Joohoney, Rapper of K-pop group Monsta X, has released his highly anticipated 4th Mixtape, PSYCHE, today. This release comes about two years after his last mixtape ‘DWTD (Do What They Do)’. PSYCHE consists of seven tracks, all of which Joohoney helped compose, arrange, and write lyrics on. This Mixtape, and the lyrics throughout it, take you through the different sides of Joohoney’s world as an artist encompassing his own music, a person named Lee Jooheon showcasing his personality, a Joohoney of Monsta X and as Joohoney the Rapper. Accompanying the Mixtape, Joohoney has also released the music video for “Smoky,” the sub-title track.
WATCH “SMOKY” HERE
Title track “Psyche” symbolizes the success or failure that happens throughout one’s lifespan, and these twists and turns are compared to the psychedelic lights turning on and off. Psyche is often referred to as one’s inner self, the mind, or the deepest thoughts and feelings. This track refers to Joohoney’s attitude toward his future plans, by looking back on what he felt during his past activities, and each path he has taken so far.
“Smoky” is a rock-based track, showcasing the many diverse sides of Joohoney’s creative process. He not only played the drums on this track, but his emotions behind the lyrics can be heard from start to finish. Joohoney states; “SMOKY is a song that I worked on during one of the toughest times in my life. It talks about me collapsing in the darkness, losing my old-self who was so passionate. It also describes how I was stuck in the smoke, knowing that I have to move forward and trying to reach out to myself who can’t see due to the smoke in front of it. The track is like a story about me in the past, present, and future. It’s a song for myself in the future that will wake myself up in the darkness to step forward.”
Performing alongside Dua Lipa, Diplo and Lil Mosey, Bantu exclusively revealed his new single ‘Leaving’, at FIFA 21’s World Premiere virtual show, which featured a star-studded line up of artists that feature on the games soundtrack. Now making its official release, Bantu drops the track and video for the infectious record. One of Zimbabwe’s most celebrated new music artists, Bantu has previously reaped major success with his musical ventures. Taking his unique worldly sounds and integrating them into pop productions, his own effortless and impressive discography has seen him collaborate with Dr Chaii for their EP‘Coming To America Vol. 1’, and ‘Stretch’ featuring Def Jam artist Danileigh, which hit Spotify and Apple playlists and saw the trio make it to the cover for Amazon Music’s ‘Afro Vibes’.
I’m excited to present my new single, “School Girl,” out now on Oh My Records. Nostalgic and uplifting, “School Girl” is an indie-pop folk epic written about a close friend.
Step in the world of an ambitious artist who’s making her way through the many challenges of early adulthood. “School Girl” is available on all digital platforms. ✨
There is beauty in one’s vulnerable moments, and within simplicity there can still be complexity. The subject of the song faces obstacles along the way, trying to stay afloat. She doesn’t see how special she is quite yet, but everyone around her sees her as the person she wishes to be, and the beauty she holds. “When it’s not enough, she magnifies” – when something’s not good enough, she works hard to make them greater.
I absolutely love the creative process, and I was determined to get it to sound the way it sounded in my head. Playing every single instrument on this track, “School Girl” feels very me. The young woman in the song goes through some of the things I was going through while creating it. Sometimes you have to let the song be what it is.
Thank you so much for listening,
Akeem Oh xx
TONYB. is a singer/songwriter from Nashville, TN. Heavily influenced by 90’s and early 2000’s R&B, he credits his range of musical and vocal dynamics to the likes of Aaliyah, D’Angelo and Usher.
His latest single “You Knew What This Was”, is a chill, up-tempo ode to the modern ‘situationship’. Written from the songwriter’s own personal experiences, the track narrates when things get complicated somewhere between a friendship and relationship, but you both willingly dive into it. He explains, “This comes from the particular perspective of: I made my intentions clear, but you ignored them, so you knew what this was.”
“You Knew What This Was” features bold, vibrant soundscapes, ethereal background vocals and a move-inducing rhythm. Showcasing his impressive falsetto range, TONYB. has crafted an almost hypnotic release, reminiscent of Seal and Michael Jackson. His soulful, velvet tones and conversational lyrics emit a familiar and captivating essence, that’ll make you want to stay for more.
TONYB. has seen success landing multiple editorial Spotify playlists including Fresh Finds and R&B Fresh Finds, with his music racking up over 350,000 streams to date. Continuing the momentum he’s built for himself, TONYB. releases “You Knew What This Was” – out now!
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X.ARI, the Toronto born songstress deftly dances in and out of genre lines, moving from enchanting alternative pop to gritty hip-hop production under a cover of electronic elegance. All the while, her visceral lyrics transmit messages of hope as often as they ponder tragedy. It is the mixture of those two elements when X.ARI’s sound and voice come to life.
The identity and name X.ARI is a persona that was adopted amidst working on her debut “Tunnel Vision” EP in 2015, which she has stated “became the birth of a totally new process”. She goes on to say “In Nordic, ARI means eagle and in Hebrew, it means lion. It is more me than I’ve ever been”.
X.ARI finds healing and her unapologetic voice in her music. As someone who struggles with mental illnesses she dedicates much of her time and energy into her Pain into Power campaign by sharing her story and focusing on self care and well being in regards to one’s mental health. X. ARI’s music is aimed to serve as a vehicle for expression. “We don’t need to be defined by labels and we can turn our weakness into strength with a lot of self love, radical acceptance, support, therapy, and consistency. If I can get through my traumas and turn pain into power, so can you” is one of her anchoring beliefs and much of the purpose behind her latest web series ‘Self Care Sunday’.
