How Miss Monique's Live Mixtapes Made Her an International Sensation
Ukrainian musical mastermind and Siona Records founder Miss Monique is arguably one of electronic music's leading artists at the moment. She is globally recognized for her one-of-a-kind, mind-altering soundscapes that intertwine mesmerizing progressive house notes with electrifying melodic techno synths in the most alluring manner. But what makes her truly stand apart from the rest?
Unlike many DJs and producers today who rose to the top by producing rather than DJing, Miss Monique connected with listeners on a much deeper level. Instead of releasing an extensive discography across various streaming platforms, she cultivated a loyal fanbase by unveiling her spin on classic radio mixes via livestreamed YouTube podcasts.
From the get-go, she’s been consistent with her weekly podcast streams. Through each astounding production, she showcases her glistening artistic persona in full force, allowing her fans to get to know her more intimately despite being apart physically. By deciding to take on such a wholehearted creative pursuit, she managed to build a massive YouTube community in no time.
Miss Monique’s YouTube journey ignited with her appearance on her Mind Games podcast on Radio Intense, a channel dedicated to streaming content from a global network of DJs. She then migrated this movement to her own channel and introduced her MiMo Weekly Podcast series. During the peak of the pandemic, her live sets were already gathering thousands of progressive house addicts online, with recorded streams reaching millions of views. Now, her MiMo livestreams attract millions of viewers immediately upon release, an achievement for which she’s eternally grateful.
Amidst the chaos of the pandemic back in 2020 and the saddening ongoing situation in her home country, Miss Monique instills a sense of hope and inspiration in listeners on every corner of the globe. In return, the tight-knit community she’s gathered on YouTube also inspires her. Her viewers provide her with “an incredible charge of energy and positivity” when she communicates with them via the video platform.
Despite her abundant touring schedule, Miss Monique never fails to delight fans with extraordinary live sets recorded from breathtaking locations like the windswept cliffs of Tulum, the bucolic forests of Ukraine, and a historic castle on a Turkish island. Today, the rising musician has over half a million subscribers on YouTube alone, which speaks to how her matchless musical talent and authentic artistic endeavors are bound to move mountains and last a lifetime.
“It’s funny, I actually went on YouTube a few days ago and saw that my first video was posted eight years ago, which is crazy,” she told Gray Area in a recent Spotlight interview. “People accepted this idea from the moment I launched it, and the sense of community built around it has been so strong ever since. Every stream feels like a small virtual festival in a way. There’s just something special about having 3,000-plus people watching the live streams and getting to chat with them online. I love this aspect of my career so I can connect with my audience and listeners this way.”
