Vi
Canadian artist Vi recently released her debut album titled Afterlife.
Fusing pop, rock, r&b and hip-hop, Vi delivered an edgy and powerful first record. With big songs such as “Victim”, “Pick A Side” and “Dead to You”, she is proving how versatile she is in her music/art. She doesn’t stick to just one genre but multiple genres - which is so cool to hear.
Afterlife is about heartbreak and moving on. It’s about sharing sincere emotions with the world through those songs. Vi definitely did a great job with this record :)
Afterlife is out now !! :)
Introduce yourself - what's your story?
I’m a Canadian alt-pop artist named Vi who grew up in Qatar and moved to Ottawa when I was 13. My musical story starts from childhood; I grew up in a home of music lovers, which initially sparked my joy for music, then I started taking music creation seriously when I was 19. That is when my first project “blackwater” was conceived and the rest is history. I feel like I’ve come such a long way since then. Now with my first full-length album out, I’ve been reflecting on how grateful I am for everything that’s happened in my life and career up until this point and am looking forward to continuing my journey in music.
You've released your debut album Afterlife - how does it feel to release your first record ever?
This project has been in the making for such a long time - I’m so excited that it’s finally out in the world! It’s granted me major feelings of accomplishment and gratitude. Afterlife definitely represents all of the growth that I experienced these past few years in addition to the amazingly talented musicians, artists, writers, producers, photographers, and videographers that I had the pleasure of working with. Finishing this album helped me realize that I really can do anything I set my mind to.
What's the inspiration/story behind this album? When did you start working on it?
The first thought of Afterlife came to me while I was in the writing process for my very first project called blackwater. When I was working on blackwater, it got me very excited for the future. I was thinking about the meaning behind blackwater and how I envisioned my musical journey going forward. Afterlife felt like the natural next step because of what it symbolizes. If blackwater represented such a dark period of time in my life, then I wanted to portray the message that there is always light at the end of the tunnel. That is what Afterlife represents; it is the ‘life after death’ in a sense. It resembles all of the life lessons I endured and where I am currently at in my life. The main point is that no matter how low you may feel at some points, there is always more life to live and look forward to.
Could you describe the songwriting/production process for this album? Who helped you create it?
It was very sporadic if I look back on the project as a whole. Each song had different starting points and back stories. There are some songs I wrote solely on my own, and a few songs that were co-written. My co-writers on this album were Graydon Welbourn, Dallas, Illvibe, and Grace Marr. One of the songs on the album called “Pick a Side '' was written with my old time friends Ja¥en x District, who were also featured vocalists. They are incredible and really helped to elevate that song. I also have my first production credit on “Sleep Through” because I produced the demo track and we kept some of those elements.
What different topics are you talking about on this album?
The main theme for this album, and all my songs (lol) is heartbreak. My main writing inspiration is drawn from past heartbreaks, but also the process of moving on to a more positive part of life after these hardships. Afterlife gives light to the fact that I’m evolving out of a 'darker' time in my life and is a massive "f*ck you" to everyone that did me dirty in the past. It’s a form of healing for me.
What did you feel when writing "Dead To You"?
I definitely channeled my aggressive side haha. I’m an extremely passionate person and feel emotions very intensely. I translated that into the song, which is very clear in the intense and extreme nature of the lyrics. I felt aggression towards a past relationship and this was my way of putting it to bed.
What's your favorite thing about this album?
I love the mix of songwriting styles. I love writing and creating music that resonates with me and makes me feel good. Music is art and shouldn’t fit into a box or fall under one genre. I also love how this album has been a collection of songs I’ve been working on over the past few years. Some of the tracks on this album were written in the early stages of my songwriting journey, and others were written just last year. The album reflects my personal progression and elevation. Co-writing and collaborating with other creatives helped bring it to new heights. Everyone brought something different to the project and truly helped to elevate it.
As an artist, what is the hardest part? And what is the best part?
The hardest part for me is my self doubt and feelings of imposter syndrome at times. We tend to show the best sides of ourselves and social media highlights these to the public. There really is so much more to people than what we see. But I’d say the BEST part is connecting with listeners that relate to me and hearing that my music resonates with others or has helped them through a hard time. That’s exactly what music does for me, so I am incredibly grateful to know that it can be a form of healing for someone else too. Having it well received and learning peoples’ stories touches my heart; I feel like I've made a family with my listeners.
What are your thoughts on today's music industry? If you could change one thing, what would it be?
I would change how disposable everyone is - not just in the industry, but in society. Our attention spans are so short due to social media and everything revolves around technology and our online image. I don’t see this ever changing because we are becoming more and more reliant on technology, but it is definitely unfortunate. Our industry today would look a lot different if artists were known for their music rather than how many videos a day they can pump out.
What's the best advice you've ever received?
Definitely trust your gut and intuition. Whenever I tend to veer off from trusting my gut instinct, it lets me down. Your gut is always trying to tell you something so learn to trust it! Self trust is very important. Meditation and spending time alone helps with that.
In your opinion, what would make the world a better place?
If everyone was simply just kind to everyone - No matter what your status, name, or background was. No one should ever feel less than. And if everyone was free from judgment. I think that would create space for open mindedness and allow more people to express their authentic selves.
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