Mikayla Geier’s disco bop, and 3 songs you need to hear to celebrate Asian Heritage Month

For Asian Heritage Month, we’re devoting this week’s edition of songs you need to hear to recent tracks from exciting Asian Canadian musicians. 

Hotline, Mikayla Geier

WATCH | The official audio for Hotline:

If you’re looking for a breakup anthem to kickstart spring, let us suggest Mikayla Geier’s delicious new single, Hotline. “He wants you isolated, so he put you on a glacier/ it wasn’t all your fault, I mean, he looked so good on paper,” the Vancouver pop artist sings cheekily in the first verse, setting up a doomed relationship before suggesting that the first step in your rebound should be to call her hotline. The song is cinematic and breezy, with dramatic builds and a synth bassline that is funky and carefree. “I want everyone who listens to my music to feel seen and have fun!” Geier said via press release. “I’m thrilled to share Hotline with the world and hope it makes you feel hot.” Hotline is a song built for dance floors and not taking yourself too seriously — the perfect way to enter the sunny season. — Holly Gordon

If I am me, then who are you?, Piao 

WATCH | The official music video for If I am me, then who are you?:

Sometimes the person you see in the mirror doesn’t align with the way you personally feel. So many factors can distort one’s own self-image, and that’s a feeling that Piao tries to unpack on her latest single, If I am me, then who are you?. “Who do I, who do I see/ I don’t know what to believe,” she sings in a triplet cadence over a bass-heavy industrial pop soundscape. Piao’s airy vocals against the dissonant beats further illustrate that sense of disorientation, but ultimately marry everything together in a way that’s audacious and beautiful. Piao has explored various sounds as an artist, from pop-punk to piano balladry, but If I am me, then who are you? signifies an exciting new direction that we can’t wait to hear more of. — Melody Lau 

Technicolour, Jia

WATCH | The official music video for Technicolour:

Jia, a.k.a. Jia Lee, is an indie-pop singer-songwriter from Vancouver whose dreamy, ethereal songs evoke the sultry haze of Lana Del Rey. On her latest track, Technicolour, she sings about a lover who doesn’t know she dreams of them. “Hypnotic kisses that’s where we decay, I’ll take it to my grave,” she sings, her voice floating over gothic, neo-noir instrumentals reminiscent of Del Rey’s Million Dollar Man. Jia describes the song as a “yearning anthem” and it’s accurate, as her velvety voice sweeps along and makes her longing feel palpable. “Oh I’m buried on that beach, six feet deep while the sun is setting in Technicolor,” she sings tenderly, painting a vividly compelling portrait of pining.  — Natalie Harmsen

Angels Weep at Night, Ashavari

WATCH | The official audio for Angels Weep at Night:

It can be difficult to create music that is vulnerable, cathartic, powerful and accessible all at the same time, but on her latest single, Angels Weep at Night, rising artist Ashavari does just that. The track acts as a survivor’s anthem, telling the story of someone reclaiming themselves after the realities of manipulation and abuse. Writing from real-life experience was important to the Toronto-based singer, but so were the sonic choices. She opted for production that feels close to pop and R&B to create something that is ultimately empowering, while maintaining the glitchy, dark synths that act as a throughline to most of her work. Angels Weep at Night is a clear look into the talent and range that will be displayed on her debut album, Goddess From the Machine, which is set for release on May 8. — Bhaven Moorthy