MacKenzie Porter Embraces Life in Lockdown in 'Unlonely Me' Music Video

MacKenzie Porter tells PEOPLE she wanted the video to "reflect what life was like for all of us" during the early days of lockdown in a "comical way"

MacKenzie Porter is taking fans back in time for her new music video!

The Canadian country singer turns back the clock to March 2020, the early days of the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent lockdown, in her new video for "Unlonely Me," which PEOPLE is exclusively premiering.

"I wrote 'Unlonely Me' at the very beginning of quarantine and really wanted this video to reflect what life was like for all of us during that time… in a sort of comical way," Porter, 31, tells PEOPLE.

The video kicks off with Porter, wearing a Nirvana sweatshirt and rubber gloves, scrubbing down her groceries as she contemplates inviting over a friend she hopes can "unlonely" her life.

mackenzie porter
MacKenzie Porter. Chris Hornbuckle

As she waits for her would-be partner, she stays busy just like millions of people did around the world while stuck in their houses: drinking wine, watching TV, doing a puzzle and working out.

"Justin Clough has directed all of my recent music videos and I absolutely love working with him. We always sit down to brainstorm ideas together and this one came to us super fast," she says. "It was shot on film for that cozy, grainy, vintage texture. I hope y'all enjoy watching as much as we enjoyed filming!"

Though the song's lyrics and video focus on Porter's isolation, she's not so lonely in real life; in 2019, she became engaged to former Nashville actor Jake Etheridge after five years of dating, and they eloped in July 2020.

mackenzie porter
MacKenzie Porter. Chris Hornbuckle

The couple — whose wedding plans were derailed by the pandemic — tied the knot in a "stunning but super simple" ceremony on the rooftop of their home, with just 12 people in attendance.

"We really loved the idea of having a super small, intimate gathering with just our immediate families, where we didn't have any added stress or distractions and it could really just be about us taking vows and starting our new little family," Porter told PEOPLE at the time.

The newlywed has stayed busy in the months since, and in March, she hopped on Dustin Lynch's song "Thinking 'Bout You" after earning the spot through a blind audition of female vocalists.

"I freaked out when I was told that Dustin picked me to feature. I'm a huge fan of him and also the song," Porter told PEOPLE at the time. "When I submitted, I just knew that it was going to be huge and life-changing for whoever he chose."

Lynch, meanwhile, told PEOPLE that he and Porter had "a blast" in the studio.

"She has a voice that I don't think we've heard in country music yet, and that's nothing you can learn or teach yourself, it's just what you're born with," he said. She has a tone that's really accessible and vulnerable, and it just fit."

Related Articles