Synopsis

A man endures an awkward date in a neon-lit club while his companion remains absorbed in her phone. In the restroom, a mysterious stranger hands him a playing card, setting off a surreal dance ritual among the club's patrons. One by one, people are summoned to perform as the band watches from a judging panel. The increasingly hypnotic spectacle blurs the line between nightlife, competition and dream logic, turning feelings of rejection and inadequacy into an eccentric communal release.

Factoids & Trivia

• "Real" was released in February 2014 as the lead track from the band's Real EP on the Kitsune label.

• The video's cast includes Ben Whishaw, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett and Tuppence Middleton. Their presence gave the early Years & Years release an unusually prominent British acting ensemble.

• Olly Alexander had worked with Ben Whishaw in the stage production "Peter and Alice." Alexander recruited him partly because he admired Whishaw's distinctive, unconventional way of moving.

• Alexander cited "Twin Peaks," the films and television work of David Lynch, and The Knife's "Pass This On" as influences on the video's strange, dreamlike atmosphere.

• The card-based judging device reflects the song's emotional core: Alexander described "Real" as being about feeling not good enough for someone, then reversing that position by placing the band in the role of judges.

• The band also discussed the dancehall as a possible vision of purgatory, although Alexander acknowledged that the video's symbolism was intentionally open-ended.

• The production was made on a shoestring budget, with the crew and participants contributing favors and unpaid time to realize the concept.

• The song and its video became an important early breakthrough for Years & Years. The release drew attention from music publications, helped expand the band's audience internationally and contributed to interest from Polydor.