At the start of the music video, an Aphrodite statue sits in the background, representing this ideal version that Laufey has for her lover. That illusion is immediately challenged when she is confronted by a magazine revealing her lover's previous messy relationship. This is her first clear red flag, but after a bit of arguing, she's blindsided by his beauty. While her lover may have the looks, more red flags arise for swimmers in the form of their red trunks
As a video continues, Laufey begins to confide in her friends about how her lover treats her cruelly at times, “I remind myself how he’d question everything ‘bout me / Called me stupid as a mindless joke, he hypnotized me as we spoke.” Even though her friends around her want this relationship to end, they acknowledge that he has flaws, but they, too, are blinded by their “rose-tinted glasses”.
The breaking point comes to an end when Laufey and her lover get into another argument and she realizes this isn't the life she wants to live. Even the goddess of love doesn’t approve of this relationship, with the lyrics, “It's like the gods above us don't approve.” Laufey backs up into the Aphrodite statue, and it breaks, revealing that the love she has for her lover is no more. As she tries to leave, she's met with a road that is no more, symbolizing the feeling of never being able to truly escape. So she turns back, fully aware of the toxicity of this relationship but still not ready to let go.
There's also another layer added to this music video when you realize the watch time is four minutes and 44 seconds long. This angel number usually means that one is on the correct path and you are exactly where you need to be. It adds another layer of toxicity that even in the “real world”, Laufey cannot escape.
Kierra White
Image: Warren Fu