m0n0 jay is an independent electronic artist and competitive powerlifter based in Sweden, seamlessly blending the worlds of heavy lifting and underground dance music. Known for her self-coined genre “powerlifter glitter gym pop,” m0n0 jay combines 128 BPM industrial club beats with hyper-pop aesthetics, pushing a message of “power, not performance” and radical body positivity. Visually striking and sonically uncompromising, her debut single, “L.L.L. (Lift Lift Lick It),” has already garnered support from global tastemakers. It sets the stage for an artist who is actively disrupting the norms of modern club culture.
With her debut single, “L.L.L. (Lift, Lift, Lick It),” out now, we took some time to hear from m0n0 jay. Read below to learn more about m0n0 jay, the story behind “L.L.L. (Lift, Lift, Lick It),” and what’s to come.
Hi m0n0 jay! Let’s start with how did you choose your artist name?
“Jay” is a shorter version of my legal name (Justyna), and “m0n0” is a digital nod to the fact that I write, produce, and run this entire project on my own. For me, spelling it with zeros makes it feel like a username or a piece of code. It perfectly fits the industrial, neon-soaked world I’m building, it feels part digital, part raw human energy.
What city are you from, and where are you based now?
I grew up in Knurów, Poland, and I’m currently based right here in the pop capital of Europe: Stockholm, Sweden. You can usually find me either in the studio or training heavy at Täby AK just outside of Stockholm.
At what point in your life did you decide to pursue a career in music? How did you get started?
I was always writing, singing, acting, and performing as an amateur, I actually wrote my first song at the age of six. For a long time, I was really focused on “doing things right,” prioritizing an academic degree and establishing a career in marketing. I always thought music would just “happen” at some point. But life doesn’t always hand you a perfect opportunity, so I finally decided to treat it like a startup and run it as a one-person label. I’ve always loved the energy of club music, but I wanted to make something that completely merged my athletic life with my creative life.
How would you describe your sound?
I like to call it “powerlifter glitter gym pop.” It’s a mix of heavy, sweating, 128-BPM industrial club beats mashed up with candy-coated neon aesthetics and bouncy xylophone hooks. It’s aggressive but playful, like throwing around heavy weights while covered in fuchsia tulle and silver body paint.
Do you have any hobbies outside of music? What do you do to stay creative?
Powerlifting is my absolute biggest passion outside of music! I train and compete as a powerlifter at Täby AK, and I am also the chair of the board. Honestly, the gym is where I get a lot of my creative ideas. The rhythm of the weights clanking, the intense discipline, the raw energy, it directly fuels the aggressive, heavy beats in my tracks. Between the gym, my corporate job, and family life, there isn’t much time for any other hobbies!
What do you listen to when you are doing your heavy sets at the gym?
When I’m going for a heavy lift or trying to hit a new PR, I need absolute chaos and high energy. My gym playlist is basically a 50/50 split between aggressive rock and underground club music. Half the time, I’m blasting System of a Down, AC/DC, or Led Zeppelin to get that raw, stadium-rock adrenaline. The other half of the time, I’ll just throw on a sweaty Yousuke Yukimatsu or DJ ANNA set to lock in and lift to a relentless, pounding bassline. Honestly, bouncing back and forth between heavy rock and dark club sets is exactly what inspired the clash of sounds in my own music!
Who are some of your main musical influences?
It’s a really chaotic split between classic, stadium-sized rock and heavy, underground electronic music. I grew up obsessing over the vocal power of Led Zeppelin, System of a Down, and Jeff Buckley, but I am equally influenced by the relentless, pounding basslines of producers like Yousuke Yukimatsu or DJ ANNA. I think that clash: raw, human, rock-vocal energy over a dark, mechanized club beat, is the exact friction that inspired my own sound.
What would be your absolute dream music collaboration?
My dream collaboration would be with someone who shares that completely raw, unapologetic energy but maybe comes from a slightly different corner of the music world. I would absolutely love to work with Jennie, Lola Young, or YUNGBLUD. Imagine the sheer chaos of putting YUNGBLUD’s rebellious punk-rock theater, or Lola Young’s incredibly gritty, unfiltered vocals over a heavy, sweating 128-BPM industrial club beat. Or bringing Jennie into the “powerlifter glitter gym pop” world for something super fierce and high-fashion, but with massive, aggressive basslines. Any of those would be the ultimate genre-clash!
