After the leak of what would have been his debut album in 2013, Jai Paul took a step back from the public eye, though the little music the public did get to hear is credited with changing the sound of pop. Now, Paul has released a rare statement about the leak, along with – wait for it – two new tracks written, recorded, produced, and mixed by himself.

The tracks, “He” and “Do You Love Her Now”, released to streaming platforms yesterday (June 1). Alongside them, Paul has also officially released the leaked songs under the title Leak 04-13 (Bait Ones) (though many of the tracks are still “unfinished”).

These can also be found on the singer’s new – and first – website. In-keeping with his enigmatic spirit, this isn’t the usual point-and-click to get merch experience, but a barren landscape users have to navigate throughout with tracks, posters, t-shirts, and a christmas card coming at them out of a dark, hazy mist.

As for the statement, Paul goes over what happened on the night his music leaked, from realising his unfinished work was out on the internet, to calling the police and the subsequent investigation.

“I understand that it might have seemed like a positive thing to a lot of people - the music they had been waiting to hear was finally out there - but for me, it was very difficult to deal with,” he writes. “I felt pretty alone with everything, like no-one else seemed to view the situation in the same way I did: as a catastrophe.”

He also says that there were some “long term effects” to the leak: “On a personal level, things gradually went south and I had a breakdown of sorts. I was in quite a bad place for some time. I was unable to work and withdrew from life in general.”

However, Paul states that he’s now been through various kinds of therapy and is in a place where he can begin to think about returning to music. He emphasises the role of the Paul Institute – a label he set up in 2016 with his brother, A.K. Paul – in this return, and says he’s proud of the artists they’re working with.

Read our feature on these artists from back in August 2018. Listen to the two new tracks below.