Today, double-platinum rapper, singer, and songwriter Paul Russell announces his new seven-track EP Miracle Mile due out Friday, March 6th. In celebration, he’s sharing “High Maintenance,” a flip on the great Luther Vandross’ “Never Too Much” out now via Arista Records.
Perfectly melding Vandross’ oldschool vibe with Paul’s signature upbeat energy and melody, “High Maintenance” is the perfect soundtrack to get all generations dancing. Paul explains, “I remember hearing Luther Vandross songs like ‘Never Too Much’ and ‘A House is Not a Home’ as a kid, when I was on the way to school or around older family members. And the joke was always that I’d understand it when I’m older. Now I’m old enough to get it – I’ve felt love, gotten married, started a life. But I still feel young too. I’m at the age where sometimes I feel like the kid on the way to school and other times I feel like the parent. So to me, ‘High Maintenance,’ as a dance floor song with roots in 80s soul, is an ode to the old and the young parts of ourselves coexisting. My hope is that it doesn’t just help us appreciate the different sides of ourselves but that it also brings together different generations. It’s a song that anyone can find themselves in, something we all can dance to, no matter how old we are.”
Much like the song itself, the accompanying music video pays homage to Vandross’ original visual for “Never Too Much” with an added Paul Russell flare oscillating between the booth and the streets. Even with a vintage touch, Paul’s lyrics are modern, singing, “I made her left hand icy // Now her wishlist pricey // How you talking bout red bottoms baby girl you ain’t even clean them Nikes // But if you ask nicely // I just might do it // If you got it from your ex then it probably was a cubic // Try the real thing you can get used to it.” The song bridges the gaps between generations reminding us all to come together and dance.
“High Maintenance” is a taste of Paul’s upcoming anticipated EP, Miracle Mile. Named after the neighborhood in Los Angeles Paul calls home, Miracle Mile, is a love letter to all the loved ones that make up Paul’s community, and a reminder of how important community is to the human spirit. The EP is the culmination of Paul spending the last year slowing down, spending time with his people and reflecting on his gratitude for community, faith and self-discovery. Paul explains further, “Miracle Mile is about appreciating your community and the people you love. In 2025 I slowed down for a bit and spent more time with family, which for me was the Miracle Mile area in LA that I’d recently moved to. I spent a lot of time catching up with old friends, rediscovering old passions, growing in my faith. During that time, I wrote many of these songs based on real conversations I had with loved ones. For me, being home felt like it really was a miracle, so I wanted to put together a project that reminds people of all the things there are to appreciate about the miracle of their own communities.”
The will also feature his previous releases, “Carat Cake” and “Keeper.” Along with a performance of “Carat Cake, Paul recently shared more on his creation process and mindset on authenticity with ‘The Spark by Discover. The video was filmed in the Lake Arrowhead cabin where both “Carat Cake” and “Keeper” were created.
While spending more time at home last year, Paul did not entirely stop making music having teamed up with bothSaweetie on the flirtatious “That Girl,” and with Flo Rida and K-pop group ENHYPENo n the globetrotting soul-pop confection “Confessions.”
These came after an explosive 2024 that saw the release of his debut EP, again sometime?, which included hits like “Slippin’” featuring Meghan Trainor and the song that started it all, “Lil Boo Thang.” The latter hit #14 on the Hot 100, made Barack Obama’s summer playlist, and has racked up 830 million streams to date. Meanwhile, EP highlight “Say Cheese” was named one of the Best Hip-Hop Songs of the Year by HipHopDX and “Eat Pray Love” got a sunny remix from Free Nationals. He also spent the year touring the world with global superstars Teddy Swims and Meghan Trainor.
MIRACLE MILE EP Track List
- 400 Cities
- Party
- High Maintenance
- Candy Man
- No Other Place
- Carat Cake
- Last Thing I Do