MONTHLY MIXTAPE: FEBRUARY 2023
BY BRENESSA ROACH | FEBRUARY 25 2023

February is almost over, which means it is time for my “Monthly Mixtape”. February had way too many amazing releases so, I will be sharing my top 15 new releases in the month. Just a reminder that you can expect these blogs on the last Saturday of every month, followed by my Korean music monthly blog on the last Sunday of every month.
As always, there will be a playlist of every song mentioned in this post at the end of this post. In order of release date, let’s get started…

Released on: February 3
This song no doubt was my favourite song of the month and also the song I was literally so excited for. CLUB BOYBND is a duo consisting of Roc Lee and Justin Trash, two Korean-Canadians. “kiss me thru the phone” is their first single as a duo but, they have been making music together for a while. In fact, last year, Roc Lee and Justin Trash were in a trio group called UPTOWN BOYBAND and they were signed to a major label. I started listening to them in 2021 because they are from Toronto and their alternative K pop style was so unique and different.
Fun fact, but I worked at that major label last year and because of my love for supporting Asian artists, I was really excited to potentially work with them. So excited that I literally spoke about them in my interview. Unfortunately, I never got to work with them and I was really upset when they were no longer a group. But, everything happens for a reason because now CLUB BOYBND exists and they are affiliated with EXPOSITION, which is a community/collective I love and support.
In conclusion, I love CLUB BOYBND and I am a huge fan. I think this new song is immaculate and it’s their version of the 2008 Soulja Boy song “Kiss Me Thru The Phone”. It’s definitely the exact style of music I listen to and I also got my friends hooked to the song. I am very excited to see what other music CLUB BOYBND will release in the future. Additionally, Justin Trash is opening for JUNNY’s US Blanc Tour concert in San Diego on February 27 and CLUB BOYBND are opening for GEMINI in Los Angeles on March 22.
Listen to “kiss me thru the phone” by CLUB BOYBND on Spotify:
Check out CLUB BOYBND Instagram: @clubboybnd, @antikpopstar and @_roclee

Released on: February 3
hanuel is someone I featured last month for his single with myno titled “MOON” which was pre-released before his new EP HOW which released this month. This EP consists of 5 songs and each one is in the R&B genre but they all have different vibes. My personal favourite is “NOT U I’M MISSING” because it has a sort of dreamy style to it because of the way hanuel sings. Additionally, I really like the part where he sings “I guess you never called it love” because the beats come in and the layering is really nice.
I have been listening to hanuel since around September and he has grown a lot musically and I think he has a lot of potential to grow even more. He is another artist I got my friends hooked to. He is also affiliated with EXPOSITION and is opening for GEMINI alongside SE YOUNG on March 27th in Vancouver, so you can get tickets here. Furthermore, I have also featured hanuel in the blog post “UNDERRATED K R&B ARTISTS | 100K AND BELOW” so check it out for more about him.
Listen to “NOT U I’M MISSING” by hanuel on Spotify:
Check out hanuel on Instagram: @nayahanuel

Released on: February 3
This song is super catchy and I was lucky to see it performed live by Ted Park at pH-1’s Toronto show which was the same day of the release of this song. I also had never really listened to Ted Park prior to the announcement that he was opening for pH-1’s North America “ABOUT DAMN TIME” tour but, I am now a fan of Ted. I think he’s talented and he has a stage presence that is so energetic and up-lifting. I’ve had the chance to talk to him on Instagram and he is such a sweet and humble person so, I really wanted to share his music in this blog post.
Additionally, he also dropped another song on Valentine’s Day titled “Cater 2 U” which is in collaboration with Xansei and Chancellor, so I highly recommend checking that out too.
Furthermore, Parlay Pass is also super talented. I didn’t know much about him as well but, I have now gone and listened to all his music collaborations on Spotify and he definitely deserves some more recognition.
Listen to “Over n Over” by Ted Park and Parlay Pass on Spotify:
Check out Ted Park and Parlay Pass on Instagram: @tedparkboi and @parlaypass

