Video: Paul Russell Releases Music Video for New Single 'Lil Boo Thang'

After catching fire with one of the most viral songs of the year, 25-year-old rising artist Paul Russell unveils the upbeat and undeniable music video for his rapidly rising single “Lil Boo Thang” today.

The accompanying visual perfectly complements “Lil Boo Thang,” featuring Paul and friends outdoors for the ultimate cookout. Re: the video, he commented: “We wanted to make something lighthearted that captures the fun of the song, so we threw a cookout and built a story around it. The video has a lot of references to some of the classic stuff I grew up watching, like Will Smith’s ‘Summertime’ video and Spike Lee’s camera work.”

“Lil Boo Thang” has popped off as the feel-good anthem of the fall. Beyond 10 million views on TikTok and 1 million “creates” on Instagram, it has reeled in north of 20 million total streams so far. It notably debuted in the Top 10 on Spotify, clinched #3 on the iTunes Overall Top Songs Chart, and soared to #1 on the iTunes Top Pop Songs Chart. Right out of the gate, Billboard hailed it as “infectious,” and The Philadelphia Inquirer praised the song as “breezy” while Just Jared dubbed it ”catchy.”

“Lil Boo Thang” is racing up the radio charts and reaching a diverse audience. Top 40 leads the way where’s it building at #26 Top 40, Top 30 Rhythmic and Top 30 Hot AC.

The track also notably follows the success of Paul’s previous single “Ms Poli Sci,” which has gained 8 millions views on TikTok and over 15 million overall streams to date. It also marks the first taste of new music to be released with Paul’s new label home Arista Records.

You’ve never met or heard anybody quite like Paul Russell. As a kid, the Dallas, TX native learned how to wail on trumpet in between spitting bars during lunchroom battle-raps and later crooning over ukulele (like the human equivalent of the dopest playlist you’ve ever heard!). His musical DNA is just as wildly dynamic as his personality is. During his time at Cornell University, he often DJ-ed at parties.

As such, he knows how to get a party popping. A wide swath of inspirations—from Anderson .Paak and OutKast to Louie Armstrong—impacted his own creative trajectory. He gained traction with a series of early uploads and went viral a few times (even fooling the internet into thinking he had a Drake feature on the way once—If you’re reading this, Drizzy, get at him).

Settling down in Los Angeles, his independent anthem “Hallelujah” generated over 7.3 million Spotify streams followed by “Ms. Poli Sci” with 14 million Spotify streams. He best describes his boisterous rhythms, ecstatic hooks, and buffet of R&B, funk, pop, and hip-hop as “cookout music you listen to outside with a bunch of friends.” That holds true on his Arista Records debut single “Lil Boo Thang.”

Built around an interpolation of “Best Of My Love” by The Emotions, it lit up TikTok and Instagram to the tune of tens of millions of views. Now, he officially delivers “Lil Boo Thang'' as the perfect soundtrack to any and all good times. Paul Russell is about to be your new best friend.

Watch the new music video here:

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