V.V. Lightbody Announces Sophomore Album Make A Shrine Or Burn It, Releases First Single “If It’s Not Me”

Chicago singer/songwriter Vivian McConnell, known professionally as V.V. Lightbody, announces today (Feb. 21) her sophomore album, Make A Shrine Or Burn It, out May 1 via Acrophase Records. She also shares the first single from the album, the “anti-jealousy anthem” “If It’s Not Me.”

V.V. Lightbody’s self-described nap-rock sound is present on the single, though it also has a distinct punchiness due to the impactfulness of the lyrics.

”‘If It’s Not Me’ is my anti-jealousy anthem about not hating the future partner of your current partner,” says McConnell. “Feeling happy for an ex, although not always easy, feels healthy and mature to me, especially when you aren’t ready to commit—there’s no need to be possessive!”

“If It’s Not Me” subverts the common trope of heartbreak songs lamenting an ex-lover’s new paramour and instead chooses to commit to never channeling feelings of hurt towards women who don’t really deserve it: “If it’s not me, I’m happy for you / If it’s not me, I hope she’s happy too / I never wanna hate another woman just because she’s out there livin’.”

“I recently listened to the Dolly Parton’s America podcast where they break down ‘Jolene’ as the opposite of the typical “other woman” or “cheating song” (a popular country music trope—see Loretta Lynn’s “Fist City”),” continues McConnell. “While I can’t hold a candle to Dolly, I’d like to think that “If It’s Not Me” sits in a similar category that “Jolene” does, attempting to view the “other woman” with respect and dignity, an important step for healing and one’s sanity.”