JoySauce Radio: Colorful tunes for a season of festivities
Add these songs to your Halloween, Diwali, and Day of the Dead playlists
Words by Anjana Pawa
JoySauce Radio: Consider JoySauce Radio our own personal song recommendations—from the tunes and videos our writers love to DJ-produced mixes of dance floor bangers—all from Asian and Pacific Islander artists around the world.
As October comes to an end, we have the intersection of some amazing festivities happening: Thursday is Halloween, Friday is Diwali, and Saturday is Day of the Dead. The three celebrations are equally colorful, festive, and full of stories. One thing that all three have in common are their theatrics, so this month with Joysauce Radio, we celebrate all things theatrical. Whether that’s a colorful Bollywood song, a K-pop banger, or a visually enticing music video to accompany a sad bop, we love when an artist plays into the drama. So buckle up as it gets colder and darker, and we approach the scariest day of all this spooky season—Election Day. Choose wisely, folks, and bump these theatrical tunes while you’re at the polls.
“Eyes on you” by SEVENTEEN
The coveted theater kids of K-pop are back with a new mini-album, and the music video for this track proves exactly how they’ve earned that name. The song is fast-paced, and the visuals to match tell a story of a fun night in which the members let loose, party, and just dance to the music. If SEVENTEEN isn’t on your playlist this fall, what are you doing?
“Baby OG” by AUDREY NUNA
This video is so alluring, it’ll have you just as entranced as the song itself. Audrey Nuna’s fast rhymes and edgy production come together to create an experimental and fun track with “Baby OG.” The 25-year-old New Jersey native loves to play with visuals, creating distorted images and wearing the latest street styles to mirror the way her music sounds.
“We Stay Up All Night” by MIYAVA
This song by MIYAVA, a Japanese actor and musician, is a genre-bending bop. The artist plays with rock, synth, and pop sounds, while delivering introspective and self-reflective lyrics. The song itself isn’t just what gets your attention, he’s paired it with a lyric video that features him along with several choreographed dancers in a neon-lit garage performing the song. It’s both visually and sonically dynamic.
“Kabutomushi” by Mina Okabe
Mina Okabe, a Danish Japanese pop artist, released a cover of “Kabutomushi” by Aiko, one of her favorite songs that her Japanese mother introduced her to as a child. In this version, the 24-year-old singer-songwriter reinterprets the lyrics in English, while keeping some of the Japanese lines from the original song. The accompanying video follows her on what might seem like an ordinary day around her hometown of Copenhagen.
“Lights Out” by Rhea Raj
Rhea Raj’s track “Lights Out” is an upbeat, empowering pop anthem that combines her modern, bold aesthetics with pieces of her cultural roots. The 24-year-old Indian American popstar’s music and style is constantly evolving and this track is no different. The Y2K aesthetics make this video fun, nostalgic, and full of energy. This is a house party we definitely want to attend this spooky season!
Published on October 30, 2024
Words by Anjana Pawa
Anjana Pawa is a Brooklyn-based culture reporter who regularly covers music, entertainment and beauty. You can find her on Twitter at @apawawrites.