Swimming Paul has released “Smiling Through the Pain 3,” the third album in a series he started in 2024. It’s been out since October 9 on Headroom Records, with 15 tracks and a vinyl edition arriving October 16.
If the name is new to you: Swimming Paul is a French-born, London-based producer, which also says he has passed 150 million streams and sold out shows across Europe and North America. He never shows his face in press photos or on social media, so the music does the talking.
WHERE HE COMES FROM
Paul grew up in Paris, where his family listened to The Prodigy, Fatboy Slim and Moby, according to Billboard. As a teenager he took cues from Daft Punk and Justice, who were dominating the scene back then.
The Swimming Paul project started in March 2023 with “Your Song,” a mix of UK garage, stutter house and IDM. He then released a track every month for the following year, and the first album, “Smiling Through the Pain,” landed in June 2024.
Billboard describes his sound as those French and club influences blended with British IDM from artists like Fred again.., Jamie xx and Bicep. That’s the thread running through all his records: emotional melodies on top of rhythms made for the dancefloor.
WHY IT’S NUMBER THREE
Paul gives every album the same title and just changes the number. The first “Smiling Through the Pain” came out in June 2024 with 18 tracks. Part two followed in October 2025, 15 tracks about heartbreak and the dancefloor.
The idea hasn’t changed: music for people who feel like crying and dancing at the same time. He calls this one “the most honest thing I’ve made.”
WHAT’S ON IT
Expect house, UK garage and heavy bass. Paul says it hits harder than the last two, with more bass and more garage weight, shaped by the sets he played all year. He wrote it late at night, on drives and after the lights came up, thinking about getting older, about connection and about what we run from when we go out.
The guest list is long: EV, LP Giobbi, Beaux Neptune, Malaki, LKS, Alecc Crisostomo, D38, Bobbie Johnson, EREZ and ROMPEN. Seven tracks were already out as singles this year, including “Kisses & Cigarettes,” “Super High,” “Problemsss” and “Still Blessed.”
Here’s the video for “Kisses & Cigarettes,” the first single of the album, with Malaki.
KEY FACTS
- Album: “Smiling Through the Pain 3,” Swimming Paul’s third album
- Label: Headroom Records
- Out: October 9, 2026 (streaming), October 16 (vinyl LP, catalogue number STTP2026LP)
- Tracks: 15
- Sound: house, UK garage and bass-heavy electronic music
- Series: “Smiling Through the Pain” (June 2024), “Smiling Through the Pain 2” (October 2025)