This song, “playing pretend” by della, is an interpretative folk song that tells the story of a girl who’s trying to piece together her own world view in light of someone else’s. Right off the bat, you’re drawn into this song through her talking about this guy and how he “wrote a song about the ways [she feels she’s] lacking,” and how she doesn’t [understand how beautiful [he sees] the world.” She tries to connect with him but he would “rather just stare into space.” She admires him, she’s jealous of him because she has “the tendency of ignoring beauty in the world” when he somehow seems to see it all. But by the end, she wonders if he’s also “always a little boy playing pretend.” It’s easy to see other people around you and feel the need to compare, feeling like you’re missing something or there’s something wrong with you. But truth is, it’s never that simple.
“Playing pretend” is a soft yet upbeat indie-folk song that uses simple guitar strum and emphasized vocals to keep a soothing melody and a strong story throughout the three and a half minutes. Starting off quickly with della’s voice sliding right into the first verse, you’re not asked to wait to hear what to expect. With slightly frantically paced lyrics, perfectly conveying the almost frantic emotions, della balances the weight of the story with the instrumentals supporting it. As the verses shift to the choruses throughout the song, there is a slight tone shift to complement it, and overall the tension rises as you journey through the soft melody. Overall, della has created a peaceful yet impactful song, perfect for those who love subtle masterpieces.
Della, real name Natalie Schroeder, is an up-and-coming indie folk artist whose focus on poetic, lyrical, and intentional songwriting has gathered her an impressive amount of fans still early in her career. She started developing her own sound as an artist, playing pop-up shows and working on music, from the age of fifteen, and now two years later, she’s finally ready to share her art with the world. She released her first single, “matthew’s in love,” on June 14, 2024, and her second single, “scar tissue,” shortly after on July 12. “Playing pretend” marks her latest single, accompanied by an EP of the same title just recently on September 6. Use the links below to listen to more of her music and follow along on her very promising career!
Written By Morgan Fischer
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