(March 16, 2026) Music has been tugging at the heartstrings of Massachusetts-born Alexi Paraschos for quite some time. It’s something he’s been accommodating after experiencing an illuminating epiphany while working at an insurance company back in 2009. Since then, the newly planted L.A. musician, who now goes by the stage name Alexi P., has been working hard at releasing fresh emotive R&B music bearing a smooth style that feels so reminiscent of Robin Thicke-meets-Michael Jackson. He’s personally labeled his music as “love songs for the grown and busy.”
As an independent recording artist, Alexi P. has been quite busy lately juggling parenthood and putting the finishing touches on Love Odyssey II, a sequel to 2021’s LP which featured collaborations with Christette Michele (“Distract Me”), Jadakiss and Natalie Stewart of Floetry. “My new music is reflecting lots of those life changes,” he writes.
And coming in with full force is “(I Want That) Magic Back.” Dripping with a retro soul revivalist production and a zealous chorus carved with a radio-ready magnetic hook, this uptempo track aims to satisfy crowds hungry for more pop-funk. Supported by blazing ‘80s synths and a succession of rapid staccato riffs, it feels like The Weeknd synth-soul trapped inside the summery escape of Pebbles’ “Mercedes Boy.” And carrying it over to the finish line is Alexi P’s smooth performance, who succulently borrows some of MJ’s cadence and Bruno Mars’ ‘24K Magic’ swagger dressed with a sandpaper grit. The nostalgia sonics fits perfectly after hearing him nail the final lines of the dreamy chorus while reminiscing on magical throwbacks: “Back when love was new and the feeling it just felt so right.”
With this exclusive World Premiere for SoulTracks, we are eager to shine a spotlight on “Magic Back” as we await the full-length album of Love Odyssey II slated to drop later this year.
By J Matthew Cobb
