Alex Ritchie – Isn’t You (Lyric Video)
Off the heels of her new single “Isn’t You,” Alex Ritchie is back to debut the official lyric video. The “Isn’t You” music video shoot was cancelled due to COVID-19, so she and cinematographer Scottie Hulin had a social distancing film shoot instead. They found a secluded location off the Los Angeles County coast, and used drone cinematography to shoot.
Ritchie produced, directed, and edited the whole feature. She said, “I still wanted to give listeners a cinematic visual experience for “Isn’t You,” so we took all the steps needed to be safe, including careful logistical planning to keep the crew minimal and the creative vision focused. It was just Scottie and myself as the crew, in the middle of some of the most stunning California views. I’m LA through and through, so showing another side of my home city was awesome. The text messaging idea came about as a result of the fact that some really tough relationship conversations can’t happen in person these days. Digital communication is definitely a theme for the single , from the cover art to the lyric video. Though I’m sad the official video is on hold, I am super thankful we found a cool work-around to create a visual story.”
Alex Ritchie is thrilled to give New York Style Guide the exclusive for the premier, and we all hope you enjoy the official “Isn’t You” Lyric Video!
Lyrics:
VERSE 1
Doin things that I don’t do
look at me, look at you
You’re just fine
but I’m code blue
Soaked in this guilt
Swam from the truth
B SECTION
Bet you like the upper hand
when I don’t understand
Cant find us on the map
where we at? where we at?
Not exactly what I planned
Now I feel second hand
And you got all the pieces
PRE CHORUS
I was looking for the sun to my rain
The blue to my sky
The air to my plane
Thought I found the who to my why
’Til i looked in your eyes
HOOK
It isn’t you (x4)
VERSE 2
All your lips did was lie
You pour them out like your glass of wine
Who’s calling for the 7th time?
Yeah, deny the crime with no alibi
B SECTION 2
Lookin’ in the mirror
don’t know who is looking back
I know I know better
Time to leave you where you at
Not exactly what I planned
But I got the upper hand
And I’m picking up the pieces
PRE CHORUS
I was looking for the sun to my rain
The blue to my sky
The air to my plane
Thought I found the who to my why
’Til i looked in your eyes
HOOK
It isn’t you (x4)
BRIDGE
You got a one way ticket to my past now
It’s got you looking back now
Bridges turned to ash
How far did you think I’d go?
You know
HOOK
It isn’t you (x4)
“ISN’T YOU” OUT NOW: https://alexritchie.fanlink.to/IsntYou
Official Website: https://www.alexritchiemusic.com
Isn’t You (Lyric Video)
Executive Producer: Alex Ritchie
Producer + Director: Alex Ritchie
Cinematographer: Scottie Hulin
Visual Effects: Juan Pablo Gonzalez
Editing + Post Production: Alex Ritchie
©2020, Alex Ritchie Music / Glenda R. Proby
In 2026, drone cinematography and lo-fi aesthetic visuals continue to dominate independent music releases, making Ritchie's early embrace of the format feel prescient rather than pandemic-era makeshift.
Alex Ritchie: The Artist Behind the Anthem
Alex Ritchie is a Los Angeles-based singer, songwriter, and creative director whose artistry extends well beyond the recording booth. Known for her razor-sharp lyricism and an instinct for visual storytelling, Ritchie has cultivated a reputation as a fully autonomous creative force in an industry that rarely rewards that kind of independence. Her ability to produce, direct, and edit her own visual content places her in rare company among emerging artists navigating the modern music landscape.
Her sound draws from pop, R&B, and alternative influences, threading emotional intelligence through melodic structures that feel both intimate and expansive. “Isn’t You” is a sharp illustration of her signature approach: layered vocal delivery, confessional lyrics, and a sonic atmosphere that invites repeated listening. The single captures the precise emotional moment when clarity replaces confusion in a failing relationship, a theme that resonates across cultures and demographics alike.
For a global audience that values authenticity in both sound and image, Ritchie represents a new generation of artists who refuse to separate the music from the message, or the creative process from the finished product. Her decision to maintain full creative control over “Isn’t You,” even under pandemic-era constraints, speaks directly to that ethos.
A Masterclass in Adaptive Creativity: Filming During COVID-19
The story behind the “Isn’t You” lyric video is as compelling as the song itself. When the original music video shoot was cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions, most artists would have shelved the visual component entirely. Alex Ritchie chose a different path. Working with cinematographer Scottie Hulin, she reimagined the production from the ground up, stripping the crew to just two people and relocating to a secluded stretch of the Los Angeles County coastline where natural beauty could carry the visual weight.
The result is a drone-driven cinematic experience that feels expansive rather than compromised. Wide-angle coastal footage provides a striking counterpoint to the song’s intensely personal subject matter, creating a visual tension that elevates the storytelling. The inclusion of text message overlays within the lyric video was a deliberate creative choice, reflecting the reality that many difficult relationship conversations had migrated to digital channels during the pandemic period.
Visual effects by Juan Pablo Gonzalez added a polished layer of post-production craft, ensuring the final product met a professional standard despite its unconventional production circumstances. In retrospect, the constraints of that moment pushed Ritchie toward a visual language that has since become a defining aesthetic in independent music releases, making her instincts feel far ahead of their time.
The Lyrics of "Isn't You": Unpacking the Emotional Architecture
What separates “Isn’t You” from the crowded field of breakup anthems is the precision of its emotional sequencing. The song does not begin with anger or resolution. It opens in guilt and confusion, with Ritchie placing herself in a state of emotional disorientation before the narrative arc moves toward clarity and reclamation. The pre-chorus metaphors, sun to rain, blue to sky, air to plane, are constructed to evoke something universal: the search for a partner who completes rather than diminishes.
The bridge delivers the sharpest lyrical moment in the track. “You got a one way ticket to my past now” is a line that functions both as a farewell and a declaration of self-reclamation. It signals the shift from passive hurt to active agency, and the repetition of the hook that follows lands with far greater emotional weight as a result of that progression.
The B Section’s mirroring structure is also worth noting. In verse one, the narrator feels “second hand” and powerless. By verse two, the same melodic passage finds her reclaiming the upper hand and picking up her own pieces. That kind of deliberate lyrical architecture reflects a songwriter who understands emotional storytelling at a structural level, crafting songs that reward close listening rather than passive consumption.
