Q&A: INJI's Club-Pop Universe Took Over Lollapalooza
INTERVIEW
INTERVIEW
☆ BY KIMBERLY KAPELA ☆
Audrey Hertel
INJI WANTS YOU TO STOP TAKING LIFE SO SERIOUSLY AND START DANCING — Turkish dance-pop artist INJI makes her long-awaited Lollapalooza debut on Sunday, August. INJI transformed the festival into an electrifying club, creating a space centered around movement, confidence and the freedom to simply have fun.
INJI's music has always existed in a world where humor, sensuality and self-assurance collide. Her infectious club beats pulse beneath lyrics that read like pages torn from a diary after a late-night adventure, creating songs that feel deeply personal while inviting thousands of strangers to dance together.
The set radiated the same magnetic feminine energy that has made INJI one of dance-pop's most exciting emerging voices. Drawing inspiration from jazz, bossa nova, classical music, and sleek electronic production, her sound refuses to be boxed into a single genre. Instead, it celebrates fluidity. The biggest surprise of the afternoon came when INJI debuted her brand-new single, “BRIGHT IDEAS,” live for the very first time.
Beneath every shimmering synth and club-ready rhythm is an artist encouraging listeners — particularly women — to embrace themselves unapologetically. Her songs reject perfection in favor of pleasure, confidence and authenticity. Following her Lollapalooza debut, Luna caught up with INJI backstage to reflect on one of the biggest milestones of her career.
Audrey Hertel
LUNA: Thank you for talking to Luna. Our readers would love to get to know you and your music more. For any readers who aren’t familiar with you yet, what kind of atmosphere or emotional space do you aim to create for your listeners?
INJI: I make music to remind myself that life is just about enjoying it, because you need to be reminded that all the time. Sonically, a lot of electronic music inspires me, but anything that can make you dance. I just try to entertain. I try to make people laugh. I try to take difficult experiences for myself and put them in a fun or playful setting. I try to get people to move and dance and jiggle and giggle and yell and shout!
LUNA: You just released your newest single “BRIGHT IDEAS.” Was there a specific moment or spark of inspiration that finally gave this song its voice?
INJI: “BRIGHT IDEAS” is a heartbreak song, so unfortunately, heartbreak inspired it. A lot of the song was freestyled on the mic, so I think it just poured out of me. I was just going through heartbreak, and it was just whatever I was feeling at that point. Sometimes freestyling is such a subconscious part of your brain. Sometimes you'll write the song, and you didn't even know you felt that way. It's so bizarre how your wildest thoughts will come out, and you're in a state of flow.
LUNA: How did your Lolla audience react to “BRIGHT IDEAS?”
INJI: I hope they loved it, which makes me so happy.
LUNA: What was the atmosphere like backstage and onstage at Lollapalooza? Did the energy of the crowd or the festival vibe inspire you in any unexpected ways?
INJI: Lolla is so wonderful. I've already met and said hi to so many artists, and all the artists are seeing each other's sets, which is so adorable. It already feels like such a community. It's such a wonderful spot. The crowd is incredible. Everyone is so excited to hear the music. I can't even believe I've gotten to see my favorite artist of all time. It's been so fun. I'm excited to see Tate Mcrae. I'm excited to see Duke Dumont if I catch him. I've seen such amazing sets all weekend.
LUNA: Do you follow any specific pre-show rituals to help you reach the headspace needed to take the stage? How do you manage to stay grounded before stepping out, particularly amidst the massive scale of a festival like Lollapalooza?
INJI: I down a bottle of Celsius, then I down two vodka shots, and then sometimes right before going on stage, I'll do a power pose to feel big. I'll hug my drummer. The show sneaks up on me always.
LUNA: From your catalog, which song do you most love performing live, and why does it connect so deeply with audiences?
INJI: “U WON’T!” because it's psychotic and it's really fun. I screamed during it today. I had a voodoo doll and beat him up. I love it. It's very cathartic, and I think people really feel that. There’s thousands of people I've never met in my life, and I'm being absolutely insane in front of them, and that feels amazing.
LUNA: How do you hope listeners — especially your femme audience — can connect with or find power in this new era of music from you? What emotions or messages do you want to leave with them?
INJI: A lot of my music to its very core is female empowerment in a very specific way. I'm so confrontational. A lot of my music is just confronting all the people who do me wrong in funny ways. It's not really angry. It almost laughs at it, but also brings pain to the front and then likes to make a joke about it and plays with it. I yell a lot in my songs. I yell at people who do me wrong a lot in my songs. Sometimes I'll bring sexuality to the front in a way that feels really empowering for me.
LUNA: How are you feeling in this current era of your career and what does the rest of the year look like that you would like to share with Luna?
INJI: I feel incredible. This was a dream come true. Thank you Chicago so much for having me. I will never forget this day. I'm going to go write an album that's hopefully really good, and then I'll be back next year with that album.