What’s one of the proudest moments of your music career so far?
Honestly, right now! Releasing my debut single, “L.L.L. (Lift, Lift, Lick It),” and immediately getting support from major tastemakers like Magnetic Magazine and EARMILK has been incredibly validating. Seeing the concept of “powerlifter glitter gym pop” resonate globally on my very first release is a massive milestone, and I am so proud of the world we built.
What would you say are the greatest lessons that you’ve learned so far?
The biggest lesson I’ve learned, both in the gym and in the music industry, is that authenticity wins, and you have to focus on “power, not performance.” When I stopped trying to fit into a standard, safe pop box and just embraced my own weird, glittery, heavy-lifting identity, people actually connected with it. Also, in today’s highly polished pop landscape, you have to learn that rejection from traditional critics is just part of the process. I don’t need to be liked by everyone; I just need to find my tribe. Hitting a 30% playlist-add rate on Spotify this month proved to me that the audience for this definitely exists!
Now onto your release, “L.L.L. (Lift, Lift, Lick It).” What inspired this song?
I wrote it in May 2024, but back then it was called “Our bodies x2.” The visual spark happened when I connected two lollipops by their sticks and realized they looked exactly like a barbell or a mini dumbbell. That immediately brought a visual element of high-camp glam to the gym. I wanted to create a sweaty, unapologetic club banger that pushes a message of unfiltered body positivity. Both the club scene and the gym scene can have issues with toxic body-image norms, so “L.L.L.” was inspired by the idea of disrupting that. It’s about feeling powerful, taking up space, and having fun with it.
What was the inspiration behind the cover artwork for “L.L.L. (Lift, Lift, Lick It)?”
The cover is me literally showing up at the Candy Gym with a full-glam makeover, holding a lollipop instead of a dumbbell, with my muscles wrapped in electric pink tulle. The visual identity is all about extreme contrast. I wanted to mix the grit of heavy lifting with pure camp and glamour. The silver body paint and tulle represent that clash between industrial, machine-like strength and delicate, hyper-feminine pop aesthetics.
What was the creative process like when making “L.L.L. (Lift, Lift, Lick It)?”
It was definitely a series of iterations, small breakthroughs, and one very late pivot. I knew I wanted it to sit at a heavy 128 BPM, but I wanted the sound design to reflect the gym theme. That’s why you can hear the actual acoustic sounds of sliding metal used as percussion elements, layered over an industrial bassline to give it that metallic, glittery feel. The xylophone was initially just a piano freestyle buried further back in the track, but I wanted to promote it to the main character. It was a very late, but iconic, pivot!
How long did it take to complete “L.L.L. (Lift, Lift, Lick It)?”
The core idea came together quite quickly in a demo back in 2024, but it took until the fall of 2025 to record the vocals properly at The Node in Stockholm. This spring, my co-producer and I went back to the drawing board to add the xylophone hook. Then it took a few days to get it mastered by an incredible engineer in sunny Australia, you can probably hear the sunshine in the final polish!
What do you hope fans take away from “L.L.L. (Lift, Lift, Lick It)” and your music in general?
I want people to feel an undeniable sense of empowerment and joy. The core message of my project is “power, not performance,” whether you’re sweating on the dancefloor or at the squat rack, your body is an instrument for your own strength, not just something to be judged by an algorithm. I hope fans listen to “L.L.L.,” feel totally invincible, and get inspired to take up space, embrace their own weirdness, and not take themselves too seriously. Also, I want to prove that you can be a professional, a mother, an athlete, and an artist all at once. It just takes good planning!
What’s next for you? Are you working on any upcoming projects, or do you have any upcoming shows that we should be on the lookout for?
There is a lot of heavy lifting ahead! First up, I’m dropping a massive “dark club” remix of “L.L.L.” that strips away the neon and drags the track straight into a sweaty, 3:00 AM underground techno basement. Beyond that, I am building towards my upcoming 5-track concept EP, Secret Selfies, which will expand on this whole cinematic world.
Where can we follow you on social media?
You can find me flexing, producing, and covered in silver body paint across all platforms!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/m0n0_jay_music
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@m0n0jay
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/01ov7hSAhNcxA1x8HzEHnz
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@itsm0n0jay
Thank you for the great interview; wish you much continued success!
