Jai Wolf, Evan Giia, Myrne

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Oswaldo Cepeda

A close-up of Jai Wolf.

Jai Wolf

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media release: Jai Wolf announced a new tour for the summer and fall in the US, paired with a new single, “(I Dread The Day He Takes You To) Paris [feat. MYRNE],” all as part of a new era he calls “Blue Babu,” via Mom+Pop. The new music comes on the heels of Jai Wolf’s recent performance at Coachella, where he took the stage in front of a sold-out crowd under the sunset desert sky. He performed a combination of fan favorites and previously unreleased tracks, including the debut of a song with BANKS, which was later shared by Rolling Stone, stirring excitement and chatter amongst fans.

Ahead of Coachella, Jai Wolf shared a mysteriously intriguing letter to fans via Instagram, stating that his performance would launch a "new journey beginning with a demonstration in the desert, followed by an analysis of consciousness transcribed into sound." Today, Jai Wolf titles this journey as the “Blue Babu” era; the latest installment of music as an exploration of the human condition, the follow up to his widely successful debut album The Cure To Loneliness. Here, Jai Wolf creates a conceptual narrative that centers on a virtual simulation device called “Blue Babu,” sold by a fictional company called Hikikomori Inc., whose name is taken from the Japanese term for severe social withdrawal. The device, which allows users to relive their past memories, represents “the dual-sided nature of how people process emotions today,” he says. “You could either choose to immerse yourself into your trauma and explore it, or you could totally ignore it and escape through your vices. It’s the same thing with music—it’s either healing or escapism.”

“This era feels like a true rebirth by pushing my sound into new territories while still feeling grounded in my usual sonic palette,” says Jai Wolf. “While a lot of electronic music is defined by the production, I really wanted to focus on lyrics and songwriting for the new music.”

The “Blue Babu” era marks a return for Jai Wolf, starting with the recent release of his first official single in three years, “Want It All” featuring rising pop sensation Evalyn. The track release included a visually stunning music video, directed by director Andrew Donoho (The Strokes, Joji, Janelle Monae), with an intricately choreographed dance performance. It was created with AI and ranges in visual aesthetics from oil paintings to futuristic art.

The new single “Paris,” out today, was inspired by another artist who is celebrating the “eras” of their life, Taylor Swift. "The song was inspired by Taylor Swift's ‘Paris’ from her most recent record,” says Jai Wolf. “I realized that so many artists, from the 1975 to The Chainsmokers, had written songs about it. I thought to myself: what would a Jai Wolf “Paris” song be about? Ultimately, I thought it would be most interesting not to write about physically being in the city myself, but to write about the idea of a former lover being taken there. That felt like the most unique and original framing for the concept.”

On top of a career that already includes hundreds of millions of streams on indie-dance anthems like the RIAA Certified Gold Record “Indian Summer” and “Starlight,” blockbuster festival sets from Indio to India, and regular co-signs from the likes of Skrillex and ODESZA, Jai Wolf has curated his own lane of music as one of the most successful Bangladeshi-American artists. In June of last year, he became the first Bangladeshi American artist to sell out Red Rocks Amphitheatre as a headliner. His debut album The Cure to Loneliness exceeded expectations and fans have long been wanting more. Now audiences across the US will get to hear all of Jai Wolf’s hits and music from the “Blue Babu” on tour this fall.