” a malleable Big Boi cover, and the career-making “BTSTU,” writes the Associated Press’ Maria Sherman. The Prince falsetto comparisons are warranted. It is no wonder Drake, Beyoncé, and Ed Sheeran all chose to sample the last truly enigmatic pop phenomenon of the pre-algorithmic streaming era.