X. ARI has been very prolific over the last couple years. Her latest release, in February, 2020, was her music video for her single “BSMI”, which will be featured on her fourth EP, “As You Are”. In September, 2020 X. ARI released her self directed music video for “Magnetic”, which was also performed live on Dash Radio with We Found New Music. Just prior to that, in June, 2019, she released her third EP “Uni-Fi” dedicated to mental health awareness, which was produced by Midi Jones (Alessia Cara). Her EP release party was hosted by the National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI) in Los Angeles. Since NAMI and X. ARI have been collaborating and she began speaking at schools about mental health.
New York based artist Spence is the project of singer-songwriter Spencer Hoffman. Spence crafts funk-fueled indie pop meets contemporary R&B which is heavily influenced by hip hop. His debut EP Melissa is a soundtrack of coming of age. With songs candidly discussing heartbreak, anxiety and depression, Spence creates infectious music that is poignant and relatable.
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The Indigo’s new release, “Dizzy,” is penned from the perspective of a scorned lover, reeling from the aftershocks of a tumultuous affair. Does he let go of what was, or keep reaching for what could be? With the release of their second single, the Nashville-based rock group serenades us as we ride along on the rollercoaster of human emotion. Dream-like vocals contrast against punchy, distorted chords, portraying the potential pain of being hurt again, or the eternal regret of what could have been – if things go well.
Influenced by a broad spectrum of musical genres, The Indigo was formed in 2019 by vocal leads Tanner Gray (guitar/piano/vocals) and Colby Wilson (guitar/vocals). Originally an acoustic duo, the childhood friends decided to expand their sound in 2020 with the addition of Gray’s college band mates- bassist Chase Porter and drummer Zach Corder. The band released their first single, “The Way You Say No,” in September of this year.
Cameron Hawthorn defies genres as an American singer-songwriter. His stunning vocals and songwriting blend elements of Country, Americana, Folk, and Pop/Rock to put him in a league of his own. Hailing from a small town in Kansas, he attributes his years of growing up in the Midwest to the authentic and honest storytelling found in his music. The emerging crooner made a buzz in 2019 with his single, “Dancing In the Living Room,” with the accompanying music video garnering over 260k views for the independent artist and coverage from the likes of People Magazine, Rolling Stone, CMT, and Huffington Post. With the underlying theme of showing your truest, most vulnerable self, Hawthorn set out with the desire to deliver listeners the message that ‘love is love.’
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Singer-songwriter Zoe Zobrist is thrilled to release her new single “All My Friends Are Dead” that is out now along with the music video that is featured on Glitter Magazine.
Zoe says, “When I wrote this song, I had just turned 23. It seemed like time was flying by at an uncontrollable rate and LA felt like a pressure cooker. I ended up in this state of being numbed out and just felt sort of dead inside. A lot of the people around me seemed to as well but they just kept going and going. The contrast of those feelings with the upbeat groove of the instrumentation was a cathartic way to work myself out of that space.”
Crafting songs that are as personal as they are dynamic, Zoe Zobrist is an alt-rock singer-songwriter from Dallas, Texas. A life-long musician, Zoe has spent the better half of her career performing and touring across North America. She has graced the stages of iconic music venues throughout the Southwest including Los Angeles’ The Viper Room, The Troubadour, and Dallas Fort Worth’s Six Flags Amphitheater. In 2019, Zoe was featured in John Mellencamp’s tour documentary which played on-screen during his “John Mellencamp Show” North American Tour.
Like many of her contemporaries, Zoe’s love affair with music began at an early age. She was just 5 years old when she first learned to play the piano and began writing songs only 2 years later. But it was stumbling upon her father’s 70s-era record collection that first ignited her passion for classic rock. Inspired by the hard-hitting choruses and memorable melodies she heard throughout Led Zeppelin’s records, Zoe formed her first band at the age of 13.
Zoe has spent the past few years refining her sound and experimenting with different styles, ultimately leading to her unique blend of classically inspired alternative music. In her most recent single, “All My Friends Are Dead,” Zoe not only shapes her reality, but completely redefines it. Defiant, deliberate, and deeply personal, Zoe’s latest work is the musical embodiment of her very existence and personal journey to self-discovery.
Photo Credit: Adam Lee
Part funk, part jazz, part rhymin’ – the Downtown Mischief crew are back with their sophomore release Galactic Mantis out on November 13th. The first single ‘Warm Bath’ gets its official release today, after premiering yesterday on Aesthetic Magazine. Watch the video here.
Downtown Mischief give us a slice of summer with their new single and video. The Victoria-based collective’s signature hybrid of funk, jazz and hip-hop comes through loud and clear on ‘Warm Bath’ and the song’s blissed out sex-positive vibe definitely makes for a fun and interesting video.
“‘Warm Bath’ is really just a song for those who love to bathe, but it’s also for everyone who loves those people..so I guess it’s kinda for everyone,” says DTM frontman Poppa Phat Smile. “Who doesn’t love a sudsy wet time? Almost no one. So we decided to splash some tunes together!”
A wild West Coast lifestyle fuels Downtown Mischief’s inspiration, and each member has a musical story to tell. This unique menagerie of musicians met through the raw energy of Friday night jam parties in Victoria, BC. Incredible live performances and hot vibey studio sessions gave rise to Downtown Mischief: a cast of musical characters, each with their own alter ego, who form a driving, pulsing machine that explodes with life on stage. This emerging band will not only captivate you with their beats, smiles and words, but they’ll get you moving and grooving!
Downtown Mischief’s new single ‘Warm Bath’ is available now on Spotify, Apple Music/iTunes, and other digital retailers and streaming services. For more information, please visit: downtownmischief.ninja