“Pretty Boys isn't just about shaking off past heartaches – it's about reclaiming your power and embracing your worth. It's about standing tall in the face of adversity and refusing to settle for anything less than you deserve,” says Naomi Jane about her newly released single. After her latest song, Why Not (we talked to you about it here), which was inspired by rom-com’s too-good-to-be-true kind of love, the American singer is back with a new track that shows a more powerful, unapologetic side to her while still sharing her vulnerability with her audience.
Naomi’s latest release is paired with a minimalistic music video where we see her laying on her bed, in a very teenage-looking room. How so? Because the backdrop is a massive collage of teenage heartthrobs including Euphoria and Priscilla’s Jacob Elordi, a very young-looking Brad Pitt, and Jake Gyllenhaal, who Naomi paints over with a rouge lipstick with some devil horns. But as handsome as they are, those nice faces hide a darker truth: big egos and a lack of emotional responsibility. Or, as many people know it, toxic masculinity. As the song chorus goes, “Why do pretty boys make girls cry / Making us believe all their lies / They’ll shit on all our expectations,” only to finish with the devastating “Just because you’re cute doesn’t mean that you’re not gross inside.” Say it louder for the people (guys) in the back!
Going over names from past lovers (we guess imaginary, or is she really shading her ex-boyfriends?) like Owen and Tyler, Naomi doesn’t shy away from negative experiences almost every girl has gone through. “I hope it gives rise to anyone who has been let down by someone who appeared perfect on the outside but proved to be flawed and harmful on the inside. While I may mention specific individuals in the song, the message is universal,” the singer explains about Pretty Boys. “Whether you're belting it out in your car, shedding a tear, or even tearing up a teddy bear, this song is a declaration of self-love and that we refuse to be taken advantage of again.” So now you know: if a pretty boy breaks your heart, you have a new song to cry to.