This is a lighthearted music feature from American Songwriter highlighting four notable songs that use "pretend" (or a variation) in their titles, exploring how each artist uses the theme of masking true feelings or embracing illusion. The piece serves as a curated listening guide, offering brief critical context and background on each track's creation rather than reporting on any news event.

The four songs featured are The Platters' 1955 hit "The Great Pretender," Jackson Browne's 1976 title track "The Pretender," Eric Clapton's 1989 single "Pretending" from the album Journeyman, and MGMT's 2007 debut single "Time To Pretend." Each entry includes details such as songwriting credits, chart or commercial context, and thematic analysis, from The Platters' Tony Williams masking sadness behind a jaunty vocal to MGMT's lyrics foreshadowing the duo's later shift into experimental territory.

– Feature lists four classic songs with "pretend" themes in their titles.
– Includes The Platters, Jackson Browne, Eric Clapton and MGMT tracks.
– Each song explored for its lyrical meaning and background.