Canadian alt-pop stunner Vi dives into the darkness of heartbreak with the release of her titillating new single “Dead To You.” Entering a new era of her career, the track comes off of Vi’s forthcoming debut album, Afterlife announced to drop March 23.
“Dead to You isn’t like anything else you’ve heard from me before,” says Vi. “I love that I get to show my range as an artist; I think that’s an important part of an artist’s evolution.”
Showcasing an edgier side to this evolving artist, the song is about moving on from that toxic ex, to the point where they are completely dead to you. Thoughts of the relationship only bring you a feeling of emptiness and a motive to kill any ties to that past part of yourself.
The singer-songwriter spent her early childhood in Qatar and began crafting moody music from her bedroom after moving back to Ottawa in her early teenage years. Drawing her inspiration from heartbreak and hardships, her vulnerable lyrics are known to resonate deeply with others. Along with her dark melodies and intricate beats, the story-telling found in her lyrics is guaranteed to draw you in. Due to her unique sound, many say she is like no other.
Her alluring presence has landed her on stages opening for multi-platinum artist Bülow, performing the main stage of Ottawa Bluesfest ahead of the Backstreet Boys, and working with the legendary producer Ryan Tedder. Growing over three million streams on Spotify alone, Vi has found her music on popular playlists such as New Music Friday Canada & Fresh Finds: POP, It’s A Bop, SALT, and RADAR Canada.
After taking a hiatus to reflect and focus on creating new music, Vi has so much she wants to say. Vi’s upcoming album titled Afterlife showcases this reflective time and newfound attitude towards life. Be sure to follow @who.is.vi to stay up to date on all new music.
Tell us about your story as an artist
I’ve been in love with music ever since I can remember. I idolized Avril Lavigne growing up and she really inspired my dream to pursue singing and songwriting. I started taking music seriously when I was 19 after a really messy breakup and wrote my first project “blackwater”. I wouldn’t be the person I am now if I didn’t have music as an outlet to alleviate my intense heartache. I’ve been writing about hardships and using songs as a sense of healing and therapy ever since.
What do you think is the most important aspect of your life right now?
Despite everything that’s been going on these past few years, I think it’s important to find joy in the little everyday parts of life. Things like walking my dog, finding hidden gems in the thrift store, writing songs, and collaborating with other artists always makes me happy and gives me purpose. Your life ends up equating to what you choose to fill your days with, so I make sure to do things that bring me joy whenever I can. This also helps keep me in a good head space to be productive and write my best music.
What makes this song special in your opinion?
Dead To You shows a side of me that no one has seen before. My music is best described as dark alt-pop and Dead To You just brings out an entirely new energy and genre compared to my usual sound. This song also makes me feel like a new found badass since it’s so different and I’m really proud of it because it helps to show my range as an artist. It feels good to experiment and evolve!
What inspired this track?
Writing and creating music is a form of healing for me, so I want others to feel the same way when they listen. I feel like everyone’s had their fair share of heartbreak, which is the main inspiration for my writing. It’s so easy to feel sad about someone that did you wrong, but Dead To You takes that sadness and turns it into bad ass energy; It’s basically saying, “I’ve moved on and I’m better off without you”. I was definitely going through it with a past relationship so it’s a great feeling to be able to turn those feelings into music that other people can enjoy as well.
What are some of the core messages here?
Dead To You is a single off my upcoming album, titled Afterlife, and it describes the project as a whole very well. Afterlife represents ‘life after death’ and is a metaphor for the “rebirth” of my next chapter. The “death” represents leaving behind my dark past and moving towards a more enlightened part of my life. I feel like I’m shedding my old skin to become an elevated version of myself. That’s what tracks like “Dead To You” and one of my unreleased songs titled, “Living”, explain.
How do you think tik tok and social media are contributing to change an artist’s career?
Tiktok definitely has the ability to change the lives of artists and I think it’s such an amazing platform for that reason. I love seeing Tiktok impact peoples’ lives for the better, whether you’re an artist, small business owner, or just following your passions. It’s really powerful in that sense. I feel like it’s also a platform that celebrates authenticity so I love that it gives people a platform to express themselves however they want and use it to tell their stories.
What excites you about your life?
Just thinking of the endless opportunities our world has to offer and where music will bring me. I absolutely love connecting with other people and building relationships that stem from music. It’s a great feeling to make music with other talented humans and seeing what you can create together through shared experiences. I’m grateful to have the ability to express myself through my songs and to be heard by so many people. I feel very blessed and I’m so excited to continue on this journey.
What are some of your core values as a human being?
Be kind 🙂 you hear it all the time but I hope people truly bring that mantra into their everyday lives. For example, if you come across someone that may have an attitude or may not be the nicest towards you, just be nice back. You really never know what someone is going through, and your kindness in that moment could be exactly what they needed. I also deeply value honesty. I’ve dealt with a lot of deceit in my life whether it’s in friendships or romantic relationships. I think it’s really important for others to be able to count on you and your word.
What are your projects for this year?
I am incredibly excited to release my upcoming full-length album on March 23rd, titled Afterlife. I seriously cannot wait for everyone to hear it and to be able to share my stories with the world. This album has been a long time coming and I can’t believe it’s out so soon! I have a lot more up my sleeve for this year but I’m going to keep that as a surprise…
