Inji (singer)

Turkish singer-songwriter (born 2001)

Inji

INJI performing in 2024

Background information
Birth name| İnci Gürün
Born|  (2001-01-02) January 2, 2001 (age 23)
Istanbul, Turkey
Genres| Pop
Occupation| Singer-songwriter
Years active| 2022–present
Labels|

* Polydor
* Astralwerks AWAL Records

Website| www.injiverse.com

Musical artist

Inci Gürün (born January 2, 2001),[1][2] better known by her stage name Inji (stylized in all caps), is a Turkish singer-songwriter currently based in Philadelphia. She rose to prominence with her singles "Gaslight" and "Madeline", both of which went viral on TikTok in 2022. Her debut EP LFG was released on July 21, 2023.

## Early life

[edit]

Inci was born on January 2, 2001, in Istanbul, Turkey.[3] Her paternal grandfather, Orhan, founded the tugboat shipyard Sanmar Denizcilik, which is currently chaired by Inci's father, Ali. Both men are guitarists, with Orhan working alongside Seyyal Taner.[4] Having loved music from a very young age she enrolled in the Istanbul University State Conservatory in 2008 and studied music theory and classical piano.[5] Throughout the next ten years she would compete in several piano competitions across Europe, and after moving to London to attend high school, she started singing in jazz groups and choirs. This continued into her time at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where she formed a jazz group and performed on the campus.[6][7]

## Career

[edit]

### 2022: First singles and TikTok success

[edit]

Gürün's first single, "Gaslight", was produced by fellow Penn student Alex Graf, who had previously been the drummer in her jazz project.[8] The song was made "basically [...] in a week" with a beat Alex created in his dorm room.[9] A demo of the song posted to TikTok went viral and propelled Gürün's popularity to reach some of the most popular creators on the website, including Charli D'Amelio and Bella Poarch.[10] The song reached over 300,000 streams on Spotify in under two weeks.[11]

The follow-up single, "Madeline", received similar success, which was further pushed by—among several—Gürün's appearance on Tidal's Rising Artist and airplay on BBC's Radio 1.[12] Notably, the singer also appeared on Samsung's miniseries Make It With Nile Rodgers, hosted by Nile Rodgers.[13]

### 2023: "The One" and debut EP

[edit]

Gürün's first release of the year, "The One", continued the singer's viral stardom. The song, described by Inji as "the new single girl anthem", was later remixed by Marc Kinchen and Lee Foss.[14] "The One" was featured in EFootball '24.

LFG, Inji's first EP, was released via Astralwerks on July 21, 2023.[15][16]

## Influences

[edit]

Gürün mentions jazz and blues musicians as a major factor in her style of songwriting, pointing to them being "so creative in the span of such a small space". The singer refers to Amy Winehouse as "her favorite artist in terms of storytelling".[17] She is very open to experimentation in her music, saying "I'm not gonna say no to anything—you know, hyperpop, bring it on!" as a reply to her audience anticipating a hyperpop song.[18]

## Discography

[edit]

### EPs

[edit]

List of EPs, with selected details  Title  | Details

|

LFG |

* Released: July 21, 2023
* Label: Astralwerks

WE GOOD |

* Released: September 13, 2024
* Label: AWAL

### Singles

[edit]

List of singles, with selected details  Title  | Details

|

"Gaslight"  |

* Released: April 14, 2022
* Label: Self-released

"Madeline"  |

* Released: September 9, 2022
* Label: Polydor

"The One"  |

* Released: January 19, 2023
* Label: Polydor

"Bored"  |

* Released: May 11, 2023
* Label: Polydor

"Untz Untz"  |

* Released: June 29, 2023
* Label: Polydor

"Bellydancing"  |

* Released: November 2, 2023
* Label: Polydor

"Hate Your Guts"  |

* Released: March 15, 2024
* Label: Polydor

"Big Up"  |

* Released: April 26, 2024
* Label: Self-released

"Nice To Meet Ya"
(with Flyana Boss) |

* Released: July 12, 2024
* Label: AWAL

"Girlz"  |

* Released: August 16, 2024
* Label: AWAL

## References

[edit]

1. ^ @injiverse (January 2, 2024). "I was born on jan 2 coz my mom thought the doctors would be hungover on jan 1. True story". Archived from the original on February 21, 2024. Retrieved February 21, 2024 - via Instagram.
2. ^ @injiverse (January 3, 2023). "turned 22 today and i gottem FEELS guys". Retrieved February 21, 2024 - via Instagram.
3. ^ Callwood, Brent (July 27, 2023). "Inji-nious". Fizzy Mag.
4. ^ Egeli, Yeşim Yeliz (August 30, 2010). "Derya misali uçsuz bucaksız bir gönül adamı Orhan Gürün". Marinedealnews.
5. ^ Treadgold, Emily (June 1, 2022). "Artist You Need To Know: INJI". The New Nine.
6. ^ Barkan, Sophie (October 4, 2022). "Singer, Songwriter, and Penn Student: @injimusic". 34th Street.
7. ^ Gürün, Inci (January 6, 2023). "From Penn student to record deal: How a 15-second TikTok video changed my life". The Inquirer.
8. ^ https://www.34st.com/article/2022/10/inci-gurun-inji-music-tiktok-gasline-madeline-viral-istanbul-turkey-singer-songwriter
9. ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEiM30bR0pQ
10. ^ Levin, Annie (May 20, 2022). "INJI talks her debut single, "Gaslight"". Twenty Minutes Later.
11. ^ Day, Jordyn (May 6, 2022). "INJI – Gaslight". A1234.
12. ^ "Turkish born musician INJI unveils brand new single 'MADELINE'". Sport Playlists. September 30, 2022.
13. ^ "INJI (Polydor/Range)". Hits Daily Double. April 12, 2023.
14. ^ Peters, Jo (January 19, 2023). "INJI with new single 'The One' External Inbox". With Guitars.
15. ^ Vigil, Dom (June 29, 2023). "INJI Releases New Track, "UNTZ UNTZ"". Prelude Press.
16. ^ Staff, Fizzy (July 21, 2023). "INJI Drops Debut EP "LFG": A Wild Ride of Catchy Electronic-Pop Bliss". Fizzy Mag.
17. ^ Reid, Madeline (July 21, 2023). "INJI Inspires Joy On Debut EP LFG". Bricks.
18. ^ Kazlauskas, Agnius (May 15, 2023). "INJI talks about new single 'Bored' and rising to fame on social media". Variance.