We Speak Jazz

Ashley Paul Embraces A New Sound With “I Just Had to Fall”

Published

3 months ago

July 22, 2026

Billboard recording artist Ashley Paul is stepping into a new era with the release of her new single, “I Just Had to Fall,” now available via Dauman/Universal. The original song introduces a more intimate and sophisticated side of Paul’s artistry, expanding her catalog into jazz and adult contemporary music while highlighting the vocal presence and emotional storytelling at the center of her evolving sound.

“I Just Had to Fall” serves as the first introduction to a broader musical direction for Paul as she develops new recordings and live performances designed to showcase her versatility beyond the dance/pop EDM music that first brought her international attention. The song will also be played on Smooth Jazz radio, with a different mix of the single being released in August.

As part of this next chapter, Paul is working with producers Bizkit and Butta, a four-time Grammy-nominated, Soul Train Award-winning duo from Philadelphia, who produced the Billboard No. 1 hit “Tonight” for John Legend, on new music that will further explore her growing jazz and adult contemporary catalog.

The expansion also includes the launch of the Ashley Paul Trio, a new live and recording project that will bring together timeless standards and original music. Upcoming recordings from the trio will include interpretations of classics such as “Fever” and “Dream a Little Dream of Me,” alongside original songs from Paul’s catalog. The recordings are expected to become available across major streaming platforms, introducing listeners to a new dimension of Paul as a vocalist and live entertainer.

Paul will bring this new musical direction to the stage on December 29 at 54 Below in New York City with “Hearts Up After Dark,” an intimate live show blending timeless classics with the original music that has defined her recording career.

The evening will feature selections including “Bingo Baby,” “Hearts Up,” “Fever,” “Dream a Little Dream of Me,” and additional songs from Paul’s growing catalog.

“Hearts Up After Dark” is designed as an immersive evening of music and storytelling, presenting Paul in a sophisticated live setting where contemporary pop, jazz influences, classic standards, and original music come together.

The new single follows continued momentum for Paul as a recording artist. Her recent releases have earned international radio play, chart recognition, and growing streaming audiences. Songs including “Bingo Baby,” “Hearts Up,” “When Boys Cry,” “Body Language,” “Finding Rhythm,” and “Ribbons” have continued to expand her presence across dance, pop, and Top 40/Sirius radio markets.

With “I Just Had to Fall,” the Ashley Paul Trio, and “Hearts Up After Dark,” Paul is building a broader body of work that connects her established success in contemporary music with the timeless songs, live musicianship, and vocal storytelling that are shaping the next chapter of her career.

Stream “I Just Had to Fall” on Spotify here: https://open.spotify.com/album/2ssoexefEn9i4gU3Eav71p?si=Ei3GmIUbQCKGYm2E1myF0g&utm_source=sms

ABOUT ASHLEY PAUL
Ashley Paul is a Billboard recording artist and international singer-songwriter whose music has earned chart recognition, radio airplay, and more than one million streams. Known for releases including “Bingo Baby,” “Hearts Up” (hitting 2 million listeners), “When Boys Cry,” “Body Language,” “Finding Rhythm,” and “Ribbons,” Paul continues to expand her career across dance, pop, adult contemporary, and jazz-influenced music.

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We Speak Jazz

Elena Pinderhughes Introduces Her Singing Voice Alongside Her Flute For “a rose in bloom”

Published

6 days ago

October 23, 2026

Royal Jones

Flutist, composer, and vocalist Elena Pinderhughes has released “a rose in bloom”, the newest single from her upcoming debut album, i hope you feel it too, out October 23, 2026. A collaborator across genres, Pinderhughes steps into the spotlight with her album.

On “a rose in bloom,” she offers a window on her singing voice, where her vocals move alongside her flute as another instrument.

Pinderhughes shares: “I think there's something really beautiful about the kind of love that makes you feel safe enough to slow down and just be yourself. Whether that's love you give yourself or love you receive from someone else, I believe the right kind of love allows us to bloom. We become softer, more open, and more comfortable in who we are. That's the feeling I was experiencing when we made 'a rose in bloom,' and I wanted the song to hold onto that warmth. Something intimate and peaceful that brings you back to yourself and reminds you how beautiful the simple moments in life can be.”

Pinderhughes' debut full-length album follows a decade of collaboration across genres, having toured with Herbie Hancock, performed at Coachella with Future and Metro Boomin, and having appeared on recordings by Giveon, Victoria Monét, Ambrose Akinmusire, Robert Glasper, Esperanza Spalding, Common, Terrace Martin, and many more. She has performed on such stages as the White House, Carnegie Hall, and the Kennedy Center.

Raised in the Bay Area's progressive cultural landscape, Elena Pinderhughes weaves R&B and Neo-Soul into music rooted in the Jazz tradition.

She says: “The jazz that raised me is music for life: dancing, falling in love, Friday nights with friends. Touring the world and performing on some of the biggest stages showed me something I couldn't ignore: too often, jazz lives in spaces defined by preservation and distance, treated as something to admire rather than feel. I never believed that was its destiny. I wanted to make something that brought it back to where it started, back to feeling, back to everyday life. The truest way I knew how to do that was through the instrument I've trusted my whole life to say what I can't quite say in words. Every breath through my flute carries more truth than language usually lets me get to. This album holds heartbreak, tenderness, confidence, uncertainty, joy, sensuality, grief, and the complicated experience of growing into yourself.”

Tour Dates: November 2-3 – New York, NY – Blue Note · November 4 – Philadelphia, PA – The Loft @ City Winery Philadelphia · November 6 – Orlando, FL – Judson's · November 7 – Brattleboro, VT – Vermont Jazz Center

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