Released on: February 3
If you know me, you know that I am a big fan of Nilo Blues and he’s also a friend of mine so I love to support him when I can! “letters to jenny” is Nilo’s first release of the year and it’s definitely a super catchy one. I love how the lyrics are meaningful but the song still has an upbeat vibe to it. I also love the aesthetic of the album art and the visualizer for this song.
Listen to “letters to jenny” by Nilo Blues on Spotify:
Check out Nilo Blues on Instagram: @bluelikenilo

Released on: February 6
BSS (부석순) is short for BooSeokSoon. BSS is a South Korean group and sub-unit of the K pop group Seventeen consisting of 3 members; DK, Hoshi and Seungkwan. 7PM is one of the three songs on their 1st single album titled SECOND WIND. I really love this song the most on the album because of the chill, indie-acoustic vibes. Additionally, around January, I started listening to Peder Elias, who is a Norwegian singer-songwriter. I truly liked how Peder’s voices blended so well with BSS and how the transitions between Korean and English lyrics were so beautiful.
Listen to “7PM” by BSS and Peder Elias on Spotify:
Check out BSS (DK, Hoshi and Seungkwan) and Peder Elias on Instagram: @dk_is_dokyeom, @ho5hi_kwon, @pledis_boos and @pedereliaas

Released on: February 8
I came across ØZI through an Instagram post by Transparent Arts. Transparent Arts is an independent label owned by Far East Movement and has The Rose and James Reid as well on their roster of artists. ØZI is a Taiwanese-American singer, songwriter and rapper. His genre style is a blend of R&B, urban hip-hop and Mando-pop, His sound is so unique. “Not In The Mood” is a song on his new album ADICA, and is also my personal favourite. I am very excited to follow ØZI and see what other music he releases in the future.
Listen to “Not In The Mood” by ØZI on Spotify:
Check out ØZI on Instagram: @ozifp

Released on: February 8
starfall and Joon are artists I started listening to this year and I really like their vibes, especially together. “Hypocritical” is a chill, indie-R&B song that gives off keshi vibes. So, if you are a fan of keshi I would definitely recommend listening to this song. I love the part when they sing “you can call me stupid” because of the musical production as well as the vocals. The ad-libs and harmonies layered in very subtly throughout the song are so beautiful too.
Listen to “Hypocritical” by Joon and starfall on Spotify:
Check out Joon and starfall on Instagram: @joon.prod and @starfallxo

Released on: February 10
Ziya is an artist I found out about fairly recently through Nilo Blues. I must say, besides being talented, she is also a very sweet person. “H.O.E (Heaven On Earth)” is her first release since July 2022. This song has a chill, R&B vibe to it and her vocal style is really unique and fitting for this style of song. Her voice is very light and colourful but, she also has a darker/raspy undertone which is why I really liked the vocals of this song. Additionally, I think the album cover art is so pretty and I love the play on words of H.O.E meaning Heaven On Earth. Earlier this week, Ziya actually opened for RUSSELL! at The Axis Club in Toronto alongside Melatonin Boy and BNZA.
Listen to “H.O.E (Heaven On Earth)” by Ziya on Spotify:
Check out Ziya on Instagram: @ziya.ent

Released on: February 10
“EVERYTHING IS RED” is Koven Wei’s first song since 2021 and it definitely is a new era for his music. Koven Wei is another artist affiliated with EXPOSITION. This song sounds so different from his previous work and I actually really enjoy it a lot, so I’m very excited to hear what else he releases in the future. This song is SO catchy especially the “everything is red” part but, overall it’s a fun, upbeat, groovy song. The bass in this song is so pleasing to the ears layered in with the guitar and Koven’s vocals, I love it.
This song from the cover art to the actual sound of it reminds me of a movie soundtrack. Specifically, it reminds me of the songs on 88Rising’s Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings album for the Shang-Chi Marvel movie. Overall, I really love this song and can’t wait for more music in the future. Additionally, Koven Wei is opening for GEMINI in Toronto on March 16th alongside Ethan Low, so get your tickets here.
Listen to “EVERYTHING IS RED” by Koven Wei on Spotify:
Check out Koven Wei on Instagram: @kovenwei

