MONTHLY MIXTAPE: JULY 2023
BY BRENESSA ROACH | JULY 31, 2023

I cannot believe July went even faster than June. This month we had so many amazing releases and it was really hard to narrow it down. However, I had these 12 songs on repeat and I am going to talk about them in this article.

Released on: July 6th
After 3 years of waiting for this song, it finally came out at the start of July and definitely was my #1 streamed song this month. “INVITATION” is the full version of JUNNY’s 8barrelay cover he made on TikTok 3 years ago that went viral. The song was made for a competition which JUNNY won. I absolutely love the vibes and lyrics of this song and I think Gaeko was a really cool feature as his voice and JUNNY’s voice blend nicely together.
Listen to “INVITATION” by JUNNY (Feat. Gaeko) on Spotify:
Check out JUNNY and Gaeko on Instagram: @jnkmsc and @gaekogeem

Released on: July 6th
Just as the whole world is obsessing over the new Barbie movie and soundtrack right now, so am I! The soundtrack for this movie is absolutely amazing and one of my favourite songs was “Barbie Dreams” which is a collaboration between the South Korean girl group FIFTY FIFTY and American rapper Kaliii. Since before FIFTY FIFTY debuted, I have loved their music and vibes because it’s so nostalgic, but also preppy and upbeat. I think they fit the Barbie aesthetic so nicely and this song was definitely a beautiful blend of K-Pop and Western music. I also never listened to Kaliii prior to this song, but really appreciated her verse on it.
Listen to “Barbie Dreams” by FIFTY FIFTY (Feat. Kaliii) on Spotify:
Check out FIFTY FIFTY and Kaliii on Instagram: @we_fiftyfifty and @kaliii

Released on: July 7th
Over the past few months, I have grown to really admire and appreciate Keenan Te’s music and lyricism. All of his songs always have a deep meaning and really hit you in the feels. This month, he released “overthinking about you” which is so beautiful, yet so real and hurtful at the same time. The lyrics really hit anyone listening to it and his vocals are so light and delicate. If you haven’t listened to Keenan Te before, I highly recommend his whole discography.
Listen to “overthinking about you” by Keenan Te on Spotify:
Check out Keenan Te on Instagram: @keenante

Released on: July 10th
This month, EXO had a comeback and released their 7th full-length album EXIST. I am a big fan of EXO as they were one of the first K-Pop groups I got into so, this album means a lot to me. I loved every single song, but “Cinderella” stood out to me the most and was also my most played amongst the songs on the album. This song has a very majestic, fairy like sound and gives the imagery of the actual Cinderella movie. For a more in-depth review of the song and album, check out our “Comeback Corner” article.
Listen to “Cinderella” by EXO on Spotify:
Check out EXO on Instagram: @weareone.exo

Released on: July 11th
I absolutely love Ley’s voice and musical style. With the release of “nice girls”, I can officially say this is my new favourite song from her discography. I absolutely love the production of it which was produced by dyse and I love the lyrics and her vocal style. This song is so unique and kind of has a nostalgic feel to it (in my opinion). The chorus is literally so catchy as well.
Listen to “nice girls” by Ley Vara on Spotify:
Check out Ley Vara on Instagram: @leysaprocky

Released on: July 13th
I absolutely love Billie Eilish’s music so much, especially her slower/ballad type songs like “What I Was Made For?”. This song is literally so beautiful and I have had it on repeat since it came out. This song made me even more excited to watch the Barbie movie. I think the lyrics are absolutely beautiful and just listening to the song and how Billie puts her emotions into it, it makes me feel really emotional as well.
Listen to “What I Was Made For?” by Billie Eilish
Check out Billie Eilish on Instagram: @billieeilish

Released on: July 14th
If you know me, you know that I have been ARMY (BTS’ fandom name) for the last 6 years. I absolutely adore Jungkook (stylized as Jung Kook) and this song is so beautiful. “Seven” really shows off his R&B side and also shows off his vocal range and style. At first, I didn’t really love the Latto feature, but after replaying this song over and over, it definitely grew on me. I also prefer the explicit version more than the clean version because I think it’s cool to see Jung Kook swear haha. For a more in depth review of this song, check out our Comeback Corner article.
Listen to “Seven” by Jungkook (Feat. Latto) on Spotify:
Check out BTS and Latto on Instagram: @bts.bighitofficial and @latto777

Released on: July 16th
At the beginning of this year I discovered off the menu and fell in love with their sound. This song in particular has a very retro feel to it. In my opinion, it reminds me the indie-rock songs from the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. I absolutely love the vibe of this song and the lyrics. I believe off the menu is going to become one of my favourite Korean indie bands.
Listen to “Silhouette” by off the menu on Spotify:
Check out off the menu on Instagram: @otmsound

Released on: July 21st
Where do I even begin with this song. I LOVE THE ROSE SOOOO MUCH, they are literally my favourite band. I am so excited that they have started their new era for their upcoming album DUAL (no release date yet). The music video is insane too – their visuals wow. I did a Comeback Corner for this song as well so read it here.
Listen to “Back To Me” by The Rose on Spotify:
Check out The Rose and the members on Instagram: @official_therose, @iwoosung, @gud0011, @parclassic and @l_hajoon

Released on: July 21st
Lyle Kam is an artist I have supported since last year and he has continued to amaze e with each song. However, “internet crush” is my absolute favourite song of his so far. This indie-pop song is so catchy and the lyrics are also relatable. I absolutely love everything about this song and I am very excited to blast this for the rest of the year and my life.
Listen to “internet crush” by Lyle Kam on Spotify:
Check out Lyle Kam on Instagram: @lylekam

Released on: July 27th
My last favourite song of this month is “sunburn” by my good friends Townewest. This song opens a new era for them after the release of their second album Garden Audience in May. “sunburn” is an indie-chill type of song and the “i’m sunburnt, but i’m feeling okay” line is literally so catchy. “sunburn” is a pre-release track for their third album (which has no release date yet).
Listen to “sunburn” by Townewest on Spotify:
Check out Townewest and the members on Instagram: @townewest1, @imjonum and @jouquetjord
You can find all 12 of the songs mentioned in this article on our Spotify playlist below:
Got an artist or song submission? Visit our Submit Music page.