INJI Brings ‘Superlame’ Energy to the Music Box as Wharton Grad Turned Club Hitmaker
The Music Box holds over 700 people. But on May 31st, the intimate venue roared with the kind of fervor typically reserved for arena headliners. Rising Turkish dance-pop sensation INJI, born İnci Gürün, delivered a memorable San Diego stop on her “this tour is superlame” headlining run with a 75 minute set that showcased exactly why the finance degree holder left management consulting behind.
The 25-year-old artist has charted a peculiar path to stardom. A decade of classical piano training at the Istanbul University State Conservatory preceded a Wharton degree, which preceded the 2022 viral explosion of “GASLIGHT,” a cheeky, house-inflected takedown anthem that racked up millions of streams and label interest. Her debut mixtape SUPERLAME, released October 2025, has since crystallized her voice: witty, bass-heavy and unapologetically chaotic, a sound she has playfully branded “recession pop.”
New York based DJ bdgrlbklyn opened the night with a set that blended house, deep house and club rhythms. Her instinct for keeping a dance floor alive was immediately apparent. By the time she ceded the decks, the room was primed and pulsing with energy.
Then came INJI. The intimate multi-level Music Box in San Diego was ready. The production was simple but effective. A rig of neon pinks and electric blues bathed the stage as she opened with “TEEN ANGST,” the first track she wrote after quitting her corporate path. Its manic tempo shifts and dubstep-tinged drops immediately answered any questions about whether her studio sound would translate live–it does.
The setlist balanced SUPERLAME cuts like the infectious “BODEGA” and “GOOD TIME GIRL” with older viral moments, including “MADELINE” and the hypnotic “BELLYDANCING.” Early fan favorites have aged well, and the crowd, largely Gen Z, sang along with the same breathless energy typically reserved for more tenured pop acts. The evening also featured a stripped-down piano moment that showcased her classical conservatory training, offering a brief but welcome shift in texture before she returned to the dance-ready energy of tracks like “JEANS.”
The set closed with the inevitable “GASLIGHT,” sending the crowd into one final frenzy. For an artist still technically in her debut phase, INJI has assembled a sharp, confident live show. Her “this tour is superlame” run continues through June with dates across North America, including stops in Toronto (June 8), Montreal (June 9), Boston (June 10), New York (June 12), Philadelphia (June 13) and Washington, D.C. (June 14). She will also appear at Electric Forest in Rothbury, Michigan on June 27 and Lollapalooza in Chicago on August 2.
