Zacchae’us Paul's JAZZ MONEY was one of our essential records of 2024, and ever since, I've kept close tabs on the Atlanta-based multi-instrumentalist and singer.
Today, I want to share with you a track anchored by a set of emotions in the warm spectrum of life. The young talent reimagines a traditional hymn through swinging r&b, weaving together jazz, gospel, and soul with modern production on "BETTER MUST COME". Zacchae’us Paul is joined by a stellar cast of collaborators including Happy Qavah and donSMITH, who delivers absolutely outstanding bars, a mesmerizing flute courtesy of Keenyn Omari, and Dezron Douglas' vaporous bassline.
This here is the full package. The very first time I heard "BETTER MUST COME", I felt like gliding through fluffy clouds and peeking at the world from a distance. A distance that makes all problems insignificant and life beautifully slow-paced. I don't know. I just felt hope and love, and I really loved how effortlessly genres flow and alternate with each other, albeit being connected.
"I knew I wanted a song on this album that centered on God's love, and I wanted to reinterpret a hymn in a way that felt authentic to my musical language. Rather than simply covering the hymn, I wanted to reimagine it through the lens of Swingin' R&B. I'm especially proud of how this track came together. It captures exactly what I hoped this album would represent: honoring tradition while pushing it forward in my own voice," he elaborates. The new single puts Paul’s versatility front and centre, bringing together his foundations as a classically trained jazz musician with his ear for rap and r&b production and his smooth neo-soul vocals.
The best news? This gem (co-produced by Paul and DJ OOOCHILD) is part of his forthcoming sophomore album JAZZ MONEY VOL. 2: SWINGIN' R&B, scheduled for release on October 16th on Candid Records. Yes, it is on our Upcoming Albums of 2026 excitement list.
