Premiere: Ro isn't faking it in the clip for her latest single, To Pretend

One of our favourite discoveries of last year came in the hands of Melbourne-based musician Ro, who with a pair of singles last year - her debut Diary, and its electrifying follow-up F**ked Up Over You - setting the scene for the musician's consistent growth and development bound for her - something she's definitely grappled with in 2019. She's released songs with Didirri and worked alongside Megan Washington and JEFFE to cover the Talking Heads' classic Road To Nowhere, while on the live circuit, she's proved an unstoppable highlight time and time again.

If you're unfamiliar with Ro, however, just one listen to her latest single To Pretend is enough to teach you exactly why she's a menacing force in indie-pop's next generation. It's an empowering and cathartic pop gem that brings a detailed production hand-in-hand with that trademark vocal brilliance, which as she explains, breaks down the complexities of sex and the unrealistic expectations hammered into you at a young age through porn: "When I looked through porn the female orgasm either seemed too obvious or I couldn’t find it anywhere. So I didn’t know how to act. I thought I was a weirdo when I wasn’t easily satisfied. I thought I was flawed when I didn’t completely and utterly enjoy myself the whole time," she explains.

"I wanted to be the Victoria’s Secret model, the clean-shaved dream, posing and pouting in magazines and blockbusters with perfect bodies. I didn’t realise how brainwashed I was. To Pretend is about being more open with yourself and someone you love, free of any unrealistic expectations. It’s about realising that you don’t have to pretend to be somebody you’re not to keep them interested. Especially in their physical embrace."

Today, however, we're premiering the single's video clip: a dance in the rain that deepens the single's 'let it all out' richness. As Ro explains, the clip - directed by Peter Elisha Hume - connects itself with the single's goal to create openness and induce vulnerability when it comes to talking about sex. "We had so much fun filming this. There’s something so visceral about dancing around on a pier in the rain. My hoodie was sopping wet, my bare legs shivering in the cold, my make-up washed away. I felt stripped of everything material and mental. I felt reset," she says on the clip.

"To Pretend is about being open and vulnerable, not performing to unrealistic standards. So it was the perfect spot to shoot the music video in.  We hadn’t planned on it to rain on us and all our equipment so hard, but it was worth the slog. I used to be scared to open myself up, and be honest about what I wanted, what I needed. I longed for the uncomplicated intimacy that comes with healthy relationships. To achieve that, I realised that I didn’t have to pretend to be somebody I’m not. I only had to be myself. The music video really embodies this grounded, joyful feeling of self-discovery. I’m not even embarrassed of my dorky dance moves."

Dive into the clip below:

Tour Dates: 

Friday 7th February - Party In The Paddock, Launceston TAS

Saturday 8th February - The Grace Darling, Melbourne VIC
Saturday 15th February - Vic On The Park, Sydney NSW
Friday 21st February - The Outpost, Brisbane QLD

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