Released on: February 10
Ali Shah is an artist that I featured this month in the blog “GTA ARTISTS | 100K AND BELOW”, so for more information about him, check out that blog. “Jinx It” is Ali’s first release of the year and it’s definitely my favourite of his so far. The song reminds me of the kind of indie-pop music that Troye Sivan and Conan Gray make. In fact, I can picture this song in a coming of age movie because it reminds me of Troye Sivan’s song “Trouble” from the movie Three Months. This song is so catchy and Ali’s voice really suits this style of music. Definitely hope he releases more songs with this kind of vibe.
Listen to “Jinx It” by Ali Shah on Spotify:
Check out Ali Shah on Instagram: @notalishah

Released on: February 10
If you don’t know who Cha Cha Malone is, you are kind of missing out because he is one of the best American producers in Korean music. He works under the labels AOMG and H1GHR Music. He has worked for artists such as; Jay Park, Baekhyun and Loco and he is famous for his producer tag “I need a cha cha beat boy”. Additionally, Cha Cha Malone DJ’ed on stage in a few cities in America for Ted Park’s set during pH-1’s “ABOUT DAMN TIME” North American Tour.
In addition to producing for other artists, Cha Cha Malone is also a singer-songwriter who creates music for himself as well. “Moonlight” is his first song since February 2021 and it has been on repeat all month. It’s a fun, chill R&B style song that blends elements of dance music. I absolutely love the production of this song and Cha Cha Malone’s vocals. It actually was my first time listening to his solo music and I am definitely going to stick around to see what else he releases in the future.
Listen to “Moonlight” by Cha Cha Malone on Spotify:
Check out Cha Cha Malone on Instagram: @chachamalone

Released on: February 10
Daniel Caesar is such an amazing singer-songwriter and this song might be my absolute favourite of his, besides “Best Part”. “Let Me Go” is a song about how he is running out of patience with his partner and needs to be let go of and break away from this relationship. The pre-chorus of this song when the background vocals come in, is my literal favourite part. I love the layering of vocals which makes this sound really have that R&B/soul vibe. This song really feels nostalgic to me and it has been on repeat since it came out.
Listen to “Let Me Go” by Daniel Caesar on Spotify:
Check out Daniel Caesar on Instagram: @danielcaesar

Released on: February 17
“Forget” is another one of my favourite songs this month. This song is the start of a new era for Kuiper, also known as Zion. This new sound is completely different from his previous work and definitely he has grown as an artist. I am very excited too see how he grows even more and how his sound develops over time. This song is described as the perfect driving song and I completely agree.
The part where he sings “how could I forget” is the best part of the song from the production to the lyrics and the way Kuiper sings. I really can’t describe how much I love this song, I feel that you just need to listen to it to understand. Additionally, this song deserves a sync placement because you can just visually picture a whole movie while you listen to this song.
Listen to “Forget” by Kuiper on Spotify:
Check out Kuiper on Instagram: @kuiper_xiii

Released on: February 17
If you know me, you will know that I have been a fan of Niall’s since 2011. He is one of my biggest inspirations and I will forever support him. Throughout the years, his musical style has grown and his vocals have become more and more powerful. “Heaven” is literally such a beautiful song and it makes me feel really nostalgic. This song is the lead single on Niall’s new album The Show which is coming out on June 9th, so make sure to pre-save.
Listen to “Heaven” by Niall Horan on Spotify:
Check out Niall Horan on Instagram: @niallhoran

Released on: February 24
“saltandsnow” is an amazing song and although it came out yesterday, I love it! It has been on repeat because of the soft-rock vibes. Danny was also a classmate of mine last year and he is super talented so I knew I had to share this song! I also love the name of the song and the overall aesthetic.
Listen to “saltandsnow” by Danny Park on Spotify:
Check out Danny Park on Instagram: @daannypark
You can find all 15 of the songs mentioned in this article on our Spotify playlist below:
Got an artist or song submission? Visit our Submit Music page.