: Realizing that while a former lover may "look like a vision," their presence is actually a "hallucination" intended to cause pain again.
The Extended Mix provides more space for the song's central message: a firm warning to "serial heartbreakers". Key lyrical beats include: Regard x Years & Years - Hallucination (Extended Mix)
: Inspired by the 1969 film They Shoot Horses, Don't They? , the video features Alexander as an "apprehensive contestant" in a grueling, dark dance competition. : Realizing that while a former lover may
Written by of Years & Years , the song was born from his real-life experience when an ex-lover tried to re-enter his life in 2019. Alexander felt a confusing pull to rekindle the romance, but ultimately realized that the past was a distorted memory. He described the feeling as a "big illusion," questioning if any part of the original relationship had been real once the "dust settles". The Sound and Visual Concept , the video features Alexander as an "apprehensive
: Moving from being "foolish" enough to believe an ex to finally seeing through their "fake" intentions.
: Regard is portrayed as a "mysteriously sinister driving force" watching the competition from behind the scenes on television screens.
The official music video, directed by , translates this emotional confusion into a dystopian "dance to the death":