"Just Pretend" is an alternative metal track crafted by Bad Omen's frontman, Noah Sebastian, and lead guitarist, Joakim Karlsson. It delves into the tumultuous dynamics of a toxic relationship, a relentless push and pull. Things are strained between the couple, but Sebastian masks the pain, avoiding the truth lurking beneath. He's confident that eventually they will reconcile, and in the meantime, he'll just pretend.
Sebastian told Kerrang! the song "kind of started ironically." With his characteristic confidence, the Bad Omens frontman aimed to make a point about the predictability of modern active rock music, which often struck him as monotonous. He laid down a simple guitar track and riffed on melodies with an exaggerated, cocky tone, almost mocking the genre's typical macho style. But, as he wrapped up the chorus, he realized the song held untapped potential to be really sick, so he started taking it more seriously. Collaborating with Joakim Karlsson, they refined it over a few days, shaping it into the final product.
Sebastian proved his point about how easy it is to write modern active rock music when "Just Pretend" became Bad Omen's first major chart success. It topped both Billboard's Mainstream Rock Songs chart and Billboard's Alternative Airplay chart and was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America on July 12, 2023.
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