Philadelphia-based singer and songwriter INJI has just released her new single, called “Bored” — and, despite what the title might suggest, this electrifying release is simply anything but dull.
Hence, INJI sat down with Variance's Agnius Kazlauskas for an exclusive interview to discuss her new hit "Bored," along with her past and future musical endeavours.
“I'm so pumped for this song,” INJI reveals right off the bat. As confirmed by the musician herself, it’s a direct call-out to young adults who can’t stop complaining about the monotone parts of their lives. “It’s not supposed to be condescending at all,” she continues, emphasising that the song ought to encourage everyone to liven up their days rather than drown them in boredom; indeed, the track serves as a fun reminder that “so many things are beautiful and exciting” around you, as claimed by the musician herself.
“It's a very simple message,” INJI says. “But it's something I want to scream into my friends' faces a lot.” Speaking of which, it’s exactly what INJI aims to do — make music you’d want to scream to... at the top of your lungs, surrounded by neon lights in a club setting.
“Bored,” which clocks in at a total of two minutes and twenty seconds, explores a bit of a different take on the club-esque sound that INJI has recently grown accustomed to. “The sound of ‘Bored’ is more like old pop, which I also didn't think I’d make,” she reveals, immediately adding that genre-defying experimentation is something that she’s certainly taken quite a liking to.
Indeed, INJI’s crave for experimentation proves how thrilling her creative vision is — especially since she puts artistic versatility at the very forefront of her career. A recent jazz rendition of INJI’s debut single “Gaslight,” which initially dropped as a dance track, further testifies to that.
“I really enjoy making different sounding songs,” INJI answers when asked whether her audience can expect a hyperpop song sometime in the future. “I'm not gonna say no to anything — you know, hyperpop, bring it on!”
With three hit singles under her belt — “Gaslight,” “Madeline,” and “The One” — INJI is gearing up for an exciting year ahead. She isn’t a stranger to overnight recognition on social media, with every single one of her solo releases already tallying up millions of streams after trending on platforms in the likes of TikTok and Instagram.
However, as much as growing a dedicated audience is one of the most exciting things for an emerging musician to experience, it’s just as nerve-wrecking, too. “It was probably the most stressful time of my life because I was just so unprepared,” INJI confesses, adding that she had never “thought it was possible.”
Fortunately, INJI isn’t afraid of a challenge and has already embraced the beauty of simply going with the flow. She admits that prior to releasing “Gaslight,” she was so “unprepared” that she hadn’t even created a Spotify profile, nor chosen an artistic moniker, by the time it went viral online. “I think people enjoy watching someone who had genuinely just, you know, blown up by chance,” she claims. “And it was really fun for me to figure out, you know, what I was doing.”
@injiverse You asked, we wrote more. (and it sounded better british) #originalsong #newartist #newmusic #hiphop #discoverme #newmusicout #newmusicoutsoon @heist__
Although INJI can’t confirm whether there’s a full record coming anytime soon, she does indicate that there’s certainly an exciting line-up of projects in the pipeline for the next few months. If there’s one thing that can be guaranteed, it is that INJI’s discography will make this upcoming summer all the more exciting.