The May 2025 New Music Mix Tape can be found on Spotify. Listen in-blog below for a more rich experience, or on Spotify for uninterrupted music. Please note below each song is a link to song lyrics for accessibility. Check out more details on how to best enjoy mix tapes.
Good day and welcome to my May 2025 New Music Mix Tape, featuring all the very best music from the month, right here on KMTJ-DB – Your Mix Tape Journey – Denver, Colorado.
I’m DJ Ponyboy. Thank you so much for joining me today and the first Sunday of every month for my New Music Mix Tape; as always, I have so much great music in store for you! I dare you to listen from beginning-to-end and then tell me there is no good new music!
Active since 2011, Venezuelan rapper Akapellah was ranked 12 on the Rolling Stone’s list of fifty great Spanish-language rappers.
I’m DJ Ponyboy and kicking off a trilingual musical double-shot is Akapellah with “David” on KMTJ-DB, Denver.
South Korean boy band RIIZE with “Fly Up” in both Korean and English. Akapellah and “David” before that in Spanish and English.
Riize was named by combining “rise”, meaning “growth”, and “realize”, meaning “a team that grows together and realizes dreams”.
K-pop has become a rather trendy thing these days, but I’ve been listening to Asian pop music since about 2004 when my boyfriend at the time made me two mix CD’s featuring mostly Japanese but also Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean pop artists – artists like Namie Amuro, Ayumi Hamasaki, Faye Wong, Maaya Sakamoto, and many more.
Maybe someday soon I should make a throwback J-Pop mix tape; what do you think? Share your thoughts on the Mix Tape Journeyer’s Facebook group!
Active since 1999, American punk rock band Rise Against hails from Chicago. Their song “Nod” was featured on my January 2025 New Music Mix Tape – check that out after you finish this one!
First, with another single off their new release, Ricochet, dropping August 15th, Rise Against and “I Want It All”.
If all the newfangled music I’ve been playing so far isn’t your vibe, perhaps you’ll enjoy our next artist, who has been creating brand-new music set firmly in the era of the 1960’s.
Friend of the channel Thee Sacred Souls has been previously featured on my September 2024 New Music Mix Tape.
But they have come very close on two other occasions, making it to the monthly Honourable Mentions playlists for August and September 2024; both tracks were excellent but got edged out for spots on the new music mix tapes by other songs.
You can gain access to these monthly Honourable Mentions playlists by joining my Patreon tier of Backstage Passholder (only $37/mo) or above. You will receive access to bonus playlists for mix tapes all the way back to May 2024, and much, much more!
I’m DJ Ponyboy and this is Thee Sacred Souls with their newest, “We Don’t Have to Be Alone”.
We Don’t Have to Be Alone Lyrics
Thee Sacred Souls will be coming to Colorado in June and September this year. They will be performing at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Sunday, June 15th with The Barr Brothers, Trevor Hall, Fruit Bats, and others. You’ll have another chance to see them at Ball Arena in Denver, Thursday, September 25th.
One of my favourite voices is releasing a whole album full of duets and I am waiting with bated breath for its release June 26th!
From that upcoming album, reimaging a track first recorded by the one-and-only Roberta Flack, “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” – you heard it here first – Barbra Streisand with Irish musician Hozier on KMTJ-DB – Your Mix Tape Journey – Denver, Colorado.
The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face Lyrics
OMG! Could you die?!
Streisand’s new album will feature duets with Tim McGraw, Laufey, James Taylor, and many, many more! While Streisand is not touring, you can catch Hozier at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado on July 20th.
Next, EDM artist HoneyLuv with her catchy new track “Dancehall”.
“Dancehall” by HoneyLuv. Gabriella Rose up next, kicking off a musical double-shot on KMTJ-DB – Denver, Colorado.
“Lose My Mind” – American rapper Don Toliver with friend of the channel, rapper Doja Cat.
Country artist Gabriella Rose before that with “Necklace”.
Bringing the country back is American musician Marcus King with “Honky Tonk Hell”.
I’m DJ Ponyboy and that was Marcus King on KMTJ-DB – Denver, Colorado.
DJ and producer Tiësto kicking off a Dutch EDM double-shot with “Won’t Be Possible”.
Dutch DJ and producer Oliver Heldens and South African singer Julia Church pair up for “Ruins”. Tiësto before that with “Won’t Be Possible.
