The joy of pretending you’re in a music video – whatever your age

woman on train looking out of window pretending to be in music video

Credit: Getty

Mental Health


The joy of pretending you’re in a music video – whatever your age

By Lauren Geall

2 years ago

2 min read

Ever found yourself pretending you’re in a music video while travelling? According to the experts, it could be good for you.

It usually happens on trains. As soon as my headphones are in and the countryside starts passing in a blur, the version of myself I knew just moments ago begins to disappear. In the blink of an eye, I’m a woman setting off on an epic adventure to escape the demons of her past, raindrops falling down the window as the bridge of Taylor Swift’s Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve plays in the background. The mix of sadness and hope is so thick in the air you can almost taste it. The camera is just about to pan out to show the train speeding into the distance, but the conductor comes along to ask for my ticket before the scene comes to an end. I’m back in the room.  

Admitting that I spend my time pretending I’m in some 2000s-esque black-and-white music video may feel a little embarrassing, but I know I’m far from the only one who finds themselves dreaming in this way. On Spotify, there are numerous playlists dedicated to pretending you’re in a music video during a rainy train ride (the first song of course being SZA’s Good Days). And on social media, countless memes have paid homage to the joy of pretending you’re the main character in a drama of your creation. It’s one of those things most of us have done at some point or another, but no one really talks about. But why is escaping reality in this way so entertaining? And why do so many of us do it?

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