Today, Ani DiFranco and Dessa release a cinematic new remix of the iconic single "Shy" for the 30th anniversary of DiFranco's album Not a Pretty Girl. Listen to "Shy (Dessa Remix)" HERE.
"I knew I had to wait until the remix was a sure thing to tell my best friend about it," Dessa remembers, "because an Ani DiFranco song isn't a subject for casual speculation. When I finally texted the news, she sent back a selfie, in tears at a gas station. Opening the raw audio files of a song that I'd listened to so often in my formative years felt like opening a time-capsule, or maybe a time warp—the feelings I'd had as a young listener still welled up in my chest, but the musician I've become could identify the techniques, the structures, and the craft that was invisible to me then. It was a pleasure, an honor, and a hell of a learning experience to remix the work of an artist who's been easy to admire for so long."
"My path crossed once with Dessa a few years back, when we shared a stage one night," DiFranco adds, "and I'm so happy that I got a wild hair to hit her up outta the blue. Her remix of shy is so inspired and makes that thirty year old song feel fresh and spanky new again! I only wish that she’d been there thirty years earlier, in that metalhead studio in Ontario, when I was mixing the dang thing to begin with! Of course... she was probably ten at the time."
Ani DiFranco’s 1995 masterwork Not a Pretty Girl was more than just an album - it was a mission statement that defined the DIY ethos for independent artists everywhere. Originally released on Righteous Babe Records, it serves as a fiery declaration that artists can maintain creative autonomy while achieving massive cultural impact.
The blueprint for artist independence that RBR established with this album became a standard for success, trailblazing for contemporary independent musicians and entrepreneurs across genres. Ani's decision to own her work and reject the corporate system - a choice explicitly referenced on the track "The Million You Never Made" - is a resounding victory for artist control that continues to inspire creators. Beyond the business model, the album's core feminist message - foregrounding female anger, complexity, and refusing to be defined by the male gaze - laid crucial groundwork for the dialogues surrounding body positivity and unapologetic identity that pervade contemporary conversations about gender equality. This fierce spirit of independence is the lasting revolutionary legacy of Not a Pretty Girl.
Now for the 30th anniversary, Not a Pretty Girl is back in print on vinyl and cd, reverently repackaged for both formats by Grammy Award winning art director Brian Grunert, showcasing photography of Mark Dellas, and brushstroke flourishes contributed by Ani. Each copy of the vinyl includes a special limited edition art photo print of Ani, a limited number of which will be signed by the Little Folksinger herself. Learn more about the Not a Pretty Girl reissue HERE.
Double Vinyl 30th Anniversary Edition
- New 2025 vinyl remastering
- Heavy stock vertically oriented gatefold w/ soft touch matte finish
- 12-page booklet
- 12" art photo print of Ani shot by Mark Dellas
- 2 standard weight purple translucent vinyl
CD 30th Anniversary Edition
- New 2025 CD remastering
- 4-panel wallet with 24-page booklet