I’m DJ Ponyboy, and if you are enjoying today’s journey, please consider supporting me and the mission of Mix Tape Journey by signing up for my email newsletter, purchasing a product, supporting me on Patreon, or simply sharing your favourite mix tape with someone special.
We have a lot of songs to get to this month, so without further delay, here is Arizona indie artist Madilyn Mei kicking off another double-shot with “What’s Going On?!” on KMTJ-DB – Your Mix Tape Journey – Denver, Colorado.
I’m DJ Ponyboy, having more fun than a human being should be allowed to have! We just heard “U WON’T!” from INJI, a Turkish singer-songwriter based in Pennsylvania, active since 2022. I love the dubstep influences in that track. I remember when Skrillex became popular and everyone who “loved” dubstep decried it as the death of dubstep.
I prefer to celebrate the entire life cycle of a genre – from underground to niche-popular to mainstream to retro – influencing all the music that comes after it. We see that here with the “watered-down” dubstep influences in this decidedly pop song.
Don’t get upset – get excited that people love something so much they want to make it their own – that is the joy of art!
Before INJI we heard Madilyn Mei with “What’s Going On?!” – she will be performing at Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre in Greenwood Village, Colorado on Thursday, July 24th, joining artists AJR, Cavetown, Valley, and others.
Next, Japanese pop artist Kyra Machida with her catchy new track, “DNA”.
American singer-songwriter Fiona Apple makes a powerful statement about our “justice” system in “Pretrial (Let Her Go Home)” on KMTJ-DB – Denver.
Pretrial (Let Her Go Home) Lyrics
That was Fiona Apple. I’m DJ Ponyboy. Next, That Mexican OT and Lil Wayne collaborate on a new track with an early 2000s vibe, “Baby Mad At Me”.
DJ and producer Cloonee is coming to Mission Ballroom in Denver on Friday, October 31st – Halloween! He and LA hip-hop group Funkdoobiest collaborate on our next track, kicking off a musical double-shot.
You’re listening to KMTJ-DB – Your Mix Tape Journey – Denver, Colorado, where we “like our funk like we like our sex and we like our sex like we like our funk” – nasty.
“X-Rated”, now.
American DJ and producer NGHTMRE with English grime MC Flowdan and jungle DJ Sully – “Up Top”. Cloonee and Funkdoobiest before that with “X-Rated”.
Country artists Lily Meola (from America’s Got Talent) and Jamey Johnson keep the music rolling with “Never Want This to Change”.
Never Want This to Change Lyrics
You’re listening to KMTJ-DB – Denver, Colorado. I’m your host, DJ Ponyboy. I have some exciting new products in the pipeline for you, and the one I’m most excited about is my upcoming Adventure Journals, a line of combined music, art, and reflection journals designed to accompany some of my most popular mix tapes.
Keep your eyes peeled for my first release, the It’s Okay to Not Be Okay Adventure Journal, packed with lyrics, original adult colouring pages, journal prompts and more!
We first heard from rapper GELO when he appeared with GloRilla on a track called “Can You Please”, featured on my March 2025 New Music Mix Tape.
From his upcoming release League of My Own, coming out June 27th, here is GELO with “Booted Up”.
We enjoyed the sultry sixties vibe of Thee Scared Souls earlier with “We Don’t Have to Be Alone”; they will be joining our next artist at Ball Arena in September.
Kicking off another double-shot of great music, both with 60’s influences, here is Kali Uchis and “All I Can Say”.
Chef Boy with “I believe it”. Kali Uchis before that with “All I Can Say”.
You’re listening to KMTJ-DB – Denver, where we’re cramming 25 fantastic new songs into the May New Music Mix Tape.
I‘m DJ Ponyboy, serving up a Sexyy Red double-shot.
PLUTO and Sexyy Red with “WHIM WHAMIEE”.
Snoop Dogg and Sexyy Red with “Me N OG Snoop”.
I’m DJ Ponyboy and I have had so much fun today! I hope you found a new song or artist to add to your permanent rotation.
This month’s theme mix tapes celebrate the kickoff of summer featuring tracks for the beach or pool and tunes for the boat; come back next week for Side A!
Closing us out is Detroit rapper 42 Dugg with “WE NOT DONE”
“WE NOT DONE”!
#truth!
Keep the tunes coming by finding another fantastic mix tape to enjoy!
You have been listening to KMTJ-DB – Your Mix Tape Journey – Denver, Colorado.
I’m your host, DJ Ponyboy.
Stay gold.